Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1859-11-07
ewPnIIIcatinns.


novels. The finest paper and the handsomest
type are used for this edition, and each volume
is embellished with beautifully executed illus
trations by barley. The binding is appropri-
ate, and the publishers seem determined that
their enterprise shall deserve public favor.
"THE HEADsMAN" reached us a few days
since through A. Williams & Co., Boston;
others had previously come through S. Clough
Il Co, Providence. Cooper's first novel was
published i'll 1921, when he was thirty-two
years old. 1t was entitled "Precaution." This
book was a failure. The next, published dur
ing the same year, was "The Spy" and this
was great success. He continued to write
until the year 1850, when his last novel was
given to the world. This was entitled 'The
Ways of the Hour" "The Spy" was trans
lated into Persian. All he has written has
been circulated in most Of the languages of
Europe, and his great merits are universally
recognized. And the name of Cooper should
be honored in this country, not only on ac
cuont OF his great merits as writer, but also
because he was pioneer of Amer lean litsra-
ture, being truly American himself, even in
his defects is an evidence that Cooper and
his works are properly appreciated in this coun-
try, that the publishers of this splendid edition
of his novels find ready market for it.
WOMEN ARTISTS IN ALL AGES AND CoUN-
TRIES. BY Mrs. Ellet, author of the "Women
of the Revolution" SC. New York: Harper
& Brothers. Mrs. Ellet is not unknown to the
public, but if she were, this book would at once
introduce her in a very favorable manner to
many persons. A faithful record of eminent
female artists has important uses beyond the
wholesome entertainment they furnish to read
ers. They do something to encourage the de-
velopment of women and to prepare us to ap-
preciate the character and value of womanhood
as an indispensable agency to promote the
highest civilization. This matter is by no
means rightly understood, even in these days
of demand for "women's rights" In the his
tory OF Literature and Art we see that the
great master pieces which endure, command
ling the admiration of all ages and giving i'm
mortalityto the names of their authors, are usu-
any Wy w Z uO IOI Illlllh Vi any WOllIdH
to rank with Homer, Phidias, Michael Ange-
10, Raphael, Shakespeare, and others of like en-
inence but if the best and highest expression
of humanity in civilization comes latest, as its
GROWING grace, it may yet appear that wo-
mans faculty and place is nevertheless finest
and noblest. 1t is always beautiful and indis-
pensabe; and if we consider wisely that men
and women were made for different though
near and agreeing spheres of intellectual and
spiritual life, we shall understand that it is new
er inferior But Mrs. Ellet does not make this
question her topic She sketches the lives of
women who have been eminent in art, and
thus gives us materials for the study Of wo-
manhood in this sphere. Ernst Guh publish
ed in Germany similar work entitled "Wo.
men in the History of Art" of which Mrs. FL
let tells us she has made some use. But her
work is chiefly original, and it brings down
the sketches to the present time, notices of
Rosa Bonheur, Lilly M. Spencer, Mary Wes-
ton, and Harriet Hosmer being among them
For sale by E. Mellen, Jr.
A GOOD FIGHT AND OTHER TALES. BY
Charles Reade; with illustrations, New York,
Harper & Brothers OF the three Tales CON
tanned in this volume, "a Good Fight" is much
the best. 1t is quaint and simple tale of two
young peasants whose course of true Love
was no exception to Shakspeare's axiom. He
says, "there is a musty chronicle, written in
tolerable Latin, and it holds a chapter where
every sentence holds fact Here is told, with
harsh brevity, the strange history of pair,
who lived untrumpeted and died unsung, four
hundred years ago and lie now, as unpitied,
in that stern page as fossils in rock Thus,
living Or dead, fate is still unjust to them.
Yet if | can but show you what is involved in
that dry chronicer's words, methnks, you
will correct the Indifference of centuries, and
give these sore tried souls place in your
heart-for a few weeks" We have read the
story and feel assured, so well has the author
done his work, thet it will be long before we
part with this Flemish picture, worthy to be
hung beside that gem of George Sand THE
Devils Pool" The other tales, "The autoby-
ography of a Tibet" and "Jack of all Trades"
illustrate, some curious, but still common
phases Of our modern civilization. For sale
by E. Meen, Jr
AT HOME AND ABROAD; A Sketch Book of
Life, Scenery, and Men. BY Bayard Tay lor
New York: g. 7. Putnam. Mr. Taylor says
in the preface to this volume that he has here
collected togethera variety of detached sketch
es of men and things, and records of short
excursions, or episodes of travel, for which
there seemed no appropriate place in any of
his works already published. Most of these
papers have appeared in some of the period
Gals to which he has contributed materials dur
ing the eight or nine years past. Among
them are First Difficulties with Foreign
Tongues" "Rambles in Warwickshire," "a
Walk from Heidelberg to Nuremberg" in two
parts, "The Mammoth Cave" in three parts,
"a Telegraphic Trip to Newfoundland" in
five parts, "Interviews with German Authors"
and many othersketches. Some of them show
us the best style of Bayard Taylor, and they
are all entertaining. For sale by f. Mellen,
Jr.
ANrolNETTE, the Original of "The Child
Angel" BY Mrs. NJ. A. Dennison. Boston
Henry Hoyt, Publisher. The touches of genius
by which Dickens Little Nell" and Mrs
Stoves 'Eva," were created, are not at the
command of every writer who attempts to por-
tray child-angels Mrs. Dennson's story of
Antoinette processes to be founded on fact
but fancy shaped it in great measure, and
did the work religiously. 1t is the story of a