This Week's Books
Wu noticed with approval that the 1919 version of " God Save the King " was the first number of Songs of Praise for Day Schools (Oxford University Press. 1s. 3d.). The Bishop of Liverpool very truly says in a preface that children, if they sing a hymn in which they cannot believe, have their spiritual outlook distorted. We can well imagine their delight in finding this by Mr. Chesterton :
" From sleep and from damnation
Deliver us, good Lord ! "
Here is nothing soft or namby-pamby l But it is a fine hymn, and Mr. E. B. Powley was right to include it. He is to be congratulated on a bold, bright selection of the best hymns in English. Julia Howe's gorgeous " Mine eyes have seen " is there, and Mr. Kipling's " Recessional " and Browning's " The year's at the spring." Before each song of praise are a few biographical lines, very well done. We cannot be too grateful to Messrs. Percy Dearmer, Vaughan Williams, and Martin Shaw for that excellent work, Songs of Praise (already commended in these columns) and we are equally enthusiastic about this selection for children which has been prepared from the larger work. We should have included "Onward, Christian Soldiers " and some of Neale's bright and fadeless verses ; but eighty-six songs is aliliarrow frame in which to set such a wealth of material and Mr. Powley deserves the warmest praise for his work. We trust it will obtain the wide circulation it deserves.
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