The Portland daily press., 1871-11-11
DAILY PRESS.
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER II, 1871.

PORTLAND.

Fresh, bright and vigorous is Edna Dean
rroctors Russian Journey. Neither the
writer's enthusiasm nor the readers interest
nag nom the moment st. Petersburg rises on
'ne Deholder's vision from the dreary, damp
anu uesoate morass on which it is built, till
Tue Vlsaelous author crosses the frontier on
"er return. 1t is a model book Of travel. It
aSolds hackneyed themes aid places, leaves
s'atistics mostly to Dryasdust who loves them,
IS happlly concise and neuer dull. The OBJ
servations on Russian scenery. life and cus-
toms are such as a cultivated. keen.aved
warm-hearted woman might be expected a
make, and are not at all like those of retired
statesman, peripatetic artist or governments
commissioner. The author has woman's
admiration for the "bandsome" Gear who "a
the absolute monarch OF seventy million peo-
pie, but who has used his almost superhuman
power only to free thirty million of them
from servitude, and who is "ths best Of hus-
bands and fathers" and who, as the fair en-
thusast believes, means security, progress
justice for ALL" J. R. Osgood & Co., the pub
fishers Of this volume, have given it dress
that well becomes it, and the type is clear and
large like the authors thoughts and feelings.
For sale by Hall L. Davis.
Charles Scribner & Co. have added to their
popular Library Of Wonders" volume OF
Mountain Adventures, collated by ]. T.
Headly, the we'll known historian. The climb
ers of the Alps OF course furnish the largest
contributions, and we might say the most In
teresting, the perilous adventures Of Pref.
Tyndal being among those embraced In this
most entertaining of volumes. But other
mountains are not neglected. For sale by
Loring, Short & Harmon.
Is Walt Whitman the typical American po-
ct, to take away the reproach of his peo-
pie by freeing them from servitude to Eng
lsh models in thought aud expression? His
admirers will no doubt contend that his co.
static chant or rhapsody, which he calls AZ.
ter all, Not to Create Only, proves that he is
| entitled to the first American laurel crown.
This poem, which our readers will remember,
created marked sensation when delivered at
the American Institute Fair, was inspired BY
the contemplation OF that gorgeous scheme
for building in Central Park, New York, an
industrial palace, costing millions of dollars,
where all American products, manufactures
trades, arts, sciences and antiquities
can be exhibited perpetually. The details
Of this magnificent project are striking
enough to impress the most quiet Imagination
and it is not wonderful that they drive the
shaggy, deep-toned Whitman into paroxysms
of enumeration and exclamation. Undoubt-
edly there is some poetry, too, though there 10
no rhyme and little rythm. By the way, isn's
Walt Whitman's patriotism little too pro-
nounced for man who ha, dsincumbered
himself OF all that is conventional (eouo crit
| les say of all that Is decent and who believes
| that all men are brothers? Patriotism Is a
narrow feeling nowadays for widc-minded
men. Whitman ought to be cosmopolitan
and glorify not all things American, but all
things human. (Publi.hed by Robrrts Broth
ers. For sale by Loring, Short & Earmon.l
Cues from all Quarters is not treatise on
billiards, as one might suppose, the alias on
the title page being, or, Literary Musings of
Clerical Recluse. The reclu,e is Rev.
Francis Jacox, and his musings have appear
ed to the discriminating public to be well
worth the attention of the reading world.
| We should say that Montaigne is the euthor's
model in some respects, though Montaigne's
egotsm and grossness, as well as his unlimit-
ed discursiveness, are of course wholly want
ing But in exuberance OF quotation MFR. Ja-
cox rivals even his great master. Roberts
Brothers. For sale by Loring Short & Har.
| mon
Charles Swain has been for many years (
popular English poet, and some of his pieces
are well known here. Roberts Brothers have
just brought out the first American edition Of
his Poems by an arrangement with the au-