PUBLICATIONS RECEIVED.

Otago Witness, Issue 2241, 11 February 1897, Page 39

PUBLICATIONS RECEIVED.

The January number 6f the Pall Mall Magazine, exquisitely printed and charmingly illustrated aa usual, contains the additional attraction of a tale by its millionaire proprietor, " The Fata of Mi 3* Trslee's Emerald," having at its foot. ihe signature •'William Waldorf Astor." The tale is a capital detective sketch in which aforeiflynmarquis, a marvellous emerald, a hypnotised girl, and a shrewd detective are the principal features. " Lech Dhuairg," a Highland romance giving the history of the tu'filment of a fifteenth - century prophecy in tne nineteenth century, is no less thrilling in it 3 way. Tha frontispiece is an interesting picture of tho grand canal at Venice, while the sport of the month is curling, with a full page illustration of the roaring game in full swing. R. L. Stevenson's aerial "St. Ivea" continues its interesting course, and the rest of the contents are quite up to tho Pall Mall's high standard. The Family Herald for January includes the Christmas number of this old-time favourite magazine. The Christmas part comprises a seasonable tale by one of the Herald's beat writers of fiction. The contents of the number are of the usual varied and intereiticg nature. The Monthly Magazine of Fiction, also published by William Stevens (Limited), aud which accompanies the Family Herald, contains a complete novel, "For Love Alone," by the author of " My Lady of Manor Farm," &c.

The G»zette contains notifications of the insolvency of a dentist, two sheepfarmers, a baker and storekeeper, a carpenter, a storekeeper (Chinese), a coach proprietor, a cycle expert, a cabinetmaker, and a puntman. During the hearing of the Wairarapa petition case, evidence was given that in the case of alleged double voting the returning officer (Mr Armstrong) had examined the ballot papers at the place where the real man voted and | credited the candidate accordingly. Mr Justice i Conolly said such a proceeding was an interi ference with the secrecy of the ballot, and the duty of the officer was to pick out the ballot papers by reference to the numbers, place them apart, record the facfc, and refueo to giro the vote to either aide.

Xflj&ObOJflilijAL NUClfctY. A public meeting was fceld !n^ffa{> >'.;oms of ths above society, A.M. P. Buildings, >.ii Monday night, ai which Mr A. W. IVlaurais dtfiirered an address on "The Consolations of Theosopby." Those consolations, according to tbo lecturer, consisted in tbe fact that while all Ibe noblest a^piratioDn avd ho^ea of tbe human heart w«r*j cot'ficuaed and K&itetated- by tho archaio Wißdo -\ Religion, the teachings of the l»'-ter wjre • found to bti reconoileable to a litrge extent wi ■ the conclusions arrived at by eck-nco and philosophy. Absurd as it might sound to those wh> bad no knowledge of Thcosophy, tbe nv ' > physician and the materialistic scientist mi, therein find many points of agreement b>' o to the reality and unreality of tho r>-y-iniiverge; tho fheo ! og'«.n who, neverohi-l - loved mauUiiid, wnul I (l::.cwr>-r in its toachiii(j< rii exv'a-uvUori ot t'n sLt,uu<ig injustice which f umtuii' e I w, and a uguC thrown upon curh liillieult questions as freewill and iureordiutktion ; th« devout Christian could by its aid interpret the hitherto misunderstood teachings of Jesus and Paul. The deformed, ignorant, poor, disappointed, aud degraded had other lives in which to amend their mistakes, repair their evil fortunes, build for themselves fairer physical tabernaoles, and complete their moral and iutelUobual evolution. All the folk-lore, too, that materialistic thought had played such sad havoc with, to the lois of the poetical side of our nature, waa reinstated on a basio of fact and reasonable evidence, and the world would be tfce richer for the acceptance of the existence of nature spirits. But ths greatest oonaolatiqp would bn found la the teachings as to the nature of Deity and of man, teachings suppewted by the most; 'ancient soriptures of the world, according to . whioh we were the architects of our own. eternal fortune!, divina in our own esienoe, immortal by right and nature, whose luturu extended itevs^ hei'.u**o.rth onward and upward *>" _ aoctu. • "<Ktt attentively listened t» iy a. fair audience, .• questions "rer«s ■»*kt><l at the close, and •$/ . -<i.» *'• -•:ss*£kl ' ifbu-iL 9.45.