The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1868-10-01
Recent Publications.

A Book ABOUT BOYS BY A. r. Hope, Au-
thor of "A Book about Dominies 16mo..
PIP 148. Boston: Roberts Brothers
This is a delightful little volume, written by
one who has studied boys thoroughly in all
their various phases of character, and who
has the heartiest and most genial sympathy
with universal boyhood. He presents his sub
ject in great many different aspects, giving
us chapters on the manners, morals, friend-
ships, sorrows and religion of boys,-treats of
peculiar boys, of ragged boys and boys at
home; of boys in books, and OF books for boys,
and indeed surveys the whole vast subject of
boyhood with kindly and sagaclous eye. His
style suits his theme, being fresh, breezy and
natural, and his book will be read with great
pleasure by all who understand and take an
interest in the important and obstreperous de
vision OF the human family of which it treats,
Received by Hall L Davis
THE INVASION OF THE CRrMEA; Its Origin
and an account of its Progress down to the
Death of Lord Raglan. By Alexander w.
Kinglake. Volume IL New York; Harper g.
Brothers
The first volume of Kinglakes history of the
Crimean war closed with the account of ths
bittIe of Alma. The volume before us carries
the narrative down to the period Immediately
following the brilliant but disastrous engage
ment atBalaclava. The incidents of the war are
related with great minuteness, accom- panied
by an immense mass of official information as
as to each movement, the whole illustrated by
numerous maps and plans Of battles. Mr.
Kinglake's extreme fondness for details makes
his narrative almost too slow, but it is saw d
from being tiresome by his mastery of vivid
and vigorous English and his power of brill
iant and graphic description. Few d ner things
have been written than the description in this
volume of the famous charge of Cardigan's
Light Brigade" The want of candor in
dealing with the claims of the French and
English officers and armies, which was so Sc
rious drawback to the value of the first vol
ume of the work is less apparent in this one.-
The authors national prejudices are strong
and it is difficult for him to exercise the grand
impartiality which AAmard- -
an; but he must be credited with an entire
honssty OF purpose, and his laborious industry
in the collection and arrangement of facts en-
titles him to our praise and gratitude. His
work is undoubtedly the best history of the
Crimean war which has been written in or
translated into English and consequently the
best accessible to the mass of readers in this
country.
Received by A. Robinson.
TABLErs. By A. Bronson Alcott Boston.
Roberts Brothers.
Mr.. Alcott belongs to class Of writer's who
do not address themselves to the many; they
write for the select few who from peculiar tenn
permanent or training are able to appreciate
their point Of view. he is eminently an IDEAL
ist He dwells in the serene heights of phi
losophy which does not trouble itself with ar
gument, which will not condescend to reason.
He utters his truths as they are revealed to
his interior consciousness, and they are to be
taken, if taken at ALL in the same way into the
consciousness Of his reader. He speaks like
an oracle, and he has apparently all the ora
cle's indiffere nee az to the reception his words
may meet. This little volume is collection of
essays, or rather of utterances upon a variety
Of subjects which he classes as practical" and
speculative" Under the first head we find
included such topics jas the garden, recreation,
fellowship, friendship, books; uoder tho second
he treats of instrumentalities, mind, genesis,
metamorphoses. OF his style, of his peculiar
IDEAS it is impossible to give any adequate de-
scription, and we have not space for extended
quotations. We can only refer our readers to
his book ITSELF for the satisfaction of any Curl
| osity they may feel concerning it.
The book is very attractive so far as exter-
mails are concerned. 1t 10 received by Hall L.
Davis.
Explanatory and Glossarial notes, and Life
of the Author, By James Currie, NJ ID.
New York: ID. Appleton q Co.
This beautiful volume belongs to the Globe
Edition of the Poets now in process of publi-
cation by the Appletons 1t elegantly print
ed on tinted paper, illustrated with a number
of fine steel engravings including portrait Of
the poet, and makes compact convenient vol
| ume Of some six hundred pages.
This edition has also some advantages in
| point of arrangement. One of these, which
can hardly fail to be appreciated is that the
| glossarial definitions and notes illustrative ol
manners and customs are not heaped together
at the end of the volume, but placed at the foot
of the page where they are wanted. For the
| union of convenience, cheapness and elegance
this edition of the works OF the Scottish bard
surpasses all which have preceded it.