New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1869-12-22
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
HOLIDAY BOOKS.

As the title sufficiently indicates, the CHIEF attrac-
tion of this book is not the poetry out the plc.e
rTho Illustrations indeed have been drawn with but
lght reference TO the text and are furnished WIN
little prose commentary of their own to explain 'ioi
meaning. We do not know that this sngularI'J "a
treatment is q fault for in fairy tales VINO cares ioi
,pitv Of design or consistency of execution MI.
Allingham is almost always happy In tales anu Sonho
.f elves and spries and the airy creatures VINO oo0
"In shape no bigger than an agate stone
on the fOrehnger OF an aluerbani
and this little story of "A Forest III falry Lanu'
md the loves Of fairy prince and princess Is oe VI
the prettest Of his many sketches IN similar Nein'
If Alhngham is a poet of the falrles hlen"Iu DoSI9
IL stiu more emphaticay their artist. Since FHnch
- nencn FARMLAND has nearly mOnOpolized his
best work Here his love for the more ehdllke forms
az beautv the richness of his refined humOr, which
itself most happily in cOmical cOuntenanees
and oddities of position and his fertyin grotesque
coueeits. are all delightfully."- combined. Take the
frontspiece to the present volume ltrepTesentsa Mu-
neal teaching the birds tossing The little maestro
"A lovely chlds face with long, yellow hair' ana
great blue eyes, and the pretest little mouth IN the
world-sits a grassy mound and beats time 1or the
feathered choir Who stand in circle around MN OF
perch on an overhanging twg. What i'm there is IN
every figure, and what wonderful amount Oh OK
preston in the birds faces Here is fat little wren,
ward A blackbird beside him stretches forward
with eager interest. A very young bird turns
around to catch the note from his nelghDor. blg
fellow with long beak and yellow crest leans forward
with q stupid stare and mouth halt-open'
evidently uncertain about the pitch; you can
see at glance that he has ear for music. There
is little yellow bird screaming at the top OF his
lungs strutting and spreading his wings in the in
tensty of his satisfaction while an old jay next HIM
pipes away with bis eyes shut and his head Waggng
like some pious deacon singing psalm. Another
picture represents the fairy prince laying his crown
at the feet of his love. The princess, sitting coy and
embarrassed on toad-stool the sutton with his reti-
nue.. and the frolicsome little elves who watch the
courtship from under the leaves, have the most
charming boy and girl faces, trimming
over with mischief, or sober with
sort of winsOme tenderness. The trumphal process
sion of the Elf-King Is a long panorama of frolic
Here we have The sprtes riding on birds, snails, and
beetles and getting thrown, while shock-headed
vagabond fairies by the roadside hurTah and grin
with delight at the mishaps. Two or three little
Tascals teasing butterfly. One is dancing with
a squirrel Others are rigging out wren with
ermine cloak and royal crown. The baby-elyes are
getting dressedand of them feeling very cross
about il too-having their stockings pulled on, and
their cloaks tied, and then being sent off by
their mammas to school. or wherever elves go
after such morning preparations. One great
charm Of these figures is in the curious comblna-
ton of human and ef-like expressions in the faces
and attitudes. We find in Them with all the fairy
grace and lightness perfect types of loyeabe flesh
and-blood children especially the naughty boy and
the prettiest of little girls whom Doyle draws better
than anybody else-better than even Leech used to
draw them.
The text of the poem is printed in large luxurious
a. Of Will fhare arc fhirtV-
four. large and small are grouped in sixteen plates.
They are all cOoTed. and the coloring we think
is the only unsuccessful part of the book. 1t
is only in a few cases however, that 1t
is not pleasng-that it obscures the draw
ing or ofends the eye by cold and inhaTmOnious
tints The best though not the most striking, is
perhaps the frontispece the worst in cOloring-and
it is very badis large picture of the fairyprnce
at the feet of the princess Some of the eountenances
are almost undistnguiShable under the paint and
the princess looks as if she had daubed her pretty
face with candy.
sHAKEsPEARE's MIDSUMMER NIGHTS DREAM.
The Designs by j. KONEWKA. Imperial $40. PIP. IS.
Roberts Brothers
Konewka's silhouette Illustrations to the Midsum-
meningitis Dream have been much Wanted in
advance that they must be good indeed if they do
not disappoint us. And good they certainly are
" not only wonderful for the skill which, with such
rude materials mere black outlines on plain white
ground. has produced such remarkable effects; but
full of delicate expression and beauty, which we are
tempted to call the product of genius. The whole
text of the poem is richly printed, with red-line
border. The illustrations are twenty-tour in num-
Der. In the frontispiece we have Puck discovering
Lysander and Hernia asleep in the wood lAct ii,
scene 81. picture of charmngly delicate elabOra-
ton the two lovers resting upon the leafy branches
Of the ornamental rustic work which forms the frame
of the composition, while Puck trips lightly the
twigs, his finger at his lips, and his
head summing with curls-in which it is
not much Of an exaggeration to say that every in
dvdual hair appears distinct. prettier scene than
this, however and elaborate, is the meet
ing of Puck and Fairy at the. beginning of Act II.
The Fairy, with hair streaming and loose garments
floating behind her. Just spuns with her foot the top
of a thistle around which twines branch of sweet
brier and Puck stands upon thstle-leaf holding up
one foot with his hand while with finger raised and
mischief beaming from his face, he asks How now
spirit whittier wander youF There is an exquisite
picture of Oberon when he had
-stol'n away from Fairy.Land
Aud IN the shape OF CORN sat all day,
Playing on pipes Of corn, and versing love
To amorOus Phlhda,
who, half kneeling before him, rests her elbow on
his knee and supports her chin upon her hands,
while she drinks in the enchanted music In several
of tue scenes between the human characters of tho
play there is a dramatic yigOr almost Incredible 90
our taste however the most fascinating of all the
pictures is little baby fairy mounting guard,
Hence away! now.all is well.
One alOOf stand sentinel.
The sprite marches back and forth on the tips of
spray of wood bne, screwing his chubby face into
expression of infantle dignity and self Importance,
stretching his legs to their utmost stride and armed
with long spear of grass. There is another child
~. II.