The Portland daily press., 1875-06-26
Recent Publications.

TRANsATLANTIc SKETCHES. BY Henry james Jr.
Boston, james R. Osgood 8 Co.
Mr.. James was educated abroad and has for
several years lived in France and Italy, so that
MS TRANSATLANTIC Sketches possess very differ
ent characteristics from those of the ordinary
American tourist There is nothing of the
guide-book style about them, but, on the con-
trary, as he tells his readers of the ancient
walls of Chester, the cathedrals of Lchfeld.
Wells and Salisbury, Milan or Florence, the
carnival at Rome, the Partisan stage, the gal
leres of pictures at Venice, it is all in a rest
fu, lesurely fashion that is quite enchanting
and free from suggestion of the hurry and
confusion which so often pervades books of
travel
How lively his description Of fields and flow.
ers!
''The Warwickshre meadows are to common
English scenery what this is to that of the
rest OF the world. For miles upon miles you
can see nothing but broad sloping pastures of
velvet turf, overbrowsed by sheep of the most
fantastic shagginess, and garnished with hedges
out of the trailing luxury of whose verdure
great iyy-taDgled oaks and elms arise with a
kind of architectural regularity"
And again, of Devonshre lanes-"On huge
embankments of Iuoss and turf, smothered in
wild flowers and embroidered with the finest
lace.work of trailing ground-ivy, rise solid
walls of Towering thorn and glistening holly
and golden broom, and more strong, homely
shrubs than 1 can name, aud tos, their bloom-
tangle to sky which seems to look down be-
tween them, in places, from but dozen inch.
es of blue. They are overstrewn with lonely
little flowers with names as delicate as their
petals of gold and silver and azure-brides eye
and kings finger and wandering sailor-apd
their soil, superb dark red, turns in spots SO
nearly to crimson, that you almost fancy il
some fantastic compound purchased at the
chemists and scattered there for ornament.
The phraseology is peculiar, almost always
appropriate and pleasing, now and then verg-
ing upon mannersm. Describing the perfect
beauty of the great choir window of Litchfield,
the author says, 81 have met nowhere colors SO
chaste and grave, and yet so rich and true, or
cluster of designs so piously decorative and yet
SO pictorial
This word PICTORIAL is, here, expressive but
when we have encountered it five or six times
in the course of our reading, we tire of it, while
su0 iSCcptIOu VI OuE OtuludTy picturesque
has no such effect. However were one to read
these sketches singly, not collected in book
form, this would pass unnoticed.
The works of Henry james, Jr, show the
finest culture They are original and very ele-
giant.
Transatlantic sketches cannot fail to be
considered an attractive and charming book.
MAJ Cr vrA e.
pursuant to orders OF the Legislature. BY Ed
mund S. H0yt. Portland: Hoyt, Fogg q Dom
ham.
/. The Maine Yearbook has become necessi-
ty to every person in the state who has any in
terest in public affairs. 1t is not only legis-
lative manual, but is also historical record, a
political guide, town gazetteer, and a directo-
ry of the prominent public and business occu-
pAtions of the state. AS a statistical guide it is
full and complete, and it contains just that
sort of information in regard to educational,
business and other interests, stamp duties,
postage rates etc., which every one wants.
The makeup of e,work is too well known
to need any description. The present volume
is even better in mechanical get-up than any of
its predecessors. The statistics have all been
revised up to the latest moment, and the other
information is fresh and valuable. The calen-
dar portion contains in addition to its usual
features daily weather record for 1874, COM
piled from observations made at the United
States signal office in this city. The tides at
Portland are gwen, with tidal corrections for
other ports. The church calendar is full and
accurate. Mr.. Hoyt has done his work well
and thoroughly and has got out manual
which is of interest and value to every man in
the State.