The Portland daily press., 1869-04-30
rnss $500 per amman, Se adranee.


Roberts, Brothers, Boston, have repr;ntaa
in their sHandy Volume" series, Mr. w 8
French's Realities of Irish Life, book which
has attracted much attention in England from
the strong light which it throws on the pecu-
liarities of Irish chrracter-on the ideas, feel
ing and difficulties of people perhaps the
most peculiar in the world, and also for the
hints it affords of the origin and growth of that
condition OF things which makes "the Irish
question" the most difficult of all those which
seek solution at English hands The Edin-
burgh Review says of it:
I'VE question whether any book has ever is.
sued from the press, of more deep and thrill
ing interest on the wellworn subiect'Of Irish
passions and Irish wrongs. These scenes are
related with the popular force, humor, and
pathos of Dickens in his best and earliest
works. They describe events within the per-
sonal experience of the author; but events so
strange, wild, and terrible, that if they we're
not attested indisputably, it would seem in
credible that such things have been and are of
frequent occurrence in our times We hope
this book will be read not only throughout
Britain, but throughout Europe and America;
for we know of nothing which conveys so for
ciDle and impressive description of that sx-
traordinary people"
Received by Loring. Short & Harmon.
From the same publishers we have part Sec
ond of Miss Louisa NJ. Alcott's Little Wor.sn.
1t is wonderfully fresh, life-like and Charming.
though, like most second parts, sequels and
after-thoughts of all kinds, not fully equal to
its predecessor But the grown up lives of the
four "little women who so delighted us are
very pleasantly indicated. "Beth' whs was
the sunbeam of the first volume becomes the
angel of this; and the description of her death
Is the most true and touching chapter of the
pook. The disposition of the other sisters is
on the whole satisfactory. The love-making
between "Jo' and the German professor is ir-
resistibly funny; and though we know that in
real life such s'Jo' never would have mar
ried that German professor we are reconeiled
to the authors disposing of her according to
what she seems to have considered the neces-
sites of acceptible fiction. One is little pug
zled, too, to understand how there should be
time between the close of the war and this
year of grace 1869 for "Jo' to pass from the
age OF nineteen to thirty; and the ap pearance
OF so many children in the last chapter is per-
picking; but the book is too pleasant for any
one to grow critical over these miuor incou-
ssteneies. BY all means let all the girls-and
boys too-read Little Women. (Received by
Loring Short and Harmony
The very interesting paper on the Hoyages
10 the East Coast Of Anaerica in the Sixteenth
Century contributed to the New England His
torical and Genealogical Register for April, by
the Hon. William Willis, has been reprinted
in neat pamphlet by David Clapp 8 Son,
Boston. 1t is seldom that an equal amount of
accurate information, in regard to a very i'm
perfectly understood historical period, is en-
bodied in space so brief The pamphlet may
be obtained at the principal bookstores.
d. Lothrop & Co., Boston publish two neat
ly bound and tastefully illustrated volumes de-
signed for the young. These are Shining
Hours, by Paul Moraine and Andy LuttreR, by
Clara Vance. Both stories have marked re-
ligious tone, and are intended especially to
meet the wants of Sunday School Lbr aries
and similar collections. (Rsceived by Hoyt &
Fogg.
Charles Scribner & Co., have added to their
illustrated Library of Wonders" The PAs-
noiaena and lds0s of Heat, translated from the
French of Achille Cszin, by Elihu Rich. M.
sCazin is professor of physics in the Lycse Of
Versailles His book seems, from the sursory
examination which we have been able to give
it, to be even better than the preceding issues
, in this popular and truly admirable series. 1t
abounds in correct and useful information,
conveyed in an Ineligible and attractive man
ner. lReceived by Loring, Short & Harmon