1846.] Chapin's and Sprague's Volumes. 263 Mr. Chapin's book is more particularly upon the duties of young men, which he considers under the head of "social duties," "duties as citizens," "intellectual duties," and "moral duties." This is a revised edition, and the author states that the style of the first edition was florid and redundant, and that he would gladly have broken up the very mould and recast the whole work, and thus have given us more mature thought in a more sober style. After such a statement by the writer himself, criticism is disarmed. The volume is full of excellent suggestions, the general arrangement is good, and the spirit of the book is pure and elevating. It holds up a high standard, and is evidently written by one who feels all that he says. As a specimen. of the work we extract the following: "Do not underrate your influence, or idly suppose that you have no influence at all. The mass is made up of individuals. You are one of that mass. Your acts, your thoughts, your words, help create that diffusive leaven which forms its character, and is called public sentiment. But if you have influence upon one individual only, that fact is enough to make it your solemn and binding duty to see to it that your influence is pure and correct, that not a particle of the evil which may come upon society, shall proceed directly or indirectly from you. Talk not to me, then, of insignificance and limited influence. When I behold deep-flowing rivers, made up of drops that have fallen, one by one, away back among the mountains and in the narrow recesses of the rock; when I see broad and lofty forests that have arisen from little seeds which the birds of the air have scattered and the hunter has trampled into the soil; when I see the avalanche that started from the summit a little mass that a child could have turned aside, thundering on and sweeping all before it; - when I see results like these, I say, I am incredulous as to the inefficacy of small and obscure causes." —p. 62. "There is no man that lives in society whose influence is entirely negative, or who has no influence at all. Let us not mistake ourselves. Let us not form the idea that we are more insignificant than we really are."-p. 60. Dr. Sprague's book is written in the form of letters, and is founded on the history of Joseph. It commences with an outline of this Scripture history, and then divides itself into three parts," sources of danger to young men,' ""character to which young men should aspire," and "the rewards that crown a virtuous course." The whole is written in a clear, simple manner, and is pervaded by sound reason and good sense. There is no exaggeration of statement, but all is calm and dispassionate. They are such letters as a father might write to his son. There is little excitement for the imagination, but much wholesome counsel for the judgment. The style is sober and dignified, and yet natural; it may perhaps be the more useful for not being overwrought. The views of the author in undertaking the work are thus stated in the first letter: "The growing conviction which I have had for years of the importance of those interests which are soon to be devolved upon the young men of the present generation, has, at different times, brought me almost to the determination of addressing to them a short series of letters, designed to impress them with a sense of their obligations, and to aid in the general formation of their character. I have, however, been deterred from executing, or even forming, a definite purpose on this subject, by the consideration that many wise and excellent men have already written books of counsel to the young, to which they can readily gain access; and that any attempt which I might make, would result in nothing better than a repetition of things which had often been more attractively and more impressively said before. It occurred to me, however, lately, as I was reading the touching and beautiful story of Joseph, that there is much in it that deserves the most attentive consideration, especially of every young man; and in this thought originated the purpose, which I have now set myself to execute, of endeavoring to render this scripture narrative subservient to the best interests of the young men of the present day. Still, my young friends, I have no expectation of offering anything to your consideration that is substantially new the utmost that I can hope is, that I may give increasing effect to the counsels which I shall suggest, by incorporating them with a story, which, in respect to the interest of its incidents and the beauty of its descriptions, is universally acknowledged to be unrivalled even in the sacred Scriptures." -p. 30. These Letters by Dr. Sprague we would cheerfully recommend as containing most excellent suggestions both for old and young. The only thing remarkable about the slight volume by Mr. Smith is, that it has an "Introduction" by President Adams. This is in fact a brief letter of twenty lines, addressed to Mr. Smith, which he has here blazoned forth so as to give the impression that it is an "Introduc 1846.] Smith's Counsels. 265 tion"! This will answer the purpose of procuring a sale for the book, which it could not have gained by any merit of its own. These sermons, in many respects, will not compare with those written in the general course of ministerial duty. And yet the writer ostentatiously tells us that they were delivered before the most "distinguished" persons. They are upon common-place topics, which have been a thousand times treated; yet the writer states that "he has not been able to obtain help on these subjects, and has been compelled in a great measure to open the path in which he has travelled."! He is specially severe upon dancing. As a specimen of his liberality in this respect, he exclaims, "Dancing is open to such objection that no female can, with propriety, engage in it. It has always done mischief, from the day John the Baptist by it lost his head, to the present hour." Dwelling in the midst of slavery, where the clank of the chain is heard even at the door of the capitol, he says not one word upon that monstrous wrong. Delivering these Lectures at Washington while the country was commencing an unjust and iniquitous war, this he considered too small an evil to be noticed. But dancing calls forth his indignant reproof. He very solemnly gives the following statement upon this head: "Let me illustrate: A young lady, of great personal beauty and very accomplished, was at a fashionable watering-place during the summer. A gentleman, now one high in the service of the United States, was attracted by her appearance and accomplishments, and invited her to join him in the dance. She very politely, but positively, declined. He repeated the request soon after, and again she declined. He very civilly asked the reason. 'Sir,' said she, 'I am a Christian.'" - p. 35. To show the character of the illustrations which he brings before his "intelligent and crowded auditories," we quote the following: "A young woman of great personal beauty had an indulgent parent. No expense had been spared to place at her disposal whatever accomplishment she chose. Her mind only was deformed; her temper was tart; her spirit uncontrolled; though no one took more pains than herself to induce all to believe that she was the most amiable of her sex. Sitting by herself one day in the library, she felt a hand laid lightly upon her shoulder. 23 -4TH S. VOL. VI. NO. II. VOL. XLI. Presuming that it was her father, she exclaimed, 'Go away, you old plague; I wish you would let me alone!' As she looked up, she saw the face of a gentleman whose good opinion she was anxious to secure. Blushing deeply, she exclaimed, 'Pray excuse my rudeness, sir; I thought it was pa!'"-p. 13. He states the following in such a manner that few, probably, would have the hardihood to deny its truth: "The wife, who appears in the presence of her husband, or at his table, in a slatternly dress with hair uncombed, halfwashed, and slip-shod - and does so on the ground that no one is to be present but her husband, gives occasion for less regard." He even ventures to add; "It would not be marvellous if his opinion of her taste, tenderness and affection, should be somewhat modified or reduced." - p. 77. In his counsels to young men he briefly sums up the following rules: "Make your toilet for the day; then commend yourself to God by prayer and the reading of his word. Go early to church. Lounge not around the door, nor stand in the passage, nor upon the steps. You would not do so at the house of a gentleman; you should not do so at the house of God. Never wear your hat in the house of God; you would not do so in the presence of ladies." -p. 59. As an example of the manner in which he at times works up a passage and brings it to a powerful climax, take this. "The fame of Rogers makes us feel certain that any cutlery that bears his name is what it professes to be. The same is true of the compass of one European house, or the telescope of another. Be not a genius. Select some one pursuit, and then follow it diligently pursue it with all your soul. Be the best of your class; if you are a boot-black, be the best one in the country." p. 46. Though passages of a similar character abound through the book, yet its counsels generally, well-followed, would do good. As for the ability of the work, intellectually considered, it cannot be said to rank above mediocrity. It has constant repetition, and is often marked by flippancy and conceit. We wish that Mr. Adams could himself be induced to publish a series of letters to the young men of America. Who could do it so eloquently? Whose words would command such profound respect? 1846.] Beecher's Lectures. 267 The volume by Henry Ward Beecher is full of spirit and fire. Its sketches are as graphic as life; they are dashed off with a masterly freedom. Byron, in his famous line upon the poet Crabbe, calls him "Nature's sternest painter, yet the best;" And Beecher is in prose what Crabbe was in poetry. He works with his pen, as Retzch does with his pencil. His thoughts blaze up like rockets. His rebukes strike like cannon-balls. There is no escaping him. His chapters are headed as follows:-" Industry and idleness." "Twelve causes of dishonesty." "Six warnings." "The portrait gallery." "Gamblers and gambling." "The strange wo"Popular amusements." Under these heads the writer goes to his subject with the utmost fearlessness. There is no circumlocution, no paring away. If good old Saxon words can speak the thought, it is spoken; and if any one wishes to see what Saxon words can say, he may find it here. Fearful as are his pictures of mature depravity, the following will show his feelings in regard to childhood: man. "The heart of youth is a wide prairie. Over it hang the clouds of heaven to water it, the sun throws its broad sheets of light upon it, to wake its life; out of its bosom spring, the long season through, flowers of a hundred names and hues, twining together their lovely forms, wafting to each other a grateful odor and nodding each to each in the summer-breeze. Oh! such would man be, did he hold that purity of heart which God gave him." ―p. 213. But he dwells not upon generalities. He seizes upon the sins of society. His account of gambling, as practised in the Western States, is boldly given, and the evils are drawn with terrible vivacity. In reference to the libertine, and the poor creatures who are the victims of his iniquity, we subjoin this sketch. "Look out upon that fallen creature whose gay sally through the streets calls out the significant laugh of bad men, the pity of good men, and the horror of the pure. Was not her cradle as pure as ever a loved infant pressed? Love soothed its cries. Sisters watched its peaceful sleep, and a mother pressed it fondly to her bosom! Had you afterwards, when spring-flowers covered the earth, and every gale was odor and every sound was music, seen her, fairer than the lily or the violet, searching |