The Portland daily press., 1868-01-02

Mrs, Ellet, Author OF '1he w omen oI tha
American Revolution" "Women Artists,
etc. One volume, crown octave; New
York: Charles Scribner & Co.
This volume, which has been some time IN
in preparation, and in regard to which good
deal of interest and curiosity was felt, will be
likely to prove disappointment TO most read
ers. 1t purports to give us sketches OF promi-
nent bellies and leaders of fashlon, from the
early days of the Republic to the present time,
with full space assigned to those ladies of our
own day who are most conspicuous in the
HIGHEST social circles. Such book might
have been not only entertaining but valuable.
The plan was one which admitted the intro
duction of great d. al of graceful and brill
iaut anecdote; as well as pictures of the life
and social customs of the country in different
periods and sections. But of this kind of in
terest it contains very little. 1t is made up
rather of that kind of superficial gossip which
Jenkins writes in summer from the watering
places, and which may be found under the
head of fashionable Intelligence" in the
columns of certain third-rate city journals
With few exceptions, the ladies described in
it have no greater claim to be considered
"aueens" in society than hundreds of others;
while the sketches given OF them are very lit
tie more than a description of the fine dresses
worn by them on various occasions and a rec
ord of The compliments which great person
ages were graciously pleased to pay them. In
the first half of the book are some passages
relating TO society in the early colonial days
which have interest and vivacity, but beyond
these there is little of value. Of the portraits
with which the book is adorned we cannot say
much. Not more than two or three of them
show even an average degree of beauty; and
stranger to our cou try who should see them
would be likely to receive very inadequate
impression of the general attractiveness of a
society in which these were the queens.
For sale by Bailey & Noyes.
Two THOUSAND MILES ON HORSEBACK SAN
TIA FEE AND BACK. A Summer Tour through
Kansas, Nebraska, Colorado and New Mex
leo, in the year 1866. By. James +. Meline
One volume limo. New York: Hurd &
Houghton. .r.. ..-.
Colonel Meline, an officer lately on General
Pope's staff IN Georgia, has here given us a
book which besides being very entertaining, is
real addition to our scanty stock of informa-
ton in regard to the great region over which
his travels extended. His narrative is given
in the familiar form of letters, which being
written on the route, while the incidents of
travel were yet fresh, have vividness they
could not have retained had the writer trusted
more to his memory. The author has besides
given study to such points in his narrative as
hear upon history, especially that of the Span
ish settlement, and has thus made his work
valuable beyond mere itinerary. His mode of
travelling has furnished him with excellent OPP
portunities for careful observation and with
great variety of adventure on the prairie.-
Indians, buffaloes, grizzly bears, squatters,
miners, Mexicans, hunters, all cone in his
way; his trail crosses most wonderful scenery,
and passes through most picturesque villages.
An excellent map accompanies the volume,
and is important addition.
For sale by Short & Loring. . e=. 5
THE MAINE NORMAL for January contains
an unusually small amount of "paddipg"
Jacob Abbott has an interesting article on the
applications of electro-magnetism; Isaac Wes-
ton contributes some interesting "reminiscences
of schools and schoolmasters in the olden
time; "W." gives capital illustration of the
present system of town supervision of schools;
and G. B. Stetson deals severely but Justly
with the ordinary writers OF school books, say
ing a good word however for President Hills
little treatise on geometry, and another for
Prof Smythe's algebra, and reserving COM
msndation of Guyot's Biographies for another
article. Among the other contribu tors to
this plumber are Mr.. George E. Bracket DIR.
N. T. True and Hon. E. p Weston. The new
department OF practice" is gaining in interest
and the deficiency in the department of edu-
cational intelligence we are disposed to over
look in consideration of the editors declara-
ton that he considers it one of the best fea-
lures ofthe magazine and hopes to improve it.
Edited and published by George NJ. Gage
Pennington. Terms; $15O a year.
THE CAsTALIA, is the classic title under
which the Independents" literary society
of undergraduates of the University of Michi-
gam issue their annual catalogue and record
for 1868. 1t is very neat pamphlet, and es-
pecially noticeable for the careful and Judi
cious arrangement OF its matter. and the un-
usually full information which it furnishes
with regard to the institution from which it
CududtSos w Q uUVlCt duOAN LUG ueincc OF
the editorial committee by whom it is prepar-
ed that of Leroy A. Foster of this city. The
Independents" are an open society, organized
on the principle of opposition to secret socie.
ties, and taking decided ground for their re-
moyal from colleges. fa-fiib .aei f,sl.fi $40
Mr.. A. M. w. BALL, the Jerseyman who
pretends to have written "Rock me to Sleep
Mother" re-appears in the New York Tribune
in communication covering more than a
page, claiming new hearing and producing
in addition to the Testimony already offered
/ letter from one George W. Wright, OF Cali
fornia, given out to be person of great re-
spectablity and an ex-Congressman. Very
likely this is another of Balls forgeries-the
+ California Congressman's name is George FL.
{ Wright, in Lanman-at any rate, the letter
says he was fellow passenger with Ball or a
California steamer in 1857, and then was ia
miliar with the poem in question, and has ''va-
rious written memoranda not now conve-
niently at hand, which will furnish further
confirmation Of the dates mentioned" The
dates need no confirmation; the only question
is whether tn poem Mr.. Ball pr osos la, 1901 is
tho poem Mrs. Akers published in 1860, and
that question has already been settled by Mr..
Morse's pamphlet and the specimens of Mr..
Balls doggerel therein contained Mr.. Morse,
with the best intentions in the world, produced
fifteen stanzas of atrocious versfication on the
theme of "Rock me to Sleep" of which six
were Mrs. Akers's, with variations which ru-
ined them, and nine were Balls That publ.
cation settled the matter in the estimation of
all good judges. 1t was plain that Ball could
not have written the perfect poem he claimed
"And what's impossible can't be, el1- E.
And never, mover comes to pass
To render assurance doubiy sure, writer in
the New York Times subsequently exposed a
similar literary theft of Balls, who had been
pillaging in the same way a poem by Mrs.
Whitman of Providence; and the exposure
was SO complete that Ball himself said in
published note ito deny it would be folly, the