Editorials

Of itself the New Year will make us no better than did the Old Year. The benefit of 1888 depends upon ourselves,—the thoughts which lead to deeds.

Having written of The Gates Ajar, and The Gates Beyond, Elizabeth Stuart Phelps now turns her attention to those between, —meaning, perhaps, those between this world and the next, — though there is some obscurity on this point. As a speculative fiction, her story has interest.

Here are two extracts from a new book, called The Christian Revelation of God the Basis of True Philosophy, written by Elliot Stock: As Son of Man our Lord claimed not equality with the race, but unity; so he claimed not equality, but that which is greater than equality, oneness with the Father; for whether as between man and man, or man and God, equality has in it the idea of separateness. The highest reciprocity of Love is unity or completeness.

Binding, odd enough,—a sort of chintz cover, flower-printed, against a smooth white back. Under the caption Old Garden, are a dozen poems, with floral titles, including an odd flower called Butter and Eggs.

A wellspring of joy in every house is this admirable periodical. "Do you take it for your children?" is our inquiry of friends from Kansas.

IF ever a hard task was set the Children of Israel, it was to make bricks without proper materials. Apply the thought to this Journal, and do not ask impossibilities.

This is the title of a book of 222 pages, by Henry Wood. The body of it is excellently printed and well punctuated.

Some months ago Miss Phelps published, in a monthly, a pathetic story. Jack is a sailor.

Why do some contributors persistently write on two sides of a sheet, instead of one? Why do they use the short and (&) instead of spelling the word out properly? Why do they contract yours into yrs, and month into mo and Jesus Christ into J Xt ? These abbreviations are all very well in private correspondence, where cd, wd, shd, wh, weh, can be understood as standing for could, would, should, with, which, and your friend can jump at your meaning; but when you write for the press, your manuscript should indicate precisely what you wish to appear in print. Spell your words correctly.

How they come all at once, these holidays. Birds of a feather flock together.