The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1868-05-01
Recent Publications.

D. Appleton q Co., New York, have done q
very judicious thing in Offering to the public
their new Globe edition OF Buffers Hudibras
which is in a style uniform with the Dante
and Tasso lately issued. These books are
beautifully printed on tinted paper, bound in
green and gold, and are as convenient as they
are handsome. The Hudibras is given with
the notes and literary memoir by the Rev. DR..
l. r. Nash, aud hasa new and complete in
dex. Engraved portraits of Charles First,
Oliver Cromwell, John Owen, and Bishop
Bonner illustrate the volume. (Received by
HALL. Davis.) s.tt 1'-,aHaasuEl
The same publishers have brought out in
handsome octave volume very pleasing nov
ell by Julia Kavanagh, the author of "Natha-
lie" "Ade!e," "Queen Nab" etc. 1t is emit
tied Dora, end is domestic story, quite free
from vulgar sensationalsn, but with no lack
of interest, and showing, like all Miss Kava-
naghs novels, much spirit and vvacity in the
narrative and good deal of skill in the delin,
cation of character. tReceived by Hall L.
Davis, and by Bailey g. Noyes.)
The latest issues in the popular cheap edi-
tons OF Scott and Dickens, published by the
Appletons, are, of the former, Old Mortality,
and OF the latter, Little Dorrit These neat
and attractive little books are having an i'm
mense sale. (Receved by Bailey & Noyes,
and by Hall L. Davis.) h|
CIV. Carleton 8 Co., New York, are the
publishers OF cheap looking, rather poorly
printed duodecimo, the full title of which is as
follows:-" Behind the Scenes; or, Thirty Years
Slave. and Four Years in the White House, by
T1t.
Elizabeth Keckely, formerly slave, but more
recently Modiste, and Friend of Mrs. Abraham
Lincoln" 1t is book which every decent per-
san will agree with us in pronouncing disgrace
at once to the persons who lave written it, to
the publishers who issue it, and to the public
who stoop to buy and read it. We have the
satisfaction of believing that this latter class
will be small, for the thing has not even the
merit of piquant scandal; it is hoptlessly stu
pid. 1t is merely rehash of obi newspaper
correspondents gossip about the families of
Jefferson Davis, Mr.. Lincoln and Mr.. johnson.
There is no evidence of truthfulness in it; and
50 far as we can learn, there is no
reason to suppose that any such per-
son as Mrs. Keckley exists. It is true
we have as frontis-piece to the volume Dor.
trait OF respectable looking mulatto woman,
but it has been recognized az the likeness of o
well known Washington peanut seller. The
revelations" contained in Behind the Scenes
are just such as any sneak:ng gossip, mean
enough to seek it, might pick up from the ser
wants of any gentleman's family in America.
The notifying part of it is that publisher
can be found willing to put it in book, and
that there should be even few readers who
actually relish this kind of kitchen and back
stairs lturature. For the credit of the coun-
try it is TO be hoped this class is small. IRE.
c-ived by Bailey and Noyes)
From the Appletons we have, in paper COW
ers, Not Wisely but too We'll, a novel by the
English author of sCometh up as Flower
1t is an unnatural, fevered story, depicting love
| as a sort of blind nightmare, or rather as a
kind Of mental simonm, the sure effect of
which is to scorch and desolate the soul over
which it passes. There is in it an impossible
young gir!, very fascinating, with "sea-green"
| eyes and "brown gold" hair, half idiot, halt
vouptuary; and man OF the Guy Livingstone
stamp, all brute strength and selfish passion
These, with plenty of fine writing, and much
misery, ending in death for which no reader
can afford to be sorry, make up the substance
of the tale. Received by Hall L. Davis, and
by Bailey s. Noyes.)
On further inves.i gation it ia found that the