The Portland daily press., 1867-12-13

As the season advances the activity among
the publishing houses increases. There are
many new candidates for the favor of the read
ing public, aud some very handsome fresh edi-
tions of the old established favorites.
T. b. Peterson s. Bro. have issued two more
volumes of their peoples Edition" of Dick
ems. We have before taken occasion to COM
mend these volumes. They are printed in
large clear type, on fine white paper, and sub
stantially bound. Each volume contains twelve
of the original illustrations by Cruikshank,
Phiz, Seymour, Maclise, John McLennan and
others. The volumes, originally sold at $3.50,
have been reduced to $15O each, and this is
consequently one of the cheapest as well as one
of the best editions of Dickens now offered.
The volumes before us form numbers four and
five of the series, and contain respectively, the
PickpicE Papers and the Old Curiosity Shop,
two of the very best of Dickens stories. IRE
ceived by G. R. Chisholm & Brother.)
The same publishers have issued Letters
from Europe, By John W. Forney. These let
ters are really the jottings of travel, having
been written on the wing during rapid tour,
and intended for the readers of the Philadel-
phia Press. Col. Forney made the customary
tour, through England, France, Germany,
Switzerland,I Belgium and Holland, looked
quite shrewdly at q great many things, and
tells us all about them with a great deal OF
heartiness and vivacity. Everything was SO
new, strange and interesting to him that he
seems to have forgotten that travellers have
visited Europe before; and he labors to de-
scribe good many things with which his read
ers are as familiar as himself. 1t was hardly
necessary to tell us that the scenery of Switzer-
land is grand and attractive, that the "mighty
JuDgfrau" (which he kindly informs us means
THE Young Woman's Mountain!') is very high
and snowy, that society at Baden Baden is
rather miscellaneous, or that Antwerp, situat-
ed Gin the region formerly known as the Low
Countries, abounds in works OF art" One
would suppose him an American Columbus
who bad discovered the continent of Europe,
he is at such pains to describe to us every fea-
ture of that land of wonders. In many cases,
however, this close and matter-of-fact observa-
ton stands him in good stead, as he has gath
cred good store of information about common
things which gives value and interest to his
hook. 1t is brought out by the publishers in
very GOOD style, neatly printed and substau-
tally bound. (Received by G. r. Chisholm s.
Brother.)
Harper s. Brothers, New York, have pub
lshed, in handsome duodecimo, Lectures on
tie Evidences Of Christianity in the Nineteenth
Century; by Albert Barnes, the well-known
author of Notes on the Neac Testament, Notes
on the Psalms, &c. These lectures, ten in
number, were delivered on the Ely Founda-
ton of the Union Theological Seminary
They relate tc, the limitations of the human
mind on the subject of religion; historical ev-
idence as affected by time and by science; the
evidence Of Christianity from its propagation
miracles: the evidence in this century that
they were performed in the first; the argu.
ment for the truth of Christianity from proph.
ecy; the argument from the personal charac.
ter and the incarnation of Christ and othe,
topics equally important. (Received by Hal
L. Dayis.) a