The Portland daily press., 1871-11-10
New Publication.

The American Tract Society has published
The Nec Year, an almanac designed we should
think, as sort of counterpoise for the carnal
wit of Billings and Mast, exhibited in their
comic almanaes. The moral tone is OF course
very high. For sale by Loring, Shot and
Harmon.
Is SpiritualisTa True by VIM. Denton is a
little pamphlet in which an effort is made to
show tie plausibility of the existence and man
Hesitation to human apprehension of disembod-
led spirits. The method is far more scientific
than is usually employed in essays of like
character. For sale by William White s. Co.,
Banner Of Light Office, Boston.
The Beechers are born preachers. The d.
dactic spirit has supplanted the spirit OF ro-
nance in Mrs. Stowe. The moralist has got
the better Of the story-teller, and in My Wife
and I, the distinguished authors last work,
we have not SO much story as a struggling
essay, the continuity OF which is occasionally
interrupted by the interiectsd fragments of
narrative. The essay is an admirable one, de-
signed to show how the extravaganza in
thought and action of self constituted leaders
Of reform embarrasses the moro iudicious and
thoughtful friends of progress. Harry Hender-
son, the hero of the fragmentary story, is tie
son of New England Congregationalist min
lister. When he is an infant he finds "a child.
wife" in six years old school girl, who dies
and Is thenceforth the ideal wife whose
counterpart he looks for as be passes
through boyhood. In college he falls in love
with Portland belle, a Miss Ellery, whom bis
undergraduate imagination has clothed with
the most angelic and NEST surprisingly intel
lectual qualities But 1t proves she has only a
pretty face, so that the ardent Senior loses
nothing when she gives her hard to poor, fee
bic minded Will Marshall, the millionaires
son, who takes her on a European trip and ex-
hausts the resources of Tiffany for her presents.
Finally young Henderson blossoms somewhat
suddenly into successful New York journal
iss, and gains with singular ease familiar
footing in the family of Fifth Avenue mer-
chant, whose favorite daughter, Eva Van AIRS
del, q reigning belle, he ultimately marries, a
rich lover having first been discarded and the
patsrnal Van Arsdel become financial wreck,
in order to establish the perfect disinterested-
ness of both parties. 1t is in New York that
the youthful journalist meets Mrs. Cerulean
eously overdrawn character being the founda-
ton of libel suit begun against Mrs. Stowe's
publishers by Mrs. Woodruff under the i'm
preston that it was designed to represent her.
But Audacia, repulsive and unnatural as she
is, was not conceived in vain SO long as she
gives occasion for bit of genuine and most
amusing satire on the federation with which
some most estlmable people regard objectiona-
BILE traits in their associates in the ranks of re-
form. For Mrs. Cerulean, who is supposed to
give utterance to the following opinions, read
Theodore Tilton, and for Audacia read Mrs
Woodruff, and the full force of the humor will
be realized:
Il asked Mrs. Cerulean, what if nv friend
Audscia should rip out an oath in the midst of
one of her sdlons-you know the little wretch
does swear like pirate; and you ought to have
seen how serenely she looked over my head in
to the far distant future and answered, -'Oh,
pressed Oh the subject Of what is commonly
called profanity. have arrived at the con-
clusion myself, that in impassioned natures,
what is called profanity. is only the state OF
prophetic exaltation which naturally seeks
vent in intensified language shouldn't think
the worse Of this fne vigorous creature if, in
moments frenzy, she should burst the tame
boundaries of ordinary language. Is is true
the vulgar might call it profane. 1t requires
Amounted eyes to see such things truly. Whom
we have risen to these heights where we now
stand, we behold all things purified
We call this a fine specimen of what may be
called refornatory cant. Afy WJe and is
published by J. B. Ford & Co., New York,
and for sale by Loring, Short & Harmon.
LITERARY NoTEs.-Everybody remembers
bouligny, the loyal member of Congress from