The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1859-01-12
NEW BOOKS.

The BALLAD OF Babe BELL. and other POEMS By
THOMAS BAILEY ALDR1cH. New York: Rudd &
Carleton. IL mo-, PIP. III. For sale by Henry
Taylor, Sun Iron Building.
The author of this little book possesses, certain
y, facility of versifcation and, here and there,
passages occur in his poems which indicate much
more cleverness than the general impression made
upon the reader would seem to justify. One or two
OF his sonnets are good, but most of his "Swallow
Flights and other fugitive pieces partake of sickly
sentimentality and deserve the criticism which we
remember to have seen in the Boston Courier, that
''the reading through one of his volumes is like
making dinner of barley candy" We are inclined
however, to think Mr.. ALDR1CH capable of be t.
ter things.
THE NATIONAL PRIMER; or, Primary Word Builder
By j. MADISON WATSON. New York: A. S
Barnes & Co. For sale by J. W. Bond Co.
very well arranged series of first lessons ir
reading and spelling.
FIRST Book OF SCIENCES. By W. A. NORTON and J
A. PORTER, of Yale College. New York A. S
Barnes & Co. For sale by J. w. Bond Co.
This volume may with propriety be termed sci
ence simpfed for the of beginners. It'll divided
into two parts books, the first of which is by Pro
fessor Norton and treats of Natural Philosophy ane
Chemistry; whilst the second, by Professor Porter
teaches the elementary principles of Chemistry and
its allied sciences. Both treatises are thrown into
the form of question and answer and are calculated
in addition to the text, by a large number of wood
cuts. The book is a scholarly production through
out, and from the clearness with which the defni-
tions are given will be found to richly merit the
attention of our public and private schools.
A PRIMARY GEOGRAPHY; Illustrated by numerous
Maps and Engravings By D. NJ. Warren. Phil
adelphia: H. Cowperthwaite Co. For sale by
j. w. Bond & Co.
primary Geography, to be capable of enlisting
the attention of the youthful Scholar should be sim
pie in its elements and attractive in the manner of
presenting them. In this respect Mr.. Warren has
achieved a remarkable success. He commences by
explaining, in language easily comprehended by a
child the topography of the earth-ts plains, hills,
deserts, mountains valleys, springs, rivers lakes
and oceans; and fixes the distinctive characteristics
of each by illustrative wood cuts. This constitutes
the Introductory lesson. He next proceeds to ex-
plain, in short and easy lessons, the form of the
earth, its motions, the points of the compass, the
meaning of latitude and longitude the causes which
operate to produce the changes of seasons and of
days and nights. After brief reference to the of
MAPS he enters upon description of the surface OF
the EARTH its natural divisions its climate vegeta
ton, animals, man, races of men, states of society,"
government, political divisions, and branches of in
dustry. study of the two hemispheres closes
Part /. Part III. consists of descriptions of coun
tries; but more particularly of the United States
Europe, ASIA Africa, and Oceanica being but briefly
touched upon The pronouncing vocabulary at the
close of the book is new and desirable feature in
primary geography, and is which we are not at all
surprised to learn, "has received the decided appro
oval OF teachers. The maps in this little book are
all of them admirably adapted to facilitate the pro-
gress of the learner, whilst the illustrations
not only form of the most attractive fea-
lures OF the book, but as specimens of wood engra
wing are among the finest we ever remember to
have seen in any work of this kind. We regard this
primary geography as in every respect an admira-
BILE one, and most cordially commend it to the at
tention of teachers and heads of families.
The STRATFoRD GALLERY, or the Shakspeare Sister
hood. BY HENRIETTA LEE PALMER New York.
ID. Appleton Co., 1859. For sale by James S.
Waters.
Most of the books that make their appearance
about the time of the Christmas holidays, are de-
signed for centre table ornaments and have little else
to recommend them than their superb binding and
elegant letter press, and occasional engravnrs of
real merit. But in the Stratford Gallery, we have
presented to us volume which can hardly be sur
passed in the excellence of its mechanical work
manship, and which has, at the same time, liter
airy value by no means to be dsregarded.
The authoress in describing the characters
OF the women in Shakspeares plays not only treats
the subject with marked ability, but illustrates it
with all the charm of 'ntuitive poetry" and with
"the quick, sympathetic understanding of a wo-
mans heart" Her explanation and rendering of
obscure and difficult passages in the different plays
are extremely clever, and sometimes give evidence
of patient research into the classical literature of
Shakespeare, which few women, and not many men,
have been able or willing to make In short the
book is one which deserves to take high rank as a.
literary production and ought, on that account to
prove all the more acceptable as an offering of
friendship, for which its external beauties would at
once, suggest it. MRs. PALMER is native of this
city, as is also her husband DR.. ]. W. PALMER. a
gentleman well known in literary circles as the au-
thor of several very clever books, and to
whom the Stratford Gallery is dedicated, in the
following brief, but exceedingly happy, Manner
''To j. w. P.-the most exacting and the most en-
couragng." Something between a hindrance
and help"