The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1873-11-15
Recent Publications.

BY Chm les Die e.s, BrattIeboro VI
Published by T. p. James.
The above heading is transcript Of the ii
tie page Of large, well printed volume
4S8 pages containing the story of Edwin
D;ood as written by Dickens before deatl
with long and elaborate conclusion allege
to have been communicated by his disem-
bodied spirit through the mediumship
Thomas P. James of Brattleboro vt Joh'
Jasper it seems had tried to murder Edwin
Drood By knocking him on the head and leav
ing him in the Sapsea tomb. Edwin had re
covered and escaped but reappeared oppo
tunely to cleanse the reputation Of Nevil
Landess of the suspicion of crime, shortl,
after which Neville dies. Jasper is confront
ed with evidence of his crimes, becomes in
sane and dies. Edwin marries Rosa and The
Minor Canon marries Helena Landless.
If th she indeed the work of Dickens spr
it, it is painful to note the deterioration il
mental fibre caused by the passage from ihi
world to the next, which has, been illustrate e.
50 oflen and so palpsbly in the case of othe
great men of the past. The explanation tha
the quality of the communication is affected
by the character OF the medium is, in justic
to the dead, Sufficient reason even to be
lievers in spiriiualism to abstain from such ex
bibitions. To upbelievers the whole thing il
shocking travesty, little short of sacrilegious
is an injury to the memory oflhe dead and All
affront to the intelligence of the living.
Brave Hears, BY Bobertson Gray.
He who writes under the name o. "Rob
ertson Gray" has in Brave Hearts" narrow
" escaped becoming the father of the eager
ly looked for "Great American Novel, Th'
characters, though well-drawn, are not tn
char ,ctcrs of master hand; the plot, thougl
evuciug some inge uity, is in no way re
markable; the ideas, though reasonably t.esl
and admirably expressed, are not exception
ally wise or witty; still the work has th,
racy flavor of the soil. The scenery, Language
action. humor and character are distinctive
American. and could have existence ~
where but in America. The scores on tn
Alta, tic sea-board are not travesties of Eu
ropean drawing rooms, nor is the life de
delightfully."- impossible school of Bet Hart
and the contributors to the Overland. The
characters are of marked individuality.
studies from lie with not suspicion of the
puppet about them. Indeed the Wells Fargo
stage-driver, Union soldier, world itinerani
Steve Moore, is a creation worthy of great
artist, and is destined to more than ephen-
eral existence The touches of exaggeration
in which the book abounds belong to it o.
right as an American novel, for we are the
most exaggerative of all peoples in our speech
in our manner of living. in our ways of doinc
business and of amusing ours Ives; and N,
book which treats of us is true to nature un
legs it is spiced with exageeration. There
are many amusing Things in the nook bu'
none more amusing than the foot-notes III
which the author grave.y informs us that 10
ego through means to rob, and that the
word .shebaug'' is dersively used for a
buildinc. Perhaps these explanations we're
necessary for tre good readers Of the Chris
tian Union, in which :paper the story was
originally published, but we imagine the
great reading public find no difficulty in un-
derstandine all forms OF slang.
Published by J. B. Ford & Co. For sale
by Hoyt & Fogg.
Songs of the snn-Lands. by JOAQUIN
MILLER.
Among the poems of various lengths con.
tanned in the present volume, and which
evince al once the beauties and faults OF NJ
Miller's style-the "Ise # the Arnazonso i
the most important aid displays most fully
his exquisite sense of color and harmony. hi
warmth and vigor of thought and expression
From the prelude to Part ii, we quote tn
following magnificent sranzas:
And who s. all pronounce that the child Of the sur
With his ich sudworsbip was utterly wrong
In the far new years when the stars kept sol q?
But judge anu be judged:-condemn, and have done
And Who shall proclNim the were all uuwjse
II tieir great warm fifth? Tine an wcrs us not:
The quick tool questions; but who pliesP
rhe wise man hesi ates, hushed in thought.
Mingled, however, and ia no small prcpor
ton with these passionate utterauces of th
poet made strong by love Of all things tree
are notes not learned of seas or OF sierras
No:es borrowed from Byron the original in
! ventor-would he had taken out an eterna