Three More Books

Following up to this post in the summer, here are pictures and details of three more old books found in the Boulton house.  

The first is Titled Future Punishment or Does Death End Probation.  The alternate title is Materialism, Immortality of the Soul, Conditional Immortality Or Annihilationism, Universalism Or Restoration, Optimism Or Eternal Hope, Probation Or Purgatory, quite a mouthful!  Written in 1886 by William Cochrane, it is a compilation of papers written by many famous theologians of the time.  It is a huge book with 528 pages and several drawings as well. Internet research says it is a study of what really happens to those who commit sins on Earth after they die, although I didn't read it myself!

William Cochrane was a Presbyterian clergyman who was hired by the Zion Presbyterian Church in Brantford, Ontario in 1862 but was involved in Mission work in Ontario, Manitoba and B.C. so perhaps that is how his work came into the reading circle of the Boutlons. Cochrane is also well known for his books called the The Canadian Album; Men of Canada, biographies of the men who were influential in Canada's early days. 

It is available as a free ebook on Google Books here in case you are interested in reading it.  The book was reproduced in 2010 and a new copy is available on Amazon here for $30.95.  A few used ones like this are available online too for a wide range of prices, depending on condition. 

Next is the well worn copy of Light on Life's Highway by Wayland Hoyt.  It has a wonderful subtitle as well:

 for the despondent and the cheerful : the tired and the toiling ; the doubting and the believing ; for those under bright skies or grey, containing gems of knowledge and instruction. The most valuable truths and maxim; brightest thoughts from the brightest minds; light on all questions relating to daily life and conduct...embellished with a gallery of superb engravings from world-renowned paintings, executed by the great masters

At 605 pages, it is another hefty book and was published in 1891.  Online book sellers like abebooks have copies in similar condition for $40.00 but of course, they are not sold yet!  Wayland Holt was an American Baptist Minister and Author. 

An online review of the book at Worthpoint says:

This book is beautiful! There are so many etchings of so many subjects from Biblical figures and stories to ones showing life in the 19th century to the natural beauty of America... The author draws inspiration from history, his travels in the US and abroad and from daily life and ties it in with religious topics. He also includes a lot of poetry. 

The third book in this post is called Vivilore, the Pathway to Mental and Physical Pefection; The Twentieth Century Book for Every Woman written by Mary Ries Melendy in 1904. The book can be read online here but the 200 illustrations are not included. 

They are wonderful to flip through and a couple of examples are below. I don't think we can even imagine a time when access to information and pictures would have made this book a treasured possession.

The next two pictures from the Table of Contents show the vital information this book held for the Boulton household at the turn of the century.  Chapter 27, titled Childbirth Made Easy, and the following ones about care of infants would have been most important to Elsie  who had eight children beginning in 1915.  

Vivilore was also a beauty book, the equivalent to women's magazines like Good Housekeeping and Cosmopolitan of the next generation. Young women of today access the world's beauty information at the tips of their fingers.  In many ways, perhaps the world has not changed as much as we think.