Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1877-10-03
Wafrhiman & gnnnaL
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER ., 1877.
Literary Notes.

James II, Osgood & Co. We take pleasure Il
acknowledging the receipt Of sixteen new volume
of this very attractive and popular series. W
believe that never before, since the invention O
printing, has the reading public been favore
with such choice literature, in so attractive
| form, at such economical rates. Three volume
are selected from Tennysons poems. One volum
contains "'rhe Princess" another ain Memo
riam,' while the third is composed of " Fdrorit
Poems" embracing such treasures as
Break break, break
on thy cold gray stones, o sea;"
"The May Queen" " The Beggar Maid, etc.
numbering among them some OF Tennyson
choicest gems. One volume is taken from Long
fellows works, and contains A Psalm Of Life
''rhe Reaper and the Flowers, Excelsior" 9Th,
Bridge" and about twenty-five more OF Jongfel
lows most popular short poems The volume from
Oliver Wendell Holmes is a charming story, 9Th,
Story Of Iris" For every one who has not read
this delightful tale, a rare treat remains in store.
Space will not allow us to give the outline OF IT,
and we should not attempt it II no such obstacle
prevented 1t is altogether too pretty sketch to
be manged by us in attempting to give our read
ers an idea of it. Mr., Whittiers contribution
begins with "To Faneuil Hail." and includes
" Barbara Frietche, Maud Muller" and many
other beautiful gems, among which is that touch
ing little poem " In Schooldays," containing this
well-known verse:
a. Pm sorry that spe the word
hate to go above you,
BecauseI-the brown eyes lower fell
Because, you see, love your"
A Midnight Phantasy," by T. b. Aldrich, is a
most delightful story, the incidents OF which are
taken partly from two of Shakespeare's plays,
Romeo and Juliet " and Hamlet" and partly
from the authors fertile Imagination. Mr.. Al
drich sends Hamlet to Verona, where he meets
and falls in love with Juliet, whom he finally
marries, to the disgust of Romeo, who in turn,
Immediately sets out for Elsinore When ar
rived at his destination he lays siege to the heart
of Opheia who, instead of dying. becomes his
happy bride. All this is told with so much wit
and grace, that one is sorely disappointed on ar
irving at the end of the volume This volume
also contains most pathetic sketch of d" The Lit
tie Vioinist James Speaight. There is vol
ume of The National Songs of servia," trans
lated by Owen Meredith (the present Lord Lyt-
tom. This contains brief but comprehensive
sketch of Serbian history in the introduction,
which paves the way for the translations, which
are certainly crude poetry, though some are
very powerful. Some of them, again, read like
the fables of Ppay of Esop in verse. There
is the same terse form of expression and pith so
characteristic of the latter I" Mr.. Nightingales
Diary by Charles Dickens, is a farce, and
very amusing one decidedly absurd, as, of course,
being farce, it should be. 1t would appear to
have been written for the amusement of friends,
and represented at some private house, where the
great novelist was visiting. Shelley's volume
commences with his lines "To Harriet ="
which is followed by Opening stanzas OF Queen
Nab" The selections are well made throughout,
and the volume closes with one of his beautiful
drges-the one commencing:
Rough wind, that moanest loud
Grief too sad for song"
beautiful ending of book of beautiful
poems. Mark Twain Samuel T. Clemens) con-
tributes a volume containing A True Story"
and " The Recent Carnival of Crime in Connecti-
cut" "A True Story" is a pathetic tale of
slavery relating the separation and breaking up
peculiar institution" and the final restoration
OF the mother and youngest born to each other
4" The Recent Carnival of Crime in Connecticut ="
relates the history of an interview of man with
his own conscience. 1t isa queer affair, unique
as it is interesting. One volume of George Her.
bert's quaint and profoundly religious poems in
cudes "The Church Porch" and several shorter
poems. 1t is matter Of wonder to us that George
Herbert is little read outside of religious cir
ces. There is more beauty and force in his style
than in that of many more popular poet, in fact
of almost any of those more generally read and
and this cheap edition places his works
within the reach Of the poorest lover OF beautiful
poetry. John Brown, NJ. D., author of Rab "
and Marjorie Fleming" gives us volume on the
" Literary Career of Thackeray." 1t begins with
an epitome of his general career, and runs into
general analysis of his style and character. Read
ers of Thackeray generally will agree with his
analysis of his Style those who were personally
acquainted with him alone are competent to
Judge of his character To those who have read
" Rab" or Marjorie, the book will need no
recommendation. In this sketch DIR. Brown has
given some poems OF Thackeray which we do not
ever to have seen before, and which
give an added charm to the book. " Autumn"
from Thomson's " Seasons" comprises one vol
ume. This poem is composed Of descriptions
in blank verse of fields ready for harvest, reap
ing, shooting and hunting, fogs, rivers and their
sources moonlight, autumnal meteors, etc, etc,
The whole concludes with panegyric on phil
osophical country he Whatever one may think
oi Thomsons works as whole, none can deny
that portions OF them, at least for fidelity to ma
ture and beauty OF description, are unsurpassed.
The volume is very appropriate to this season of
the year, when autumn is just upon us " Favor
lite Poems" by Thomas Moore, is the title OF
another of this series, which embraces some sixty
of his short and more popular pieces, among which
are The Lake OF the Dismal swamp" "The
Harp that Once through Taras Hall, " The Last
Rose of Summer" and that grand old hymn,
" Come, ye Disconsolate. The selections are
extremely fecitous, and will undoubtedly meet
"'' '''' op'u','' "n'." '"0n s'o' jug
"o"' :" '"' ~ ''''e' N'''o '"u soo"o'hS
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scrip'oh vi seeu '''he' harr""ihg' morning "aks'
milking, dairy, etc, etc; this il the first
mart which treats of Sprinp" 4" Under Snu,-
-. >, A. -, ,,,. -. ,.... -. -
''e'' ,"e po'' u''''o' on 'p''o"s' i''e''A' reap
ing, thunder storm and other things pertaining
to the season of the year Autumn " comes
nav, In ,yhi,b ,yhaat so,yinn. tho oh,,r,h u
-
'"ee s'ris ioN-hun''ns' anu "elconne I" WINTER