The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-07-12
LITERATURA.
REVIEW OF NEW B00KS

valuable of the many year-books issued from
the press. Each Of these volumes is impor-
tant in itself as a carefully prepared resume
of all the important affairs of the worlds
history for period of twelve months, while,
as one of series, it has a permanent value
! as a standard literary work.
The ninth volume of "The American An
nual Encyclopedia, which has been sent us
by James K Simon, No. 20 S. Sixth street,
gives the record for the year 1869, and in its
pages are found very complete and satisfac-
tory statements of political, military, and
social affairs; important public documents,
biographical sketches, commercial, financial,
agricultural and manufacturing statistics;
and interesting papers on artistic, literary,
and scientific subjects. With regard to the
affairs of the United States, the work is very
complete, and gives full details of therevenue
and expenditure es of the Government; the |
measures taken to reduce the public debt;
the notifications of the currency; the change
in the system of taxation, with its effects
upon individual interests; the banking sys-
tenn, with its expansions and contractions;
the fruits of agriculture and the spread of
trade and commerce; the proceedings in the
Southern States towards permanent recon-
struction; the various political connections of
the year, both National and State; the acts of
the State Legislatures; the results of elections;
the improvement of educational and charitable
institutions under the care of the State
Governments; the rapid extension of facilities
of transportation, and the development of the
resources of the several States.
This will be sufficient to show the character
of the volume, which in all its departments
fully sustains the reputation of the valuable
series to which it belongs.
Miss Anne Isabella Thackeray, although
her first essays in authorship were undoubt-
edly aided materially by the great fame of
her father, has succeeded in fairly establishing
reputation for herself as a graceful and
genial writer of stories. Thackeray's style
was essentially masculine, and it is scarcely
remarkable that scarcely any trace of it are to
be detected in the writings of the daughter,
unless we except a certain quaint humor
which has something of the flavor of the best
works of the author of "The Newcomes" and
''Pendennis." Miss Thackeray, however, has
qualities of her own that entitle her stories
to even more favorable consideration than
they have yet received, and we are pleased,
therefore, to see that Harper & Brothers have
issued complete edition of ali her writings,
in large octave volume of 42j pages. This
contains ''The Village on the Cliff" ''From
an Island, give Old Friends" under which
titles are included very graceful moderniza-
\ tions of the old stories of 'The Sleeping
| Beauty in the Wood" Cinderella" Beauty
and the Beast "Jack the Giant Killer" and
''Little Red Riding Hood'-''The Story of
q Elizabeth, 'To Esther" ''Out of the World"
''Making Merry" 'Iola," ''Moretti's Campa-
\ nula and number of short miscellaneous
h sketches. Most of these are already we'll
s known to those whose instincts lead them to
h the purest and best of the current fiction,
n and we commend the volume as contain
n ing much pleasant reading. Claxton,
n Remsen & Haffelfnger are the Philadelphia
4 agents.
Through Claxton, Remsen & Haffelfnger
we have also received ''Kilmeny," by William
Black. Published by Harper & Brothers. This
novel, the theme of which is suggested by
the Ettrick Shepherds beautiful poem of the
! same name, was received with unusual favor
by the English reviewers. If not exactly
original in idea and execution, it is at least
something out of the common routine, and
readers on this side of the Atlantic who are
| ocOhinS ioi q hOW eohoubion III INC Inc VI
fiction will find profitable amusement in the
perusal of the pages of 'Kilmany."
The eighth part of ''Lippincott's Univer-
sal Pronouncing Dictionary of Biography and
Mythology has been published, which brings
the work down to the title ''Cato." Among
the more important definitions are "Julius
Caesar" very complete and satisfactory
sketch of the great founder of the Roman
empire; so. G. Calhoun" 'John Calvin, in
which the editor very unnecessarily goes out
\ of his way to defend the Genevan reformer
] for the part he took in the brutal murder of
Servetus; ''Thomas Campbell" "George Can
ming" "Canova;" ''Thomas Carlyle;" Scar
not, and 'Lewis Cass."
The thirty fifth number of ''Zells Popu-
lar Encyclopedia" reaches the title Library"
This valuable work is rapidly being COM
/ pleted, and those who wish to possess it
should subscribe at once. 1t certainly con-
tains more valuable information than any
! work of the kind than has ever yet been put
before the public at anything like the same
price.
Mark Twains book, "The Innocents
Abroad; OF, the New Pilgrims Progress" is
just the thing for summer reading. 1t
abounds in wit and humor of the iveliest
description, and, as sketch of travel in
Europe and the East, it is certainly without
an equal in the language. Persons going out
of town, who want something entertaining