BOOK NOTICES

New Zealand Tablet, Volume LI, Issue 31, 23 July 1924, Page 26

BOOK NOTICES

Poems, by Janet Erskine Stuart. Longmans, Green and Co. London. Paper, 2/6; cloth, 3/6. Those who have read the Life and Letters, the. Highways and Byways, and The Education of -Catholic Girls will welcome this book of verses by the cultured and great lady who did so much for the cause of the education of Catholic girls during her life, and since her death through the nuns of the excellent teaching Order which reveres her memory and maintains her ideals. The poems are intimate things, revealing the soul of a great Christian woman, endowed with rare gifts of head and heart, with talents which she developed to the utmost of her strength through the days of her mortal life. She has won her crown now,. and the verses which were not written for publication, but under the stress of actual inspiration, often hint at the thorns and crosses that came before the reward. Their profoundly spiritual note, the tender devotion in them, the soul-cries heard through them not rarely, all add to our knowledge of her character and increase our appreciation of her great life. One would hardly claim that the content of this little volume is great poetry. But even as poetry it has no slight value, while its elevated message gives it a richness often lacking in what the world regards as great poetry. Campaigning for Christ, by David Goldstein and Martha Moore Avery. The Pilot Publishing Co., Boston. Price, $2.00. This book of nearly five hundred pages holds the story of a great adventure and of a notable achievement. David Goldstein and Martha Moore Avery, both converts from Socialism who found the truth they sought in Catholic doctrines, were the fruitful soil on which the call of the Church for active lay apostles fell and bore rich harvest. Under the direction and with the blessing of Cardinal O’Connell, they took up the task of going abroad among the people in order to communicate to others the light they ■had received. Their previous experiences, their knowledge of all the arguments which are broadcast among the masses, -made their mission effective and gave it a foundation of personal interest. The same experiences made it easier for them than it could be for most Catholic lecturers, for they had solved the difficulties for themselves (they had all been real to them at one time); and ill their groping towards truth, they had acquired by sincere study a deep knowledge of Catholic doctrine. The book tells of the beginning of the mission when they set forth with an autovan from -Boston Cathedral, and of the adventures which came their way during a tour of 13,000 miles traversed in campaigning for Christ. The peculiar value of the publication is that it gives us a text-book which will serve as a guide to those who may henceforth be called upon to imitate them. It tells us how they faced difficulties; it contains a wonderful body of data and argument on all sorts of topics; and it throws a flood of light on the nature of the obstacles that are to be overcome in such a campaign. Besides all this, it contains valuable treatises on subjects such as are sure to be brought forward by inquirers, bona fide and otherwise. Thus, while Evolution is amply dealt with, we have cogent and compact explanations and expositions of the Catholic teaching on the Church, Infallibility, the Sacraments, etc., etc. Often actual questions asked are given, | with the answers of the speakers. It is satisfactory to know that they were every where well received and in general a deep interest was taken in their work. During the tour they disposed of vast quantities of literature treating of the topics of which they spoke to the people. Taken all in'* all, the book is a worthy monument of a noble apostolic work.