The Portland daily press., 1876-05-13

same lovely scene, under the changing infiu-
ences Of the months-the autumn that turns TO
gold the passionate blossoming of the summer,
the winter that whitens, the spring that re-
news. The figures of Raoul Dubois, of his
little son, of the braconnier, are the figures of
the landscape painter, introduced to intensity
the meaning of nature by its relations to man.
Inc exquisite sensitveness 10 every impression
of form and color in cloud or wayside weed; to
the song OF the nightingale in the dark-the
impulse and passion of whose music and whose
consciousness and delight of the artist. Mr..
Hamerton notes finely-the wealth of thought,
of allusion, of poetry that he brings to his
work, can be enjoyed, not described; and moth
ing but reading, word for word, can give an
idea of the beauty, richness and suggestiveness
of the volume. Mr.. Hamerton sees the artistic
meaning of the commonest things-the desc
late droop and decay of the mullein.stalk in
the chill of late November; to him the plough.
share in the field is bright beyond the blade in
battle, and he calls Virgil to witness to its
splendor-"a polish not due to any intentional
schemng about effect, but simply proof
of labor, like that noble polish which
comes of itself upon the laborious human
mind when it has toiled in the intellectu-
al felds,' says Mr.. Hamerton. Nothing
could be more tender in Imagination, mole
clearly drawn in soft. sad shades of mono
chrome, than the purely poetieal chapter in
which he speaks of the place in art that is filled
by water-reeds, wan, dim place such as they
have between earth and water. Nothing
could be more dainty again than his paragraph
on Chaucer's love of
-"These floures white and rede
Soch that men callen daises in our town."
To read The Sylvan Yea, is to see the earth
anew, Alright. 1t is to see it with an artists
sight. by the light that poets have caught from
it. Mr. Hamerton's special training, as well
as his extended and elegant learning, and
most forum ate natural gifts. have fitted him
peculiarly for the translation, by pictured
speech or written sketch, of nature to his
readers
In The Unknown River is to be recognized
more entirely the author himself; it is the mar
rative Of an "Etaher's Voyage of Discovery"
and beside the qualities already noted in the
first of the two books which form this volume,
it has genial brightness and fresh, boylike
love of adventure, dash and force that har
monize perfectly with its refinement.
1t is indeed impossible to do justice to the
tranquil charm, the contained passion of the
volume, even were there space for long ex.
tracts from it in the limits of journalistic
book review; or as Mr.. Ha merton himself
writes of others works that which is peculiarly
applicable to his own: 81 should like very
much to quote some of the best modern works
in writing, but it is almost impossible to do so
without invading ones own space too much;
such quotations are like the young cuckoo in
small birds nest; they grow and grow till
they push the native progeny aside"
IsHMAEL; or In THE DEPTHS. By Mrs. Emma d.
E. N. Southworth. Philadelphia 7. B. Peter
son & Brothers.
This novel was originally published in the
New York Ledger, and was then entitled "Self-
Made; Or Out of the Depths" Why the pro-
cess of republication should send the hero back
into the depths again is not explained. The
novel is regarded by the author and her pub
fishers as the best WORK she has ever writ
ten. In the preface Mrs. Sou.hworth says:
"This story, in book form, has been called for,
by thousands during several years past, but the
author has reserved it, until 1876, as her contri
button to the Centennial; not only because she
considers it to be her very best work, but be-
cause it is peculiarly a National Novel, being
founded on the life and career of one of the
nob.est of our countrymen, who really lived,
suffered, toiled, and triumphed in this land; /;
one whose inspirations of wisdom and good
ness were drawn from the examples of the he
roic warriors and statesmen of the revolution
and who having, by his own energy, risen from
the deepest obscurty to the highest fame, be
came in himself an illustration of the elevat-
ing influences of our Republican Institutions.
In the Depths he was born indeed-in the
very depths of poverty, misery and humiliation.
But through Heavens blessing on his aspira-
tions and endeavors, he raised himself TO the
summit of fame. He was good as well as great.
His goodness won the love of all who knew
him intimately. His greatness gained the
homage of the world. He became, in q word
one of the brightest stars in Columbia's dia-
dem of light His identity will lie recognized
by those who were familiar with his earl per-
sonal history; but for obvious reasons his real
name must be veiled under fictitious one here
His life is guiding star TO the youth OF every
AaDu, W SuOW tuen tudb tucCo Is uO u6plQ VI
human misery from which they may not, by
virtue, energy, and perseverance, rise to earth
ly honors, as well as to eternal glory" 1t is
published in large duodecimo volume of over
seven hundred pages, with a portrait of Mrs.
Southworth, engraved on steel, from a photo
graph taken of her on March 22d, 1876, with
her autograph under it. 1t is bound in moroc
co cloth, gilt back, price S175
REVOLUTIONARY TINES: Sketches of our coun-
try. Its People and Their Ways. One Hundred
Years Ago. By Edward Abbott. Boston: Rob-
erts Brothers. For sale by Lorng, Short & Har-
mon.
Within the compass Of two hundred pages
Mr.. Abbott has sketched broadly and intelli.
gently the condition and habits of American
people two hundred years ago. He says he has
shut filled note book with rough aud scat
tered memoranda" but in this statement he
undertakes his work, for he has succeeded in
giving an accurate, pleasing and well proper
toned picture Of the revolutionary times aud
of the everyday life of the people then. Those
matters which grave historians think too tri-
fling for notice, (though they might learn
better from Macaulay had they their work to
do over again) but in which most readers take
peculiar interest, are fully treated of. We
are given, for example, contrasted sketches of
the cities and villages, are told of the ways OF
public communication and have a journey
from Providence to Charleston, epitomized
from the narrative of Elkanah Watson de-
scribed for US, learn of the dress and fashions,
the amusements, the social comforts and
troubles of our ancestors How marriages aud
funerals were conducted, what people eat aud
what they paid for it, what they read how they
worked their farms, and what manufactures
they started, and host Of incidents of COM
mon life which give realistic view of manners
and customs are set down in this volume and
entertaiHingly described Ia an appendix is
given a list of rare works,relating to the revo-
lutionary life and traits. The book is one ''to
be dropped in your pocket on your way 10 the
centennial" or to be read at home with mnch
profit and inter est
LIFE AND LETTERS OF LORD MAcAULAY. BY his
n tto Tn fxUnfy UoI