The Portland daily press., 1877-10-20
Recent Publications.

IodIS IOr Tue LlItlo OnoS, Ellleu Dy MHs.
Helen Kendrick johnson Boston: j. R. Os-
good 8 Co; Portland Loring, Short & Har-
mon) is one of tbe most touchingly beautiful of
compilations 1t is made up of passages in
both poetry and prose, suggested by the feel
ings of sorrow and of sympathy occasioned by
the death of children. The pathos of the So
lections is deep with the depth of unaffected
reality; a sorrow of which the fires arise to
heaven and measure their strength by their as
cent-not a grief that clings about forsaken
clay and recalling every sad detail of mortality
shuts its sight to the visions that faith as
sures. The perfect tact and sympathy, thor
oughly womanly and motherly that Mrs. John
son has shown in her selections-of which each
one is tenderly consolatroy-will not fail of
their object, and she cannot but receive many
grateful Thoughts silent or spoken, from those
whose sadness will be lightened and part of its
bitterness taken away by the words of gentle
consolation set before eyes too weary to search
for them here and there.
Mr.. w. d. Howells is at present engaged
upon very elegant and satisfactory literary
task the editing series of autobiographies Of
distinguished personages. The Memoirs of
Frederick Wilhslmina, Margarine of Bareuth,
q volumes; Boston: j. R. Osgood s. Co.
Portland: Loring, Short s. Harmony and vol
ume containing memoirs of Lord Herbert of
Cherbury and of Mr.. Thomas Ellwood are al
ready published. The work of revision and Sc
lection is done carefully and in the best taste,
the spirit OIL the memoir is everywhere retained
while tedious pages if such there should occur
in the original volumes will not be found in
Mr.. Howellss editions The essays with which
he prefaces each volume are finely written aud
give enough of the substance of the memoir to
enlist the readers interest without impairing it
by too much of preliminary description.
The comparison of the unhappy Margarine to
some prosecuted fairy princess is in Mr.. How
1llss best vein; delicate, brilliant and imagin-
ative. The life of this sad princess is sombre
comment upon the lack of ease that troubles
crowned brows; circumstances more wearing,
more destructive of every happy impulse could
not be imagined than tho squalid pomp that
surrounded this woman, who nevertheless re-
tanned most excellent and even lovable traits.
The portraits she draws are in the manner of
etchings-one recognizes the sharp point of the
needle, the eager bite Of the scid The memoirs
Of Lord Herbert, brother of the sanity poet,
and of Mr.. Thomas Ellwood, are finely con-
trasted and ale full of vivid and valuable pic
lures of the personages and manners of the age
In which they were written. These autobog-
raphies are published in uniform style with the
Little Classics of Messrs. Osgood & Co.
Messrs. Osgood are beginning the publication
of series of biographies of the great artists of
medieval and modern days. These volumes,
which are prepared by Mr.. M. f. Sweetser,
will present the principal circumstances of the
lives of these artists, the details of which will
/ be carefully verified, and given in form suta-
BILE to popular reading. Critical matter and
those points which would interest only the art
/ student will be omitted, with view to COM
| pact and brief arrangement. TIE volume
already published is the life of Titan; and be-
l sides giving clear and unaffectedly written
story of the life of the great painter, it in-
cludes full list Of his works, with the CALLER
les and collections in which they are to be
L found.
1t is not particu arly easy to associate George
Sands Tower of Percemont COLLECTION of For.
egu Authors. d. Appleton s. Co., New York
Portland: Bailey & Noyes) with the idea that
one has Igained of her manner and genius.
The Tower Of Percemont is very pretty story
of life in small French town; the plot is
sufficiently involved for the purpose the char
acters are clearly indicated-those of the lawyer
and Metts are especially pointed and well
done; the style has the limpid strength thai
one expects of George Sand, and suffers little
as may be in the hands Of an excellent trans
lator. The pure, domestic tone of most of the
chapters of this novel will not surprise those
who have read some recent reflections of the
author; and making certain discount fol
French manners and ideas, this is not unlike
an English or American society novel. 1t has
not, however, the brilliant quality that renders
Samuel Brohl, for instance, one united and ex
tended epigram. 1t may merely be said of th,
Flower of Percemont-it is elegant, it is uuob
jectionable, it is George Sand.
Il The approach of the holidays is heraldet
from far off by the appearance of the juveuil
books that begin to come in as the last wander
ing birds spread their wings toward the south
black Grangets cousin, by Julia A. Matthews
author of Drayton Hall Series, Dare to d.
Right Series, Uncle Joes Thanksgiving, etc.
etc. Boston: Roberts Brothers; Portland: Lor
ing, Short & Harmony is a book for boys, o
such rare quality that it would be Difficult
] to overpraise it, The characters are draw