The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1875-04-24
Tho Eastidous Goblin is a bit of humorous

tragedy MaTen Christensen Inc editorial ue-
partments are OF the usual excellence. There
are sixteen book reviews, besides careful notes
on art, music and education.
The three bright faces that look out from the
opening page of the May number OF ScribnerS
Monthly, are only different views of one girllsh
head-the still living heroine Of tragedy
which will be remembered as long as the name
of Napoleon is lauded and reviled among men.
The picture here sk,llfully reproduced is Gill
bert Stuart's threefold portrait of Madame Pat
terson- Bonaparte of Baltimore, one OF the
most conspicuous victims of the great Napo-
lie on's selfish and INSCRIPTIONS ambitoh. Inc
accompanying sketch of 1.-THE baltimore Do-
napartes,, is an authentic history OF TINS inter-
esting family, which may yet give France us
Emperor.
The New Paris Opera-House is DESCRIBED,
with pen and.picture, in the same number OF
Scribner Though its architecture is fiagranly
s'French, using the term with its most I'M
pleasant cockney meaning,-it is still marvel
Gus building, and n all its arrangements and
details worthy of careful study. The present
description is rapid and uncritical, but gives
good idea of the general style, and of the mos
curious and striking features of this Temple OF
Song.
Droogmakerij is the all-Dutch-to-me title of
Col. Warnings carefully prepared account of
the drainage of Harlaam Lake,--''by much the
largest operation of its kind ever undertaken
by man." This paper, which includes the en-
tire subject of draining in Holland, is paftlcu-
larry valuable to engineers and those interested
in low lands along our coast: but the subject is
so simply treated that the general reader
wiifind it as interesting as a romance.
DR.. VIM. Hayes Ward of the Independent
sums up, in an illustrated paper, some OF the
curious discoveries that have recently been
made in ancient Assyrian literature.
Some Rscent Women Poets, is the title OF a
brief but thoughtful critical paper; some OF
these very women poets have new poems IN the
same number of the Monthly, BY the way
yang Wing and His Work tells about the
Chinese Educational Mission, and its devoted
originator.
In the way of fiction we have two chapters
of Dr. Hollands Story of Sevenoaks Tin which
there is more about Jim Fenton, and new
character is introduced y more of that exceed
ingly Mysterious Island, by Jules Verne; an
Electro-Mechauical romance, by Charles Bar
nard, that is original in several features, and
will be especially appreciated by railroad and
telegraph people; and another story by the
Young New Orleans story-writer George w.
Gable. who has field all to himself, just now,
and, what is more to the purpose, the genius
that enables him to seize its artistic features.
Some Old Letters (these are genuine by the
way, and later installment will be accompa-
MED by fac-similes) and Both Sides OF the
Shield, by Mrs. Davis, are the other prose con-
tributions.
In the Editorial pages, DR.. Holland writes
about Speaking Disrespectfuly of the Equator,
Popular Arts, and The Premium on Productive
Culture. The Old Cabinet has something
about English Criticism of American Poetry,
and The Poets Mind and Mood. A new de
partment, entitled The Worlds Work, takes
the place of Nature and Science; and Etchings
gives way to Brc-a- brac; and thus Scribner en-
tiers upon its tenth volume.
There is fun enough in the May number OF
st. Nicholas to keep the children laughing till
the next number comes outfit children are as
Jolly as we take them TO be. First of all IS
Rose Terrys poem of Poll Tadpole. which has
a very seasonable flavor at this time of the
metamorphosis of everything in general and
of tadpoles in particular Almost any one
would laugh at the picture of Poll, taken
as he was lying at ease in his puddle, not
dreaming that he would soon become "dis-
continued baby-frog.'
Then there is capital picture by Church,
full of this artists humor. A more graphic
expression of the comic effect OF new comers
entrance has rarely been penciled. The stran
ger is scanned as closely by his fellow priso-
ners as a new boy at a boarding school.
In the poem Poor Puck, the humor even
goes over into Fairyland, and our admiration
of Puck's audacity in transgression is equalled
by our respect for Queen Mab's tactics and
her clever way of furnishing the trespasser
And, as if this were not enough, the Very
Little Folks have their share too,-a story,
illustrated with five pictures, which, if the
first-wll carry the lauph- all
around the circle to grandpa.
Last, but not least, is Jack-in-the- Pulpit,
who is dlaodys funny.
But 50. Nicholas knows how to be serious
too; and no girls story could be sweeter than
Susan Coolidge's delightful May-day narrative
of Queen Blossom, with its beautiful iustra-
ton by Fredericks. The three illustrated sto-
ries by Rebecca Harding Davis, Elsie Gorham,
and the author of Rutledge will interest every
body, and the practical articles will well re-
pay all who read them, especially the two
entitled About Heraldry and The Feast of
Flags, the illustrations of which are novelties.
But we cannot name all the good things; we
only envy the children the monthly happiness
of such a magazine.
The numbers of The Livtng Age for April
18th and oath, contain Modern Astronomy,
from the London Quarterly Review; Orange,
by Edward A. Freeman, Macmillan; The
Abode of Snow, parts and III, BtdckWood;
The Debt of English to Italian Literature,
Fortnightly Reoiew; The Metaphysics of Con-
version, Spectator; Sir Arthur Helps, Saturday
Revieao; An unpublished Letter of Coleridge,
Academy; The Tercentenary Festival at Ley
den, Macmillan; with instruments of Alice
Lorraine by r. G. Blackmore, author of the
Maid Of Sker and Fated to be Free, by Jean
Ingelow; and the usual choice poetry and mis-
cellauy.
Peterson's Journal of Popular Literature. The
May number of Peterson, filled with fresh
reading has been received. The Magazine
leads off with steel engraving. called 1.-The
Bashful Wooer." Then we have a decidedly
good story, called ellis Enemy" by Eliza
Archard. NJ M Erckmann Chatrian follow
with a powerfully written romance entitled
ssThe Deans Watch founded upon series
of mysterious murders which took place in the
city of Heidelberg, in Germany. This is
most thrilling and effective tale, and is, of
course published complete. Mr.. Rochdale's
Courtship, is one of those charming love sto-
ries which seem, somehow, to be peculiar to
this magazine.
Romance in a Paris Pension, story of
party of young people who are studying art
and enjoying themselves at the same time, In
the city of Paris, is about as good reading as
so A Night in the way of fiction; as are al
The Diary of Governess. 'has. anu
OF the most substantial articles, Wanted
An Angel to do the Cooking, is certainly one Of
the most interesting, giving an account of the
domestic arrangements of Mrs. Crawshay, an
English lady of great wealth. In this model
establishment the positions of cook, lady's
maid, kitchen maid, dairy maid and upper
house maid, are held by five intelligent and
cultivated young ladies, who ride out in the