The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1869-05-14

Woman in Prison, is the title of a little book
just issued from the Riverside Press Of Hurd
& Houghton, Cambridge, Mass An intelli-
gent and kindhearted woman, employed a
matron of the female wards CT penitentiary,
records her experiences and observations in a
sort of journal. Without attempting to offer
suggestions the book is really very suggestive,
affording useful hints to those interested in the
reform of the degraded, and the benefit of the
unfortunate classes 1t is so evidently faithful
record of facts that one reads ii with keen
and almost painful interest. The only Objec-
ton to it is that it does not tell half enough.
A great many such books eught to be written.
(Received by Loring, Short & Harmony
G. p. Putnam s. Son, New York, publish
series of Essays upon Sacred and ConstrrctiUe
Art: It's Origin and Progress, by Calvin N.
Otis, Achitect. The nature of its contents is
perhaps sufficiently indicated by the titles Of
the several essays or chapters. They are as
follows:- Spontaneous Art; Organizations;
Construction; Arts of the Greeks; Arts of the
Romans; Arts of the Early Christians; Arts
of the Lain Church; Arts in the United
States. The suthor writes in a quiet natural
and pleasant style, and shows good knowl-
| edge of his subject, and a just appreciation OF
the condition and wants of art in our day
He declares that there are no schools, at the
present day, that can be said, in the strictest
sense of the word, to be creative" His book
| is necessarily addressed to limited class OF
readers, but for that class il will have both in
terest and value. (Received by Loring, Short
| & Harmony
Hurd & Houghton, New York, have added q
volume to their four editions OF Dickens
Works, which is unique in character and com
pletes the various sets. It Is called Master
Humphreys Clock, taking its name from the
first and largest portion of the volume. It
may be remembered that Mr.. Dickens COM
menced in 1910 the publication Of a serial work
nnder the above title. Master Humphrey was
the principal character-an old gentleman Of
| prattling turn of mind, who acted as q sort
| of chairman OF an antiquated club, whose meet
| ings were held under the shadow of his tall
| clock out of the case of which came manu-
| script rolls of stories. Mr.. Pickwick reappears,
| and so do Sam Weller and his father, and even
third Weller in the person of Sans small
| son Tony, who is a miniature likeness Of his
| grandfather; and very early, under the tuition
of that patriarch, displays an interest in pints
and quarts 1t seemed to be the authors in
| tentiOn to incorporate in this framework vari-
| Gus short stories. but after a while, getting
warmed with the tale of the "Old Curiosity
Shop" the voices of Master Humphrey and
his friends die away, revived only occasionally
to remind of the original plan and thus explain
the title. The ''Old Curiosity Shop" and "Bar-
nahy Rudge" were both included thus in Mas
ter Humphreys Clock, but are entirely independ
ent Of it. The fiction of Master Humphrey was
then dropped, and the portions printed here
have not since been published in collections Of
| Mr.. Dickens's Works. The present volume
also contains the later Christmas Stories; and
an exhaustive Index of all the characters nam
ed in Dickens;s Works, with few character
! izing epithets, and the name of the story in
which they appear, with list of all the pages
| in which their words and actions may be
found. This to many, will be the most valuable
portion of the book. (Received by Bailey &
| Noyes.
| Miss Elizabeth Stuart Phelpss new volume,
| Men, Women and Ghosts,is published by Fields,
Osgood & Co. Boston. It is collection OF
short stories, three Of which have appeared in
Harpers Monthly, one inKHours at Home, one
| in the Watchman and Reflector and all tho
rest in the Atlantic Monthly. "Kentuckys
Ghost" "Thel Tenth of January and "Ths
Day of My Death are among the most notice
| able. bailey & Noyes)