Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1872-02-06

The LAND OF DEsoLATIoN: being Person
al Narrative of Observation and Adventure in
Greenland. By Isaac /. Hayes, NJ. D. Illus
trated. New York: Harper & Brothers. Dr.
Hayes went to Greenland in 1869, in the steam
er Panther, as a passenger. The steamer car
ried a small excursion party. She was owned
by Mr.. William Bradford, the artist, and the
summer was devoted to studies of arctic scenery.
The Danish settlements were visited, and the
party had various adventures among the ice
bergs. In this personal narrative" DR.. Hayes
gives an account of the people inhabting Green
land, describes its ice-seas and ice-streams, and
also, tells what is known of the history and fate
of the old Morse colonies. The ruins of their
churches and villages are described. The book
is not large, but he has contrved to make it in
tereStinG and instructive to the general reader
He refers briefly TO the Morse settlements in New
England; out we suspect he has not made him
efintimately acquainted with the narratives in
which the Mortimer described their voyages to
Greenland and Vinland; for he conlounds Biarni,
who was storm-driven to New England in 9S5
| A. D., with 3iorn Asbrandson, who afterwards
| Joined the Indians at place considerably south
| of Vinland; and he fails even to mention the
name of Barni. The book is well supplied
| with Illustrations, and readers generally will
fluid it more worth their attention than the last
new novel. For sale by Grout & Putnam,
| WILFRID CUMBERMEDE, by George Macdon-
| aid. New York: G. Scribner & Co. Mr.. Mac
donald's admirers claim for him the first place
| among living English writers of fiction. If he
were judged only by this story we think a some
| what lower position should be assigned him,
| Although its positive merits are the same In
| kind and not less in amount than those of his
earlier books, the defects of those are exaggera-
ted in this to such degree that the general i'm
preston is one of disappointment. The book
is in form an autobiography, or rather fragments
of the autobiography, of an Englishman of the
yeoman class, who finds himself from bis boy
hood placed in mysterious relations with neigh
boring titled family, the owners of an estate
aud seat of great antiquity and beauty. He dis
covers at last that the place was the home Of his
| ancestors and is now his rightlul inheritance;
| but he refuses to assert his right, because the
lady whom he had loved in vain is the wife of
its present possessor, who is the bitter personal
| enemy of the hero, though not aware of his
1
usurper, dies, however, and the author leaves us
in doubt whether he married the widow or recov-
cred his ancestral domains. The characters are
well conceived and drawn with mnch skill, and
the story is in itself highly interesting; but it is
marred by frequent lapses into sermonizing
and minute analyses of morbid states of mind,
well enough as psychological studies, but pro-
voking where they interrupt the current of the
narrative, whose characters and incidents
would make the desired impression quite as
surely without their aid.
The ILLUSTRATED CATALOGUE AND OARS
MANS MANUAL; published by Waters, Balch &
Co., OF Troy, New York, is a volume of 494
pages. Besides a catalogue of paper boats, it
contains engravings of the models of shells, a
record of rowing contests, including the Oxford
and Cambridge races, discussion of the Gle.
ments OF rowing, coaching aud training; a di-
rectory OF the rowing associations of the United
States and British provinces; also plans and es-
Inmates for boat houses. All interested in row.
ing will find the subjects treated in an excellent
manner.
PENS AND TYPES, or Hints and HELMS for
those who Write, Print or Read, by Benjamin
| INV DoSNSh' LNS u buCpdlN. lUlS jIIle
book is just what IFS title implies, not formal
treatise, but collection of practical hints and
suggestions about preparing manuscript for
the press, putting it into type, correcting the
proof, &c. The author has a pleasant vein of
humor, as well as the faculty of expressing
| himself with conciscness and precision, and a
thorough practical knowledge of his subject.
HIS book is not only useful but really enter
pertaining, which one would not expect from
us SUBJECT, and we wish all who undertake to
wrl'e ior publication would read and inwardly
u'gest II. 1t is for sale by Grout & Putnam.
~ misrhhf OF ORcIvAL, by Emil Ga
Do't'"' u"ns'a'ea by George NJ. Towle. New
I'm H'"t "nhams. This is a story of
o'ilhe' ls ue'ectoh and punishment, conceived
with all the ingenuity Of Poe's efforts IN tho
same line, but less repulsiye than those hooo,,so
the author leads his readers through Tho ,oh,
rinth of atrocities with the spirit of a prora.
sional detective, intent rather upon finding
clew and following il surely to the end, than on
drawing horribly faithful pictures of revolving
scenes, for which his narrative affords him
abundant opportunity If he chose to avail him
sell oil H. II is a powerful and fascinating
though by no means a pleasant or wholesome.
story. Sanford Go. have ii for sale here.
The Music LESSON OF CoNFUctus. md
other poems. BY Charles Godfrey Leland, Bos.
ton; James Osgood & Co. The first of these
poems, which gives the volume its title, is very
good, and others which we have read are wor
thy to be associated with it. Il is certain thai
Mr.. Leland has knowledge, thoughtfulncss, and
q vigorous style Of writing, which is much more
than can be said Of some others who appear ii
print as poets" Readers may not find in thi.
volume the highest order of poetry; but they
VIII dnd poems that are vigorous, wholesome
ana well worth reading. The Hans Breitmar
Ballads ofMr, Leland may have more readers
ou' we Ike these poems better, and let no on,
OVERLOOK them because we have intlmated tha