THE PIPE OF DESIRE AND OTHER PLAYS. By George Edward Barton. Boston: Old Corner Book Store. 1905. Pp. 81.

The first of these plays, which gives its title to the book, is already too well known to require much comment. Set to music by Mr. Frederick S. Converse it stands for a praiseworthy attempt at producing a type of American music drama, and as a piece of literature is exceedingly poetic, original and thoughtful. The peasant lover, proud of what he has accomplished by his own hand and the power of his youth and will, is willing to wager his strength and love against any magic pipe or power; but when contrary to divine commands and heedless of warning he snatches the pipe of desire from the hand of its keeper and plays on it himself, he finds that in gaining his desire he loses it. In reply to the anathemas to which he gives utterance in his despair, the Old-One declares:

"There is a God whose laws unchanging

No man may hope to disobey.

Upon His Pipe you blew your own desire,

Forced your own will upon the ordained way.
Man has his will,

Man pays the penalty."

The three other selections contained in the small volume are of very different character. "The Sewing Machine" depicts a pathetic tragedy whose setting is in a sweat shop to the accompaniment of one or more sewing machines, and whose leading character is an immigrant, a dying consumptive, and a murderer.

"The Image of God" is not in dialogue form but tells in Biblical phraseology of the prosperous man of fifty who in gratitude for his success wishes to make a new image for the object of his devotions to replace the small rough stone idol he had fashioned years before. Every stone he considers is larger and more suitable than the preceding one, but he casts all aside as unworthy to embody the greatness of his God, though he grew footsore and hungry in his search over the world. By a vision he is finally led to see that no image can be great enough to contain all the creation that should be included in the verisimilitude of deity, and so he "took the old image and smote it upon the rock; with the hands that made it did he break the image and cast it from him. And Klan fell upon his face, and prayed before the God which is God."

"The Thing to be Done" is an intense yet didactic drama in romantic mediæval setting, but although the artifices of its astrology pretend too much reality, they are not nearly so convincing as the beneficent sprites and their stern leader who figure so artistically in "The Pipe of Desire."

VISION. By Frank Crane. Worcester, Mass.: Davis Press, 1906. Pp. 55. This attractive little book is truly a collection of fugitive verse which the author beautifully dedicates to his wife,

"To her who accompanies my life,

As perfect music makes poor words worth while."

No excuse is made for the minglings of light and shade, grave and gay; the sequence by which "A Figure8ive Tale" is followed by "Secret Woe" and "The Temple of Unbelief," or the flippant version of the vampire theme.

"The Little Green Snake," by "The Unchosen Cross"; for the prelude says that

"What is written in the book

Is all as inconsistent as life is."

The last four pages are filled with epigrams on equally varied themes. "Perfect faith is courteous; intolerance is a sign of a subtle disbelief in the power of truth." "Few rich men are worthy of riches; but for that matter few poor men appreciate or deserve the privileges of poverty." One of these terse sayings, to the spirit of which the author would not expect The Open Court to subscribe, is as follows: "Accuracy is far from being truth. What is true is often vague"; also "To put heart into one's work it is better to believe than to know; the man of faith works heartier than a man of experience." One of the rather daring tenets of the popular pulpit of to-day is epitomized in the following, “There is no such thing as sin, just as there is no such thing as cold; cold is the absence of heat, and sin is the absence of control over the forces from within us."

WHO'S WHO, 1906. An Annual Biographical Dictionary of Living Celebrities, Chiefly English and American. London: Black. New York: Macmillan. Pp. 1878. Price, $2.00 net.

Nothing more can be said to express appreciation of the annual appearance of this biographical dictionary of our contemporaries than what we have already said repeatedly, and what all reviewers continue to unite in saying. Particularly in libraries, publishing houses and editorial offices it has become almost as much a part of the office furniture as, for instance, "Webster's Unabridged" was perhaps twenty years ago.

FUNERAL SERVICES WITHOUT THEOLOGY. By F. J. Gould. London: Watts, 1906. Pp. 60. Price, Is. net.

The title of this little book sufficiently characterizes its content and purpose. It is a series of addresses adapted to various occasions issued for the Rationalist Press Association and contains also an appendix consisting of examples of method of treating personal recollections besides some poetical quotations. The addresses are drawn from Mr. Gould's own experience when officiating at funeral services. The view of death which is embodied substantially in this collection though not in set formulæ is that of Positivism. Occasional expressions suggest dissent from current thought, and the exclusion of theology is complete; but even the orthodox would find themelves in sympathy with the main tenor of the sentiments expressed.

SUNDAY LABOR. By Thorleif. Mt. Morris, Ill., Kable Bros., 1906. Pp. 229. Price, $1.00. For sale by John Veiby, 427 Mosely St., Elgin, Ill. This is not a dissertation on the observance of Sunday, from either a dogmatic or industrial standpoint, as might be inferred from the title. Instead it is the result obtained by putting into use the hours of the day of rest, and consists of essays and sketches on most topics of general interest, social, political, religious, from what the author is pleased to consider the point of view of the proletariat. The style is direct and the thought is often remarkably original.

THE EVOLUTION OF KNOWLEDGE. A Review of Philosophy. By Raymond St. James Perrin. New York: Baker & Taylor, 1905. Pp. xiii; 308.

Mr. Perrin's thesis is that the most general terms of existence, space, time, matter, and force can be resolved into motion, and in the work before us he compares the chief systems of ancient and modern thought, measuring the approach of each system to the ultimate goal of philosophy, the demonstration of this unity of all things. He divides the history of philosophy into two main divisions, "The Pre-Evolutionary Period," and "The Evolu tionary Philosophy." This first division he treats from the dawn of philosophy represented by the thinkers from Thales to Pythagoras, through the Greek periods, pre-Socratic, Platonic, and the time of Aristotle and the Cynics, Stoics and the Academy, followed by the Alexandrian school and Scholasticism down to the Revival of Learning and Francis Bacon. Then comes modern philosophy represented by Descartes, Spinoza, Locke, Leibnitz, Berkeley, Hume, with a special chapter each on German philosophy and France and the Scotch school.

"The Evolutionary Philosophy" is represented only by Herbert Spencer and George Henry Lewes, and three or four chapters are devoted to the doctrines of each. Mr. Perrin concludes as follows:

"If formal creeds no longer inspire us, it is because they have ceased to represent nature. Theology has always been the best explanation of the universe that the Church could offer. What we need is a readjustment of spiritual teaching to the advance of knowledge. This most important of reforms will be achieved when our poets and artists, as well as our men of science, contribute, as of old, to the ceremonies of religion, for genius alone can guide us to the true and to the good through the beautiful.”

THE DEWDROP'S SOUL. By R. Hume Smith. J. V. Dealy Co., Houston, Texas. 1906. Pp. 196.

R. Hume Smith, a teacher of Physiography in the High School at Houston, Texas, has published a book entitled The Dewdrop's Soul, which proves that the author is an enthusiastic teacher who appreciates the poetry of science, a subject to which an introduction of 53 pages is devoted. The book itself is a poem telling the story of evolution in the experiences of a dewdrop. The poetical part of the book consists of 141 stanzas written in different meters accompanied by explanatory comments and arguments. There is perhaps too much reflection and comment of the author's intentions, and we feel at once that it is his first effort. A critical reader will bear in mind the difficulty of the undertaking to create poetry of science, and considering ali in all, we can appreciate the author's noble ambition and his good intentions. If the poem is not quite a success, it is certainly a promise.

Prof. Ernst Haeckel's friends have banded together to constitute a society called the "Monistic Alliance." They publish a periodical, the first number of which is out, under the direction of Dr. Heinrich Schmidt, Jena. Moltke Street 1, who will act as general secretary. Professor Haeckel is honorary president, and among the men who have entered the movement there are not only a number of prominent lay men but also some clergymen. the city of Bremen being strongly represented by four of its best-known pastors.

FOUNDATION OF A LAY CHURCH

WHAT is the reason that so many people, and sometimes the very best ones, those who think, stay at home on Sunday and do not attend church? Is it because our clergymen preach antiquated dogmas and the people are tired of listening to them; or is it because the Churches themselves are antiquated and their methods have become obsolete? To many these reasons may seem a sufficient explanation, but I believe there are other reasons, and even if in many places and for various reasons religious life is flagging, we ought to revive, and modernize, and sustain church life; we ought to favor the ideals of religious organizations; we ought to create opportunities for the busy world to ponder from time to time on the ultimate questions of life, the problems of death, of eternity, of the interrelation of all mankind, of the brotherhood of man, of international justice, of universal righteousness, and other matters of conscience, etc.

The Churches have, at least to a great extent, ceased to be the guides of the people, and among many other reasons there is one quite obvious which has nothing to do with religion and dogma. In former times the clergyman was sometimes the only educated and scholarly person in his congregation, and he was naturally the leader of his flock. But education has spread. Thinking is no longer a clerical prerogative, and there are more men than our ministers worthy of hearing in matters of a religious import. In other words, formerly the pulpit was naturally the ruler in matters ecclesiastic, but now the pews begin to have rights too.

Wherever the Churches prosper, let them continue their work; but for the sake of the people over whom the Churches have lost their influence the following proposition would be in order, which will best and most concisely be expressed in the shape of a ready-made

PROGRAM FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A LAY CHURCH.

GENERAL PRINCIPLE.

It is proposed to form a congregation whose bond of union, instead of a fixed creed, shall be the common purpose of ascertaining religious truth, which shall be accomplished, not under the guidance of one and the same man in the pulpit, but by the communal effort of its members in the pews.

FOUNDATION OF A LAY CHURCH. (CONTINUED.)

NAME AND FURTHER PARTICULARS.

This congregation shall be known by the name of The Lay Church, or whatever name may be deemed suitable in our different communities, and a characteristic feature of it shall be that it will have no minister, but the preaching will be done by its own members or invited speakers.

Far from antagonizing the religious life of any Church, The Lay Church proposes to bring to life religious forces that now lie dormant. Religious aspirations. have as many aspects as there are pursuits in life, and it is the object of The Lay Church to have representatives of the several professions, of business, the sciences, the arts, and the trades, express their religious convictions upon the moral, political, and social questions of the day.

The Lay Church will establish a free platform for diverse religious views, not excluding the faiths of the established Churches: provided the statements are made with sincerity and reverence.

Since The Lay Church as such will, on the one hand, not be held responsible for the opinions expressed by its speakers, and, on the other hand, not be indifferent to errors and aberrations, monthly meetings shall be held for a discussion of the current Sunday addresses.

The man of definite conviction will find in The Lay Church a platform for propaganda, provided it be carried on with propriety and with the necessary regard for the belief of others: while the searcher for truth will have the problems on which he has not yet been able to form an opinion of his own ventilated from different standpoints.

It is the nature of this Church that its patrons may at the same time belong to other Churches or to no Church. And membership does not imply the severing of old ties or the surrendering of former beliefs.

The spirit of the organization shall be the same as that which pervaded the Religious Parliament of 1893. Every one to whom the privilege of the platform is granted is expected to present the best he can offer, expounding his own views without disparaging others. And the common ground will be the usual methods of argument such as are vindicated by universal experience, normally applied to all enterprises in practical life, and approved of by the universal standards of truth-commonly called science.

(Reprinted from The Open Court for January, 1903.)