The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1875-07-10

wing, and to be stained with the clay of which
these broken images had been formed. With
another era of history, in face of its terrible
wrong and unterriied right the poets own spir-
it has taken new strength, and the result is this
tragedy, noble and complete, enriched with fine
imagination and the beautiful use of language,
of which Mr.. Tennyson has long been an ac-
knowledged MASTER
FATED TO BE FREE. by Jean Ingelow. Published
by Roberts Brothers For sale by LoIing, Short
& Harmon.
To those who have ever read any work of
Miss lngelow's, no assurance is needed that
this new novel is bright, thoughtful, and
exquisitely fresh in tone "Fated to be Free"
forms the sequel to '"Off the Skellgs' and,
continuing the relation of the same family
history, takes it from different standpoint
and in larger proportions. In "Of the Skel-
lgs" the readers knowledge of the Mortimer
family is derived entirely from the impressions
of Dorothea, the heroine of the story. who
must herself gradually learn to know the new
friends with whose lives her own becomes in
terwoven. In "Fated to be Free" the more
impersonal character of the story enables the
reader to understand the annals of the Morti-
mers more fully. Events that occurred before
Dorothea's acquaintance began, explain and
color later ones. Miss Ingelow recognizes the
defects and exaggerations of many popular
novels, and, believing them to be unnatural
in design and execution, aims to depict care
fully and minutely the ordinary life of de-
lightful family; trusting, for the success of
her work, to the interest that its characters
will personally inspire. 1t is true that the can
vass is little crowded with figures; that we
are little bewildered by so many new faces
we need little time to recognize them, and to
understand that each one is not set in the story
for definite purpose from which he shall not
swerve until poetic justice be fulfilled, AS in
real life there are conversations to no end but
that of pleasant entertainment; the little chill
dren play in the pages Of this novel as in our
world, merrily and without consciousness that
they are growing up to take, in their turn, the
places of hero and heroine; family friends are
introduced who affect but slightly the inner
life of the family ITSELF If in 'sFated to be
Free we look for conventionally developed
romance, for an exciting and imaginative work
of fiction we shall be disappointed-we shall
find only human nature depicted simply and
with refinement. Perhaps the book might
have been somewhat condensed; the plot, so
far as there is plot, might have been made
clearer-but any defects of execution are more
than compensated for by the healthful senti-
ment, the unspoiled freshness, and the spirir,
elevated and refined without stiffness or ten
dency to inopportune moralizing-that charac-
terize the work. Although a narrative so Cir
CumScrbQd and minufa ia oh mi
writer of fiction should remember that there
are in every branch of art, certain convention
alities, unavoidable SO long as art is limited by
material form; and that the effort to escape
these can be only in a degree successful. 1t is
proper that novel should represent real life,
either actual or possible-but in order to avoid
confusion events must be condensed; days and
years must be left unnoted in order that the
work shall not exceed reasonable limit in
length, or the mind of the reader miss, in the
too great detail, the principal points of the
story. A work of fiction must possess certain
point and symmetry which. real life does
not display at the scope of human sight.
Emily, who may be said to be the heroine
of the the novel, is one of the sweetest, bright.
est and most womanly characters in the range
of fiction. With Dorotbea, Brandon and
Valentine-the reader of "Off the Skelligs''
are already acquainted; and the noble and
brave old men; the aged woman and the quaint
little boy who watch the bed of lilies, for sake
dreams of the future: the charming children
who smile among the pages, thick as flowers in
feld-these and many others make up the
varied interest of ''Fated to be Free" A
pleasure is in store for those who by the sea, or
in cool shade of summer scenery, will read
Miss Ingelow's charming stories.
NooKs AND CORNERS OF THE NEW ENGLAND
COAST. By Samuel Adams Drake, author of
"Old Landmarks of Boston, Historic Fields and
Mansions of Middlesex," &C. Published by Har-
per & Brothers. New York. For sale in Port
land by Loring Short and Harmon.
This volume, carefully and skill fully arranged
and fully illustrated by many excellent engrav-
ings, will serve either as a guide to tourists
along the New England shores-or as a substi-
tute for the journey. So breezy and full of life
are its descriptions, so interesting its accounts
of the seaport towns that contrast their busy
human life with the swsep of the impersonal
sea-that careful reading of it has the invig-
Grating effect of a seaside sojourn, while it
",
from title-page to fnis has cost him neither
sunburned features, hands blstered with
amateur attempts at rowing, or depressingly
long account with landlord whose bump of
acquisitiveness must fulfil its whole mission
during the brief weeks of the summer season.
The first chapter of the volume treats of the
New England of the Ancients, and is enriched
with many interesting antiquarian illusions,
and with portraits of the early voyagers. Begin
ming with Mount Desert, of which the striking
scenery is illustrated by spirited engravings and
letter. .press-the tourist passes to Castine with
its associations of the French settlers whose
traditions of courts formed curious contrast to
the primitive customs of their new home on the
rocky coast of Maine. Pemaquid, Monhegan
Wells and York, the Isle of Shoals Salem and
its legends of wtchcraft, Marblehead and Flood
Ireson,
For his hard heart
Tarred and feathered and carried in cart
By the women O. Marblehead.
Plymouth and Nantucket, Newport in its old
time quiet and its gay, extravagant existence
of to-day, New London and .''the way to Nor
wich'' and Saybrook-all are graphically de-
scribed in an unaffected. genial and attractive
manner An index and full headlines to each
chapter serve to classify and render accessible
the numerous POINTS of interest. Another good
feature of the work is that it affords no set out
bursts of stilted enthusiasm for the benefit of
the unimpressonable tourist, but, giving full
and accurate information as to the places worth
visiting, leaves all moralizing over the
past and all raptures over the present to indi-
vidual capacities and tastes To all those who
propose to themselves tour on the New Eng.
land coast ''on this lue if it takes all sum-
mer' as the writer quotes for Ill his preface
We recommend this guidebook. Those who
stay at home will also find it desirable. 1t is
really valuable addition to the distinctive litera
ture of New England. Its mechanical execu-
tion corresponds in merit with its literary
excellence.