NEW BOOKS.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 651, 30 October 1909, Page 9

NEW BOOKS.

"The Life and World-Work of Thomas ',- Harris."'-'By Arthur, A. Cuthbert. Glasgow: ',-■ C. W./Pearco ahd.Co. 2s. 6d. ' This/is a' remarkable book which 'seeks /to; explain the of Thomas Lake Harris, an English evangelistic and mystic, who early took up his life, in America., The peculiar character and doctrines of Harris encountered a' great deal of '■ in, his life time, but. Mr:,W.,T. Stead declares, that ."there has been no seer, like/- Harris '/since the 'days /.of'Swedenborg." ■ Tfie'-chief point of his teaching is the Divine motherhood in God. Hitherto it has been/said the' Protestant faith has ignored this side of. the Divino Nature to which the Boman .Catholic religion: owes its. the. minds 'of : its /followers,/ asi; satisfying, ah ; instinctivo ;liumahV'demahd,:; ; liy 'the;, recognition '-.of ■ tho Divine' wotoari.in'God,'/'as'represented by the ioxaltatioh.of -'thei ."VirginVMaiy '.'-Ss .tthfe, "Mother -of Godii' But/whereas.tho Eoman/Churcli wor-,ihips,,th6-Virgin, as''Mother '."q'f'.'Gbdi'-'Harris teaches the/fact-of; tbo'Mother- 1 "in".' God,'who was /'with'God:;in, ; the"Jbeginning,"' by; whom "all tilings! wero: made," whQ.-was "tho Word made flesh," and dwelt, among us.as bur Lord ' Jesus!. Christ, ..'veiling her' Motherhood- in the masculine form 'because: of the: degradation into which womanhood,- as sex,/ had fallen l .in the i masculine ..mind;; but who-now\ as the' Com-forter,;rules.-tho., hearts-,of .those open to the Diyjne-'Hbly': Spirit, breathing' into''them, the breath;:- of/ imperishable,/ life..',. ./Through this Divine-Motherhood is effected/the new -birth 'which'-ou'r. Lord: 1 insisted every/, ono .'must'pass through .to enter-tho Kingdom of-Heayen. Tho author ibf''this;hook writes 'from .direct -personal knowledge, "of'.the remarkable man; who is its. subject,;'and though most' readers"lyill not find it 'easy-to 'follow Harris's';teaching, the book'will • ropay; careful study.;:://:/ ,',: :

/'liyrio. Moods.'V'.By'E; .Crawford... Melbourne: ' . ; T;,C:;Ldtbian..- 3s/.Gd.; !;: ,'v :- ,;[, .'-, .'"The most;remarkable'/thing-iu" this.:''little ( v6lurhp;.'cbuies' : at [the.end'/in-..;tho--,-shape oi .Mr..Crawford-: 'that';':- these': i ,!'n6W,V' / ';da-"'l''iiPP^ : '''"'* 0 '- 'concealed'atiythe-;' v-hjs^bbok.^or-it is difficult ito. his'.'verse; [ori' reading,'it,V''giy'6';it;'ft/:fair-7hear-ing, -if:.tho[ ; Por these notes",are* simply extracts 'from.;- some aKs«rd:;euhbgie!s'of.>Mr.,-_Crawfordjiby;;hvo':.fair well-known ■; Australian"-critics.','' We' caii •;- ira-•agihe-thati •Mr.lCrawfpfdr'-cairics i about with him : these; clippings,'4nVwhich Mf.^A.• G.' Stephbns, and; A/; 'A,'' .Dyßaiydon: have'■■•"made .them- ' selves himself;-riffl£olo^^ 'ford is > greater poet thwj^eraeyj.^rld■ .Mr. Balydon by. comparing.: Mr.'^ra^lpi'rr. with Wbrdswbrtb.'.'.it. is[surely, not quito the thing' for Mr. Crawford to 'wave their .opinions at the readen; •Howeverr'althoußhMt.;is.'very-:un-. pleasant to'find'a'poet'handing you his testi-, monials i like ; a/■ now. "general," Mr/ Crawford is-,a/ capable versifier.:/Be^is;very prolific; he is/very..conceited;. -he seems'.'to be unable to .distinguish' good '. from.-very had in : ,his[-own work; but he/has written some good -verse, •anda little good poetry. Sometimes,'as in the last couplet of "A'Memory," he is startlingly fine, and .this immediately-after talking, of a "dreamy dower":' /;/;■', •;.. ; , "-' "•'", ".-' And when Death touched her starry brow, '.' It.seemed as,if it were/ '>[;;.-.■'.--. / '.'.>;' The .dream sho. was-became somehow .-; • : [Another.;:dream /of/.her// '/:[' ',-./.-;/--' , ' :There[;aro;foany pooms. in -the.volumer.much above the average,of [Australiahi.verse." " "Sonnets../and Lyrics."; ■'■ By..Noland Powell. Wellington; Whitcombe/ and Tombs. .'./■ ; Oho is[ rather'at' a loss to know'- what' to do with Mr. Powell's modest little volumeV- Ho opens with a. preface addressed , ; to his mother, with' -which' a -reviewer, can .hardly havo any concern./ Perhaps ■ the reviewer,, should •, not read,it.', None of the;sonnets are' really good, for although' Mr/ Powell'has.. a -strong com-, rnarid/of technique; ho; is at once very ambitious- in, phrase, and often very. commonplace in thought. Wo quote' one sonnet that shows 'most.of,,the v author's merits, and fewest of his ■faults:;:';'; /''':..'■<; *■ ;"■ ';/"■"•'''', ■ ■• ~ Your white:hands let me kiss, whilst yet they ■•■■; cling •■'.-."'■' E'er; parting: Hands/ so soft, . and lithe and 'small-: ' ;!/ :" ; " "■' : ■.'■-■;■■/■.''!,/,' ■■' Whit melodies entrancing do ye call: Ji'rom ivory 'd keys! .What ecstasies ye bring Prom high Olympus!. What agonies yo wring Prom Hell! What hopes and passions swiftly 'fall, \::'-. .!' '.- ■:■■•■ ■"-'■' '■: ""' " - ■ Interpreting the heart's: emotions all.'. I am thy thrall, so long as tense. strings sing iOf misery .embosom'd in strong souls, Of/will's performing destinies, and powers Invincible against the niggard doles Of blind and gluttonous wealth, or. while of 'flowers, ■-■;■■■••■'-'.-.■• And Naturo's lucent beauties throned above; Or of the. purpose of creating love.