The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1877-12-01
TERMS $500 PER ANNUM, IN ADVANCE

ist-Unitarian, the most orthodox Of divines
The sermon on the Dred Scot decision is the
ooidest and strongest, and probably the most
interesting in view of historical events. That
on Lessons from the Sierra Nevada is very
beautiful, and on a subject which was espe-
ciaiiy dear to him, and Living Water from
Lake Tahoe" is equally charming. This volume
OF sermons will probably be followed by two
others.
In Green Pastures and Piccadilly New York:
Harper Brothers; Portland: Loring, Short g.
Harmony Mr.. William Black has given 10
the public another Of those novels in which his
instinct of the artist in landscapes asserts IT.
self so forcibly that the readers interest is d.
ylded between the actual story and the scenic
accessories to which it owes small part of Its
charm and very much Of its individuality. Tho
princess OF Thule" was a whole gallery OF
marine paintings, effects of water, spray, sea-
mists and the purple of far off hills were rem
dered with extraordinary richness of color and
touch at once delicate, brilliant and powerful.
In the Adventures Of a Phaeton we had views
of the noble forests of England: of the kings
highways where spirited horses drew their hap
py load; OF wide green fields and winding rivers
"a Charming pastoral tof to-day, modern
Arcadia pleasant inlmerry greenwood, where
mayis and merle were singing" The Green
Pastures that Mr.. Black depicts In his latest
novel are the plains OF our own Western coun-
try-scenes that he has traversed In the railway
cars and of which his impressions are necessa-
sarily hurried. incomplete, and lacking the
leisurely beauty of familiarity which has given
to his sketches Of British landscape their essen
tisl qualities of atmosphere and finish. Peca-
dilly he knows; Green Pastures he does not
know, exeept-as he has left his card for Mt.
Shasta, and dined with Denver and shaken
hands with the Serras-acasual and imper-
feet acquaintance that leaves untouched all
the fine inner traits of our noble western coun-
try. The story itself is very slisht-an excuse
for being of this chatty guide book Of the
United States; the characters are the familiar
friends, Bell and her Lieutenant, Queen Tita
and her much oppressed husband-who rattles
hisschains with such JUNCTION as to raise serious
doubts as to the strictness Of his bondage-and
very sweet woman, Lady Sylvia, who is the
heroine. Politics, both English and American
play their part in the action-our modern ro-
mances of love and doughty deeds must supply
the latter element from the combats of the DO
litlcal field, the election ia the tournament Of
to-day. Mr.. Black is somewhat confused as to
our politics-for example in a conversation of
two Americans at Saratoga the burlesque is
exceedingly funny but the points made are i'm
possible. In making these criticisms upon
Green Pastures and Piccsdilly, it remains TO be
said that it contains much charming and graph
ic writing and many subtle touches of character
in the manner of its author. but as a whole
is less artistic than his earlier works.
Among the choice gift books for the ap.
preaching holidays, Pottery and Porcelain, by
w. q. Prime, New York: Harper Brothers.
Portland: Loring Short & Harmony, is otable
for its interest and value. 1t is work which
appeals at once to the public taste, lately
turned so decidedly toward ceramic art; and is,
moreover, very complete history of the BOT
ter's work, from the first bricks moulded on the
plain of Shinae to the latest revival of antique
forms or the most commonplace red earthern
fiower-pot of our own time. An exceedingly
interesting confirmation of the history of the
Old Testament is made by the dates assigned to
the beginning Of the art of pottery in various
parts Of the world; the Chinese, for instance,
tracing its origin to B &c. 27OO-about the date
it is said, at which the descendants of Noah
might have been expected, in the course Of dis
pension of races, to have reached the Pacific
coast. Thus the most fragile of things, synom-
ymous with powerlessness and uncertainty
clay in the hands of the potter, broken in pieces
as potter's vessel-conf1rm after the passing
of ages the truths of the Mosaic writings. Per-
haps there is no more impressive way-and
certainly none more agreeable to the special
studenr-of following the history of the worlds
progress than that of noting the development
of any one art or science and its attendant cir
cumstances. Pottery is art particularly re-
ceptive of the taste and thought of its time and
whether we contemplate the massive vases Of
the Assyrians, with heavy-winged sphinxes
and straight bands or mystic figures bordering
them; the stately shapes and epic designs of
the Greeks and Romans; the grotesque pathos
Of South American pottery; the celadon and
rose, the dainty coquetries of Sevrss porcelain
the touch of its time seems to penetrate the
impressionable clay. 1t may be said, indeed.
that not the least powerful source of interest In
pottery is its connection with and resemblance
to humanity-an idea developed with breadth
and power in Mr.. Longfellow's recent poem,
Rsrdnaos. A ruder version of the same thought
may be recalled to the memory Of some of our
citizens who within the past two or three years
have entered a small pottery in one of the
streets that slope down to the water at the
western side. In the brown dusk Of the low
N IF
jars, yellow ray of sunlight creeping through
some crack or knot-aole would light up le-
gead rudely scrawled on the wall:
No handicraftsnan's art can with our art compare:
We potters make our pots of what we pottsrs are.
1t is not merely the fashionable taste for
bric-a-brac, or the mania of the collector that
this volume serves. 1t is complete history
of one of the most necessary and beautiful arts
of mankind, and one most intimately associa-
ted with the progress of civilization. Eighty
pages are devoted to facsimies of the marks
and monograms of potters and decorators, and
numerous illustrations give specimens of choice
works of all times and nations Nothing has
been neglected that could aid to render the
work complete, and 1t will be found charm
ing volume by those especially Interested In
ceramic art, and also By the general reader.
The writer, it may be said here, has ne
elected 10 speaking of the potteries of the
United States, to mention the mandatory In
our own city where the beautiful cream colored
ware is made and decorated. As Messrs. Tiffa-
ny Of New York as well as Mr.. Lowell of
Portland are agents for this ware-it is little
Singular that in so fine a handbook it should
have beensoverlooked.
Notes and Announcements.
Longfellow and Whittier will contribute
poems, each of considerable length; ITO the JAN
uary Atlantic.