JIO 



THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



countries is made, which places the English 

 " navvies," in spite of their shorter hours 

 and higher rate of wages, in a very favor- 

 able light. A chapter in regard to the " In- 

 fluence of American Wages on the English 

 Labor-Market " follows, in which the effect 

 of the large emigration to this country is 

 discussed. This chapter, evidently written 

 before our resumption of specie payments, 

 contains also an opinion in regard to " as- 

 sisted emigrants," which is interesting as 

 the expression of an English legislator sev- 

 eral years prior to the present excitement. 

 Co-operative establishments and boards of 

 arbitration between employers and em- 

 ployed are two other important topics 

 which are treated. 



The Religion of Humanity. By William 

 Frey. "Index" Publication -Office, 3 

 Tremont Place, Boston. Pp. 85. Price, 

 15 cents. 



This little work by an able Russian, 

 who was formerly a professor of mathe- 

 matics in the East, but has adopted this 

 country for his home, was first contributed 

 in a succession of papers to the pages of 

 " The Index," and, having attracted a good 

 deal of attention, they have been reissued 

 in this separate and more accessible form. 

 Professor Frey takes up the fundamental 

 questions in relation to the nature, basis, 

 applications, and uses of religion, and, while 

 criticising the view adopted by Herbert 

 Spencer upon the subject, is more inclined 

 to accept that of Auguste Comtc. While 

 repelled from Spencer's view, which con- 

 fines religion to man's mysterious relation 

 to the unknowable Power manifested in the 

 universe, but which is beyond the reach of 

 human intelligence, Professor Frey is at- 

 tracted to the doctrine of Comte, which 

 makes man, or humanity, the object of re- 

 ligious feeling, veneration, and worship. 

 Being deeply concerned with the interests 

 of humanity, and aspiring after a better 

 state of things than now exists, and recog- 

 nizing the great power of the religious sen- 

 timent, he sees in " The Religion of Human- 

 ity " the greatest means of future progress, 

 and the only hope of any substantial im- 

 provement in the social condition of man- 

 kind. We are not prepared here to consider 

 the grave issues involved in this discussion, 

 but may cordially commend the pamphlet 



before us as an earnest contribution to the 

 inquiry which, if not conclusive, will be 

 found suggestive, and probably helpful to 

 many who are seeking light upon a much 

 confused and deeply perplexing subject. 



The Cause of Variation. By M. M. Cur- 

 tis. Marshall, Minn. : Published by the 

 author. Pp. 115. 



The author's answer to this problem is 

 labor. He instances the comparative few- 

 ness of the larger carnivora, which obtain 

 their food easily, and the large numbers of 

 wolves and other animals, which obtain sub- 

 sistence only by ceaseless activity, as show- 

 ing the effect of labor on the development 

 of animals. He maintains, further, that 

 suspension of effort causes proportional loss 

 of consciousness. Intelligent acts are per- 

 formed without consciousness, hence there 

 is an unconscious intelligence inherent in 

 every structure, giving evidence of form or 

 design ; moreover, this intelligence is ca- 

 pable of transmigration. Communities fol- 

 low the same rule as individuals. "When 

 labor is partially suspended among the indi- 

 viduals in such a community, or, owing to 

 the invention of labor-saving machines and 

 division of labor, becomes more simple, the 

 community begins to manifest the charac- 

 teristics of decay and dissolution." It would 

 seem to be the author's belief that those 

 who make a failure of this life are, after a 

 term of purgation, to have another try at 

 it, for he ends by saying : " From the fire we 

 came, and to the fire we are going, unless 

 we comply with the conditions of life and 

 consciousness. The answer to the riddle 

 fate would have us read is this : ' Unless ye 

 labor ye shall perish.' If we can not comply 

 with that, we shall probably continue to be 

 warmed over until we can." 



Notes on Evolution and Christianity. 

 By J. F. Yorke. New York: Henry 

 Holt & Co. Pp. 294. Price, $1.50. 



TnE author puts forth this book as an 

 aid to answering the question, " Is there in 

 the teaching of Christ an originality so won- 

 derful as to be accounted for only by the 

 assumption of a special divine revelation ? " 

 The first chapter is devoted to a sketch of 

 some Eastern religions which preceded 

 Christianity. The second is mainly made 

 up of quotations from Christ's teachings, 



