The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1874-02-21
7ERMs $500 PER ANNUMIN ADVANCE.

interest, save that of the horrible kind which
one may f-el in the perusal of the criminal
''e.ns I'D our daily papers; it was evidently
witch ior money, and with no sense what
'oeVer oi tne moral LEGATIONS of a novel
"ri'er 10 the community at LARGE. t. ia
happily short and the weariness os A..
Vlewer-whom we trust IS the onlv ,,..,so,,
compelled TO read it's not protracted 7,
seems to us that in placing snch a book in
our market Mr.. Collins offers direct ipsu,,
to the reading public of America; as it has
been written IN this country, and is evidently
supposed by the writer to be the style of
story suited to our mental digestion.
THE CONSERVATION OF ENERGY. BY Balfour Stew
art F. r. S. New York, d. Appleton s. Co. For
sale by Bailey and Noyes.
This-the latest volume in the valuable SIN
ternalional Scientific Series"-is one of the
most simple, and at the same time one of the
most complete works on the correlation of
forces ever published; it is so full, and yet so
clear and concise, as to render it possible for
any attentive reader to understand and be-
come familiar with the fundamental laws re-
latlng 10 energy ard its various transmuta-
tions. The first chapter embraces what we
know regarding atoms, ,ahd gives also defini-
tion of Energy. Succeeding chapters treat of
the various forces and energies of Nature,
and give the law of Conservation The au
thor then enumerates and discusses the yari-
Gus transmutations Of energy; followed by a
short historical sketch of the subject, ending
with the law of Dissipation. The last chap
ter gives an account of the position Of living
beings in this uni,erse of energy. The
American edition has in addition a valuable
appendix, in which is given revision of Pro-.
Joseph lie Conte's valuable essay on the
Correlation OF Physical and Vital Forces,',
published some fourteen years ago, and one
by Prof. A. Balm the celebrated Psycholt eist
of Aberdeen, Oh the Correlation OF the Ner-
vOus and Mental Forces" The book is copi-
ously Illustrated and will be found to be one
of the most valuable of the series.
BESSIE wILMEnroS. By Margaret wescott New
York, G. W. Carleton & Co. For sale by Bailey &
Noyes.
This is story called b. the New York
World presbyterian Melo-drama'' which
seems to us an eminetly fitting title. 1t is the
old OIL story of an immaculate father losing
bis fortune by the dishonesty of his relatives,
his daintily reared daughter doing duty as
governess in family where she meets with
our old friend, the young man with Grt cisn
profile, universal knowledge and scornful aspec
such as have been in vogue ever since Byron
wrote the Corsair; he falls in love with the
governess, she does not reciprocate; he spends
the remainder of his life as a New York city
missionary, she marries the lover Of her
youth her father regaining his ancient station
is sent as minister to England; while the
wicked relatives as usual die in poverty. The
story is merely a re-vamp of the usual Incl
dents of the majority of the silly novels OF the
day. 1t is a story whi h will do the reader
good, aud no harm beyond the loss OF time
spent in the reading.
CENTRAL ASIA. By Bayard Taylor. New York:
scribner Armstrong q Co. For sale by Loring
Short s. Harmon.
This is the latest of those delightful books
Of Travel, Exploration and Adventure, edited
by Bayard Taylor, and treats Of that mystic
region of which we know so very little,
Central Asia" Beginning with geograph-
ical sketch Of the country under considera-
tion, it proceeds with a condensation of the
narrrtives of travellers, from the time of that
most indefatigable of wanderers, Marco Polo,
to the present. A large portion of the book
is devoted to travels OF Mr.. G, 7. Vigne, who
about thirty years ago made one of the first,
| as well as the most thorough explorations of
| the valley of Cashmere. The exciting jour-
ney OF Mr.. Shaw to Yarkand and Kashghar,
abounding in innumerable dangers and es-
capes, is also wildly described. The conclud-
ing chapter is devoted to the recent conquest
Of Khiva. We do not know of any work on
this interesting and almost unknown country,
which contains fresher or more accurate in
formation, combined as it is with the nara
ton Of the thrilling incidents of travel.