Ugs“ Publishers will confer n favor by mentioning the prices of all books sent to this Department. The chronicler of the Schonberg-Cotta Fami ly has continued to work the mine of Luther’s life and wisdom in a new volume, Watch words for tiie Warfare of Life. From ]lr. Martin Luther. It consists of a series of extracts (mostly short ones and . pithy) from his works, letters and table-talk, newly transla ted, by Mrs. Charles, from the original German and Latin. Martin Luther was a man of the broadest and most genial sympathies, the shrewd est wisdom, and .the ’ profoundest faith. It is a pity that he is little'known to those Who owe so much to him, and that his writings ate so seldom read by Protestants. We welcome Mrs. Charles’ work as a worthy-aid to the understanding; of the man whose “ words, were half-battles.” It is worthy to stand beside the beautiful edition of his “ Table Talk,” published by the “ Lutheran- Publication Society.” If it has any fault ,it is that it draws too largely on -that work, which: is, already before the English and American public. Published by M. W. Dodd, of New York, and for sale at the Presbyterian 1 House. Price $1.75. Constance Aylmer, published by Scribner & Go, of New York, is a real addition to the not very extensive stock of standard historical Amer ican novels. The scene is Ne,w York, the time when it was New Amsterdam, and the plot is de-p veloped ; with considerable skill. The authoress: has not Miss Manning’s’pciwer cif projecting her- 1 self into the scenes of the past, and' her pages! show anachronisms of thought ; apd sentiment, like those of the Wayerly novels. The : style might be moresimple without injury to the merits of the book. : But, with 'these trifling drawbacks, the story is,a ; fine one, ahd many a reader will thank “ 11. E, P.” for more than amusement as they close the book. ■ Grace Mansfield’s Experiment. Pp. 274. J. C, Garrigues & Co., Philadelphia. A short time since, The College Courant, a, widely circulated paper, published at New Ha-, ven, handled Sabbath School literature without gloves. It was severe, no doubt, but it wag righteously and justly so. 'We are cursed with a class of books, coming no, one knows whence; which are wild in doctrine and wilder in prac tice. They are, in short, a species of novels, lacking the good ptiints of undisguised fiotibn, and having no redeeming moral excellencies' tq justify their claim to attention. And there are more of them in our Sunday Schools than is con venient. Do not understand us to require for that place and service only memoirs and dry essays, Far from it. We want books like this)i£Ue one be fore us—books of live interest, ,which will not make “ Sunday reading" the shadow Of a name books with a Heart find with a purpose to them —books to make us feel better when we lay them down. Yet even this can be improved, in some respects. Not in its lessons, but in its language. Aud Mrs. Dunning ban make the- change. And the Messrs. Garrigues deserve* our thanks at any rate. 'i ' ', The “Myrtle Branch "is a book gotten up ia a very curious manner, to wit, with a couple of myrtle vines twining around each' page. It contains several pleasant storieß for children of medium ability—both as respects stories and children. Pp. 176. A. F. Graves, Boston. PERIODiatS. Selective Periodicals.— The weeklies and monthlies wliidtt ate made up bit the best things in foreign pejfiodipal literature, are not the least attractive of our periodicals. Littell’s Living Age is the first and the chief. The standard Works of fiction which appear in its pages would, of themselves, be worth its cost. It is published every Saturday, and gives 3000 pages of closely printed double eol inns yearly forj $8,90. It has just entered’ on its hundredth volume, and is publishing (as serials) Trollope’s "Phineas Finn, the Irish Member,’' and Berthold Auerbach’s “ Country House.on''the Ehine.” . Every Sat ÜBDay is lighter in character, embracing mostly papers of a less listing value, though, per haps, to many re&ders more amusing. It is publishing (as serials) Trollope’s last story, “He Knew He was Right,” and Dickens’ new series of /‘ Uncommercial Papers.” It costs $5.00 a year and its two semi-annual volumes contain over 800 pages each. The New Eclectic hails I'roin Baltimore, and seems to be conducted with a view to excluding anything from English peri odicals that would hurt Southern feelings. Iu spite of this provincial prejudice, it is readable aud interesting. A Sue portrait of Ruskin adorns a recent number. The Theological Eclectic of New York, becomes a monthly with the New Year, on entering on its sixth volume, and lowers its price to $,2.50 for a yearly volume of 600 pages, an increase in size of ope half, Quality excel lent. , ; • Juvenile Periodicals.— Since the Edge worths laid the foundation of juvenile literature in “ Sandford and Merton,;’’ it bkS grown at an amazing rate, and in no country more rapidly than our own. It is of all species—from the most worthless trash, up to the most valuable and instructive works. Its periodical department alone is so extensive that we can seldom: find the room to properly notice even'the moat deserying THE AMERICAN PRESBYTERIAN, THURSDAY, JANUARY 7, 1869. deserving issues. Our Young Folks (Fields, Osgood & Co. $2 00 a year) stands highest, commanding the most cosily contributors and the widest range of readers. Yet it has no monopo ly of merit or popularity. The Schoolmate, (Boston, $1.50 a year,) addressing itself perhaps more to one class of our young folks, being more ol a school-boy’s magazine than its competitor, is well worthy of the wide patronage it receives. It is fresh, lively, graphic, and every schbol-boy reader regards it as a'• jolly ” magagine. The Little Corporal (published by Alfred L. Sewell & Co., at $1.50 a year) is one of the most Chicagoish of periodicals. Crisp, fresh, go ahead, high in moral tone and vigorous in man agement, it may be less Bostonish than the two first, but it! is decidedly more American. ' Our own city boasts of more than one monthly for the. children, but we regard “ The Little Pilgrim" as the foremost. We need Only: say that the author of “ The History of My Pete ” edits it, and that her exquisite humor, profound knowledge of childish nature, playful sympathy and, simplicity of style, characterize, its pages; “ . Grace Greenwood ” will ever be a favorite with the children. ■ Clarke's ScHaoi-jDATWisiTOR is not in itself so high.in its range) 1 but its merits and usefulness are, indisputable. We wo.uljl, gladly'See (it introduced into: allour schools. The Messrs. Martienhave added still another to the list in itheir new wfeekly, The Young l People’s News, which will doubtless find’a welcome in many homes, where, a puye Christian; literature is used. i . i ■ - BOOKS RECEIVED- Chapin.— The Hand of Jesus. By Rev. J. Chapin, ~ D.'P.; ,I»mo ; 240pp. Andrew T. Gfa v yes, No. 20 Cornhill., jJu L. Oaxton, .and ;■ j. G. Garriguee & Co). ) . , Dunning.— 43race Mansfield’s Experiment. By A. K. Dunni,ng. .18,mo. .274, ; 'pp. Phila.: ; J.; C. Garrigues & Co., 608 Arch Sty , , The Myrtle Branch, or, Pictorial Sketches for Children and Youth, 8vo. ; I;7G pp. Boston:, An • ( (Jirew F. Graves, Am. S..S. .lJniqn.i. , EVDEAttIO HOrak. O i ■. ' I ' • A. i Js it. not possible to utilize still; water in a lake or pond formechanical purposes.? : Of course this is nothing more than ask ing a question: “ When one. can stand in a' basket, and lift himself by the handles, then can still water.propel machihei:v,”. was .the imaginary answer of amyaiit of, authority. . A,thousand'yoars hence, provided civilly zatiou, with its developing influences on the human mind, is not rotagded, this period w.ill be regarded in history as,only a begin-! ningof that splendid career which the brain has over matter. No, onq had confidence in steam as a reliable power, /tha,t could be controlled at pleasure) .wljemj&'altqn risked his reputation ou the that it was destined to the wpijld. Sir. Stephenson was iiiterrogated Ry, a, lee of the British. Parliament respecting his Ipebmotiverengine for,,dragging .cays on a railway, and when jhe gave an, opinion that it would run, at ,a , speed pf fonr miles an hour, that august ,bo,dy of wooden-headed legislators, totally unqualified, for appreciat ing the grandeur of a humHle .artisan’s dis covery of a great principle, sneered at the idea. What! a machine travel as fast as a horse I How contemptibly ridiculous ! Worse and worse— L as though it were the culmination of lunacy—when Morse pro posed making a messenger of lightning! He struggled, just as every original bene factor of the race had before him, against ignorance, prejudice, and the asiiiihe incre dulity of such people as happen to enjoy a reputation for some kind’of wisdom, who may not have even a pennyweight of com mon sense. If the sun’s concentrated rays, brought to a heating' focus by a great convex lens, can keep a steam engine of any convenient magnitude in operation, without the assist ance of any other fuel, a small one, con stantly working, might raipe wator enough to an elevation in a Reservoir, the weight and falling momentum of Which, 1 on a tur bine-wheel, may yetrevolutiohize all modern notions in,regard to hydraulic .force. An opinion prevails of fate that, water was made for something besides accommo' dating fishes, floating Ships, and making tea. There is so much of. it, covering about two thirds the Surface Of the globle, and it is so intimately assphiated with life in the animal and vegetable kingdoms, and is made such use of by nature' iii dynamic exhibi tions of power, surpassing ail other forces in upheaving continents, grinding the moun tains to powder, or bearing on its crest icebergs from the poles, it is no dreamy .ex pectation that a way of mastering water may yet be discovered to make it obedient to the behests of man, in new relations of incalculable importance iu the mechanical triumphs of succeeding ages. —Hearth and, Rome. A new; MOTIVE POWEB. Captain Ericsson, of Monitorfame, is one of the first mechanical geniuses of the age. He is a man of profound thought, 'who wastes none of the precious hours of life in frivolous pursuits. Animated by An untir ing effort to live to some purpose, he seems to be incessantly interrogating nature, or putting the forces belonging to its domain under contribution for the service of man. One of Captain Ericsson’s latest and most startling announcements relates to the sun’s heat. Jle has contrived to concentrate its rays so as to keep a steam-engine in full play, with as much ease and more economy than it could be kept going with'coal. In short, by mathematical exactness, that ex' trflordinary man exhibits j4st< how- much of the sun’s surface may be hised by lenses, Jfrittrfifit. :; and what will be tbc degree of heat thus obtained for keeping even thousands of steam engines in motion, independent of any other kind of fuel. Captain Ericsson calculates a period when all the coal-fields of Europe will be exhaust ed. At that eventful epoch, manufacturers may fall back on the centre of the solar system for a potent substitute, which ean never give out till the universe itself is blotted out of existence. Instead of ridicu ling his announcement, or criticising his calculations on caloric force to be.thus ob tained/let philosophers take up the subject in sober earnest, in devising ways for pro fiting by this great discovery of the most remarkable engineer who has appeared;in this or any other country since the days ©f Archimedes. —Hearth and Home. ■■■ ■ '$ttSCN 1 : KNIUUfB 3©*P.' ■ : ‘ ; OotB 1y PHILADEPHIA. . > 1 -f •> ! . - i. i . . - = ’ - • _ J. & F. CADMUS, 736 MARKET ST., S. £. Corner of Eighth, PHILADELPHIA, ' , ' : Manufacturers and, Dealers in TRUNKS, OARPET B AGSAND VALISES. Ladies 9 Sacs, Sags, ro&sei Bootes inyreat L variety. {Lott Qf the ]*irm qf Smith <£ Adair , 1126 Chestnut St.,) I' . , Manutactcrebof . SILVER PLATED WARE, /, No., 124, South Eleventh Street, , dec24 6mo. FHILADLPHIA. ' *; W anamaker'a oi\m; noons 1,.-...'} „ . \ ’ ...FOR . ■ "’’ LADIES AND GENTLEMEN. No- 42 S- 2d St., above Chestnut,' ■' AND 1 Delaware Ave. and Spruce St.,FMIa. Goodmeats, gotten up in nice order and no 1 fault to find about the price being high. Come and aee Us. ' decl7 3mos REVER SIBLE SETTEE, " Specially adapted for ' Churches, Lecture and. Suhday School Booms; Adress, ’ ' W. P. HI HhLiMfNl 1 . . .Manufacturer of Patent ScUool Desks,