AMONG THE BOOKS.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume 23, Issue 47, 23 November 1899, Page 6

AMONG THE BOOKS.

CATHOLIC TRUTH SOCIETY. The Land I Love Best is a series of eight charming short stories by the gifted Irißh authored, Katherine Tynan (Mrs. Hinkson). The stories are evidently sketches from nature — incidents of real life — and are redolent of the humour, the pathos, and the resignation of the Irish peasant under the stress of trial. 1 A Daughter of Erin ' is, perhaps, ihe best of the series. As upual with this class of short stories — now ho much the vogue — the plot is usually thin, but the interest in Mrs Hinkson's stories is well sustained from s'art to finish. The Land J Love Best is published by the Catholic Truth Society, and iB neatly and appropriately bound in cloth adorned with shamrocks and Irish tracery. The Catholic Truth Society alfo wends us an interesting and well written penny life of Cardinal Wiseman (32 pp.), compiled, with the author's permission, from Mr. Wilfrid Ward's Life and Times of Cardinal Wiseman. A very important addition to the Society's cheap popular series of publications is The Dogmatic Teachings of the Poman Catacombs (pp. 20, Id). This welcome pamphlet is from the pen of Mousignor Campbell, whose long residence in Rome and wide acquaintance with Christian archaeology greatly enhance the value of his little brochure. By the aid of inscriptions, picture", symbols, etc., in the Catacombs he shows how in the early days of the Church, Christians believed in prayers for the dead, the intercession of saints, the veneration of relics, the Sacrifice of the Altar, and other distinctively Catholic doctrines and practices, which show that we are the true heirs of the faith of those far-off days. Another useful penny publication of the Society is a little waistcoat-pocket booklet entitled My Friend the Agnostic. It puts into a nutshell the substance of the controversy between the Catholic and the Agnostic. From the same publishers we have received a further instalment of the very readable and edifying biographical series entitled Saints of the Rosary. They include lives of the Blessed Jane of Portugal, the Blessed Maria Bartolomea (a bedridden eaint), and the Blessed Columba of Rieti (pp. 32 to 40 each, Id). OF INTEREST TO CATHOLIC CHOIRS. Boosey and Co., London, have forwarded to us Part. II of Arundel Hymns. They are chosen and edited by the Duke of Norfolk and Mr. Charles T. (iatty, and have the approval and blessing of the Holy Father. The English hymns are of a high order of merit — chiefly by Cardinal Newman, Prior Aylward, Fathers Faber and Caswale. and Lady Catherine Peter, and are a welcome charge from the trashy metrical compositions with which Catholic choirs are so painfully familiar. A number of Latin and older English hymns are also included, and the whole are wedded to original tunes and special adaptations and arrangements of ancient melodies which ought to make them a welcome addition to the repertoires of our church choirs. (Pp. til), Is). VARIOUS. The Are Maria has reprinted in pamphlet form (pp 16, sets.) Henry Brownson's article on The Prvf of Miracles. The author confines himself to New '.testament miracles. He deals with the proof of miraculous facts, their &uperna'ural character, and their value as evidence of divine revelation. The pamphlet abundantly repays perusal. The Ate Maria itself now runs into no less than IGO pages monthly, and, what with its improvement in type and paper, and its general literary excellence, forms an ideal magazine for the Catholic home St. Peter's monthly magazine keeps on improving, especially in the matter of illustrations. The October number contains a continuation of the serial story ' The love of Comrades,' and highly interesting and well-illustrated articles on the Beethoven family in Boun, the Greek Islands, the Congressional Library, together with several other stoiies and sketches of more than average interest.

For Chr 'stums and New Year presents we recommend our readers to go to the D.I.C. The wonderful variety and magnitude of the Company's stock is almost bewildering, from the highest class goods to the most mode-ate priced. Beautiful leather goods, brushware, basket and rush work, ornaments, jewellery, dolls, puzzirs, outdoor and indoor games, all the latest Christmas and I New Year cards, etc. A visit to the D.I C. Fancy Goods Showrooms ' will well repay you. D.I.C, High and Rattray streets, Dumdin.— %♦ Residents of Dunedin, and visitors from the country districts during the show and race week, will note that Messrs. A. and T. Inglis, the well-known drapers of George street, Dunedin, are now showing the latest novelties in all departments. The firm has just received large shipments of new goods from the leading manufacturing centres in the Home countries, including the latest fashions for summer wear, and intending purchasers would do well to make an inspection of these before buying elsewhere. — »%