The Portland daily press., 1877-12-08

S"p0A W OWDs Ef6EJUOuy JuoIct ub
adds, understands French and Latin and
Greek-everybody except Ohantrsy." Sumner
showed much interest in Crawford, the sculp-
tor, and art matters generally, but William W.
Story says this interest in art was historical and
literary, not artistic, adding that his judgment
as to work of art was poor, his sense of art
very limited, though he ever strove to cultivate
his taste and feeling for it,
OF Hallam, the historian. he said he wa. "a
person of plain manners, rather robust, and
wears steel watch-guard over his waistcoat.
He is neither fluent nor brilliant in copversa-
tion but is sensible, frank and unaffected"
Leigh Hunt was visited. He dwelt in an hum
BILE house, with uncarpeted entry. Mr..
Sumner says: 'Hs lives more simply, think
than any person in England but he possesses
palace of mind. He is truly brilliant In
conversation, and the little notes of his which
have seen are very striking" At Lady Nor
gan's Mr.. Sdmner met the widow of the poet
Shelley, whom he found to be mice and
agreeable person, with great cleverness. She
said that the greatest happiness of a woman
was to be the wife or mother of a distinguished
man. was not little amused at an express
sion that broke from her unawares, she forget
ting that was an Anne rican. We were speak
ing OF travellers who violatsd social ties and
published personal sketches, and she broke out
thank God! have kept clear of those Ameri-
cans. did not seem 20 observe what she had
bad said and she soon atoned for it." Mrs.
Shelley understood several languages. Mr.
Sumner was struck with the beauty of Mrs.
Norton, and described her countenance ss
lighted by eyes of the intensest brightness,
and her features are OF the greatest regularity.
There is something tropical in her look it is so
intensely bright and burning. with large dark
eyes, dark hair and Italian complexion. As 8
conversationalist she was pleasant and power
ful as we'll as graceful and easy"
After his return from Europe Sum-
ner resumed the practice of the law.
But he met with small success. The
position he took upon public questions
alienated conservative Boston, and he was
looked upon as visionary and fanatic. Yet
his literary ability was 80 generally recognized
that in 1S45 he was invited to deliver the ora
tion on Independence Day. He gave that
splendid declamatory address ''The True
Grandeur OF Nations, "-an oration which made
for bin reputation wider than the country,
and opened to him in the troubled and
glorious period of our national history then
close at hand the path to political endeavor
and honors. From that day be was marked
man, figure to which the eyes Of the philan-
thropists and liberators instinctively turned as
a champion fit to LEAD in the cause of human
liberty and the advancement of civilization.
ota ON fha oe So
these volumes leave him. They have told the
story of his youth. The history of his man.
hood is written in the hearts of his countrymen.
This is the picture his biographer gives of him
as he stood before Boston's citizen soldiery and
thundered against the crime of war: "He was
the impsrsouation of manly beauty and power;
of commanding stature, his faurs no longer
slender es in student days, but we'll developed; |;
his features finely cut his dark hair hanging
in masses over his left brow. his face lighting
up with the smile which always won him
friends at first sight. Els gestures were un-
studied and followed no rules; tia most fre-
quent one was the swinging of the srn above
the head His voice was clear and strong, ,resound-
iug,through the hall, but at times falling in ca
dences mellow and pathetic. Seldom has there
been seen on the platform more attractive
presence than his, as now at the age of thirty
four he stood for first the time before ths people
assembled to hear him.
The Amours of Philippe IT, B. Peterson 81
Brothers, Philadelphis) is theSunpleasant title
of pleasant book, q translation OF Les:AmOurs
de Philippe of Octave Feuillet made by Mary
Neal Sherwood. Philips Love Affairs would
have been better title aud better English
The story is very moral after ths French fash
ion. for virtue triumphs is the end Yet, as in
so many tales Of its class, the sympsthes of the
reader are enlisted for the vicious rather than
the virtuous, he is led to resent the outcome
aud finds himself accepting Swinburne's sharp
antithesis and preferring to the lilies and laa-
guors of virtue the raptuEes and roses Of vice.
The wicked people are vastly more interesting
than the good people. The stormy passionate
Madame de Talyas attracts US mora than the
grave and stately maiden who, we see from the
first, is to secure in the end that most worthless
of all possessions, Philippe's heart. The story
of wayward passion is told with all the tender
grace which belongs to Feuillet, and the treat
ment of the theme is 81 delicate that we lose
sight Of its grossness.
The translation is unequal, but for the most
part the original is done into English with
Mrs. Sherwood's usual fidelity and skill. As
in her previous translations the English is pure
and idlomatic, and she succeeds in conveying
even the most delicate traits OF the authors
style AS was right she has not hestated to
indulge in ''jadicous Suppression" and the
result is book which cannot offend the taste
1t is difficult to feel the just measure of dis
approval of the uncourteous treatment which
Mrs, Francis Hodgson Burnett has received at
the hands of the Messrs. Peterson of Philadel-
phia-since it secures to the public the pleasure
of acquaintance with some exceedingly bright
and graceful stories. They are not is true, equal
to the standard of comparison which Mrs. Bur-
nett furnishes in her more recent stories, among
the most dramatic and finished of the times !;
but they are thoroughly bright, charming and
refined, with decided hints at her riper power
as it now exists Pretty Polly Pemberton
philadelphia: T. B. Peterson & Coz is a fresh,
piquant story of London life; the heroine is an
honest and merry little actress, the hero a
guardsman whose elegant superiority needs the
awakening galvaaic shock from the we'll
charged battery of Miss Polly's eyes The 9TH
er hero, a much fuer type and decidedly pleas
anter man to meet, is charmed by
the guardsman's pretty and gentle
sister, character drawn in . manner
really less conventional than the unconven-
tional Polly-and SO all ends happily 1t is
pleasant and we'll told story, with the pervad-
ing atmosphere of refined womsniness that is
inseparable from any work of Mrs, Burnett.
The popular hymn by Elizabeth q. Clephane'
The Ninety and Nine, is published as a gift
book by D. Lothrop & Co., Boston. The poem
is so we'll known as to need noEspecial COM
ment. 1t is touching, and appeals to the read
er's sym pathles by its setting forth in verse of
one of the tenderest of he PARALLELS The illus-
trstions, designed by Robert Lewis, show Isoms
talent and some affectaton in style. The dis
tances and balance of light and shade are not
well managed, while the designs in themselves
have degree of strength and interest,"
AS usual in the weeks anticipatory of tde
holidays, the chldren's department is full and
attractive. Donald G, Mitchell, SIX Marvel