The Portland daily press., 1877-06-16
Recent Publications.

In the Camargue, by Emily Bowles (Boston:
Loring. Portland: Loring, Short s. Harmony
is most exquisite romance-it is indeed a
poem in prose. The brilliantly contrasted COL
oring, the singular beauty and power of deline-
alton, the delicate pathos and superb passion of
the story have scarcely a parallel in modern
fiction. The scene of the novel is laid in the
strange region of Southern France, where the
stony desert Of La Crau stretches over leagues,
where salt lake affords unhealthy employ
ment to the dwellers upon its shores; and
where also are great herds of wild cattle that
wander among the reeds and are guarded by
men mounted upon little native horses like the
mustangs. of South America. Perhaps no pas
sage III the book has more brilliant picturesque
quality, more unstnted grace and force than
that in which is described the march of the
herd. The trained OK, Oriflamme, with his
scarlet scarf upon which is hung the bell of the
leader OF the troop, the untamed savage king
of the cattle, Les Rochers, are grandly con-
trasted in their giants battle; and like the fall
of some great warrior. only far deeper in its
sense of its generous and supreme pity of life
given to save foe, is the death of Rambert the
herdsman, trampled by the furious bull. The
romance is in brief succession of scenes noted
with an artists eye and described with a poets
pen. The sad conclusion ofthe story seems on
ly natural as ending of the..stormy errors and
intense passion of its beginning. In the Ca
margue reminds the reader of Mireio, so we'll
known through Miss Preston's graceful transla-
tion-but the novel has over the poem the ad-
vantage of being written by one who brings to
the scene the appreciation of newcomer and
an artistic sense to which the Provencal poet
lays claim only by force OF his native genius.
Unclaimed cortland: Loring, Short & Har-
mon) is another of Loring's Tales of the Day,
au attractive series in every respect. 1t is
novel which evidences refinement and graceful
familiarity with society, and its fresh, charm
ing and natural style, its delicate and pleasing
design render it one of the choicest books of
the season. The plot is not exciting, but full
of interest; the characters are such as one is
very clad to have met, and the impression left
on the readers mind is that OF unalloyed en-
joyment.
Afterglow (Boson; Roberts Brothers; Port
land: Loring, Short s. Harmony is the title of
the most recent addition to the mysterious sue
cession of the No Name Series. 1t is difficult
to assign these volumes to their authors, for the
guileless reviewer cannot but feel that tricks are
possibly being played upon him and that authors
are combining, parodying reversing styles for
his confounding. Afterglow has somewhat of
the quality of Mr.. Horace Scudder's work
though it does not equal his Five Sisters
Court. But the concluding chapters seem
written by feminine hand, while the earlier
49,
let and hose in its disposition. There is much
that is bright and natural in the story, and it
closes with pathetic quiet. In it too, one no.
tees less of the masquerading quality than ap-
pears in some of the volumes of this series, less
of the irresponsible and capricious action, the
squeak which is the traditional voice of the
mask, natural to this stimulating series of lit
erary riddles, indeed, but not entirely condu-