The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1868-03-28
Regent Pnbitcntiau..

-, "AeSsrs. Leypoldt and Holt, New York are
,no publishers of very unpretending, but
ne'' ana tasteful volume entitled The Hermit
td9e ana Other Poems, and writtep bv Mr.. Ed
ward ROWAN Sill, a young Californian who
has begun to attract seme notice in the literary
world. California has hitherto been considar-
ed rather as the field of active adventure and
material achievement than of literary epdeay-
or. Certainly We had not looked for the ad-
vent of poet from that land of gold. But the
poet is born, not made, and wherever circum-
stances may have planted him, Nature is sure
to get the better of them, and to 81 send to his
heart her choicest influences" This little vol
ume of Mr.. Sill's contains no ambitions ef-
forts; but it is fall of the evidences of deli
cate fancy, a pure and tender feeling. and
loving eye for whatever is beautiful in nature
and in thought There is in it much pleasant
promise for the future of its author. (Receiy-
ed by Hoyt s. Fogg, 337 Congress street.)
Roberts Brothers, Boston, have an excellent
speciality in their admirable reprints of the
choicest foreign books Their latest issue of
this kind is Berthold Auerbach's novel of On
the Heights, translated by Fanny Elizabeth
Bunnett. Auerbach, who is incomparabiy the
best of living German novelists, is chiefly
known in this country through his Black
Forest Tales" and the charming story of "The
Professors Lady," (Die Frau Professorin) re-
printed here some eight or ten years ago On
the Heights has been pronounced by competent
critics the finest German novel since "Wil-
helm Meister." Not that there is any simil-
arity between Goethe's masterpiece and the
story before us. In design, in structure aud
in spirit the two are so unlike as to make com
parison impossible; but in period when Ger.
man fiction is chiefly represented by the POM
pous inanities, the exaggerated sentiment, ana
the formal dulness of the Muhlbach class of
novels-books which read as if written by the
Great Gold discriminating, or the Grand
Chamberlain of the Brooms and Dusters-the
graceful naturalness, the vivacity and the hu-
NOR of Auerbach do agreeably recall the liter
ary enjoyments OF the generation for which
Goethe wrote. The book is in a single COM
pact 16mo., with double-columned page, and
printed in tasteful and attractive style. IRE
ceived by Bailey s. Noyes.)
d. Appleton & Co., New York, publiEh
Lady Aiice;or The Neso Una, novel written to
illustrate the idea "that virtuous selfcontroi,
moral goodness and purity. in short-are
what really fit the intellect for the discovery
of truth" 1t is a story of modern life, yet
the author admits that it is partly allegorioal,
and there is certainly more than a dash of the
polemical in 1t. Whether this is a comblna-
tion adapted to the popular taste is question
which each reader can help to determine for
himself The same publishers have added A
Tale Of 1tco Cities to their cheap edition of
Dickens. 1t is a small volume, sold for twenty
cents. (Received Hall by L. Davis and by
Bailey g Noyes.)
Tcknor and Fields, Boston, are issuing
what Is virtually new edition of Dickens.
1t is the autograph, or Charles Dickens edition
without the board bindings, the place of which
is supplied by paper cover, prettily printed
in colors. 1t hae the original illustrations Of
Seymour and Phiz, and sells for seventy-five
cents. tReceived by Hall L. Davis.)