The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1867-05-23
Magazines.

THE ATLANTIC MONTHLY for June is an in
tereSting and varied if not brilliant number.
1t opens with the continuation of Holmes
Guardian Angel" in which are revealed to
us some further spiritual experiences of Miss
Myrtle Hazard, and some new touches added
to the portrait of Rev. Bellamy Stoker. There
Is a poet, too, in the person of Mr.. Gifted Hop
kins, whom all editors will recognize as the
type of a class well known to them Parton's
paper on st. Louis is so graphic as to make us
relish even its statistics. Higginson furnishes
curious essay on "Negro Spirituals." in
which he preserves some of the songs which he
noted as favorites with the contrabands when
he was campaigning iii the South; Mr. Henry
James, Jr., commences promising love story
entitled "Poor Richard" Mr.. E. p Whipplo
contributes finished essay on Shakespeare.
the Man and the Dramatist;'' Mr.. Francis
Parllman sketches briefly 'The Founders of
Montreal" while Mr.. j. H. A. Bone who has
evidently studied the subject with care de-
scrlbes our newly acquired northwestern pos
sessions i'll an article on Russian America"
Among the. Comedians" is critical paper by
Mr.. Clarke Davis on the four prominent comic
NSs'A5 I,
Owens and Warren. "A Venetian Expert
ence," by Miss Il. III. Appleton, and an account
of the manufacture of Golden Chains" by
Mrs. Austen, are the remaining prose articles
For poetry we have Whittier's noble tribute
to the late Major George L. Stearns, and "The
Red sehool-House," by Lucy Larcom.
lie GALAXY for June is as good as ever. 1t
has three full page illustrations, one by Hem
Messy illustrating waiting for the Verdict
likeness OF Count Bismarck which friend
at our elbow pronounces good, and which is
accompanied by a biographical sketch Mrs
Edwards story of "Steven Lawrence il oon-
tinued at length, and is pleasant reading. Mr.
Eugene Benson has a bright little paner ON
"Soliitu,c and Democracy" Mr.. George Budd
gives sparkling description of "The German
Cotillion," which he thinks is declining from
its position in fashionable regard Mr.. George
Wakeman writes of "Torturing Words" a
species of cruelty of which there is a fearful
amount practiced; under the title of "a Morse
Love Story" Mr.. Richard Grant White gives a
summary of Frithiof's Saga" "The Legend
By oi Amsanctus," by WI. Alden; an account of
Dalazct, the French actress, and american
Fahters, by M. Russell Sturgis, jr., are the
remaining prose papers. The poetical contri-
buttons are more than usually good. "Amonc
the Daisies" by Ina d. Coolbrith, is an esne.
cially graceful and delicate little fancy
THE NEW PRUssIAN WEApoN-h por1;,,
letter in the London Times gives some aecopnt
of the new and terrible infantry cannon WIZ,
the French Government has lust come in nos
session of, and the nature of which has bereto-
fore been a profound secret. 1t snits bolI,
with continuity similar to that of the wafer
issuing from the hose of fre-engine If bas
neither rebound nor report, nor even smoke.
A whole battalion. if thanked by battery of
this gun, could be destroyed in q minute 1t
goes continuously without stopping and all it
requires is to be kept constantly fed with balls.
We read all this and much more about the
new cannon with something like wonder and
awe until we come to the part which narrated
the fortunes of this fearful gun in America.
For it seems the thing was in this country he
fore it got to France, and was Offered to our
Government before it fell into the hands Of
the French Government. In fact this is moth
ing more or less than the veritable old "Rail
Pump" which Mcclellan took to the Pen;nsn-
In with him. and which threatened to destroy
the rebel army after it had destroyed our own.