The Portland daily press., 1877-04-21
Magazine Notices.

Sers6ner has several seasonable papers on
nome life, indoors and out. The most promi-
nent OF these is perhaps Colonel Warnings dis
cusslon OF the organization and work Of Vii
lage improvement Associations, in the course
OF which he gives draft of bylaws which he
recommends as of great working value. Colonel
Waring gives sketch of the Stockbridpe.
Massachusetts, Association and goes into the
details of sidewalk and road making and the
village water supply. Supplemeniing this, In
the Home and Society department, are direc-
tions on Transplanting, by P. T. Quinn. One
way to spend the Summer in the Country, in
the same department, relates the experience Of
lady in maintaining country home in sim
pie way near one of the large cities. In closing
his series on House-Furnishing, Mr.. Clarence
Cook makes plea for individuality of living,
and claims that care and taste are needed more
than wealth to make beautiful home, Other
illustrated papers deal with Smiths College.
Northampton, Mass, the only institution for
women, it Is said, where Greek is test OF ad
mission; Sea-Trout Fishing along tributary
OF the st. Lawrence. is by A. r. Macdonough;
and Greece and the Greek Museums, from Mr..
Mahaffy' s recent volume, is by John Arbuckle.
There is also paper of "reminiscences of
Washington, from unpublished family records.
In Nicholas Minturn Dr. Holland gives a dag
nosis of the dead-beat contagion. The other
serial, That Lass O. Lowrie's by Mrs. Burnett,
is brought to close. This writer has also in
this number short story, entitled Emeralds,
containing some North Carolina dialect. John
Burroughs tells an ''o'er true tale" of A Lon
don Adventure with confidence men. Besides
the humorous verse in the Brio a-Brac depart
ment there are poems by Sidney Lanier, Emma
Lazarus. and r. 81. Stoddard.
st. Nicholas for May is as fine number Of a
children's magazine as heart could wish for.
John &. Whittier furnishes the opening poem
entitled Red Ridng-Hood, A charming letter
from Charles Dickens in exact facsimile of
the great novelist's own hand writing, is given
near the beginning, and Mr.. Donald G. Mitch
ellis stirring and splendidly illustrated talk
about Ivanboe, will fire the hearts of all the
boy lovers of Sir Walter Scott. SAKE Holm
contributes long story, The First Time, Illus
trated by.Eytinge; there is fine fairy story,
with pictures by Alfred Frederics; and the
lively narrative of The Discontinued Dowager
contains two of the very best pictures that
Eytinge has ever drawn.
Sidney Lanier is represented by an Oriental
story. showily illustrated by Mr.. Benson. A
store of funny things is also given us in Eliza
beth Stuart Phelps story of Trotty's Lecture
Bureau, the poem of Flffuy and Snuffy, illur-
trated by Addie Ledyard. and The Sad story of
Hippyty-Hop, with comical pictures by Hop
kins -
DR.. j. G. Holland has talk with big boys;
Prof. Richard A. Proctor's Stars in May gives
us pleasing glimpse of the wonders of science;
Mrs. Mary Treats Florida Fishers touches
on the wonders of Natural History; and Frank
r. Stockton's Sleeping Courier is q description
of novel scene in an Eastern desert.
The May number of Potter's american
Monthly leads off with an article on The Mon
umental City-Baltimore Old and New,"by
William Fl. Thorne; followed by very instruo-
tive paper on Stained Glass by Charles Stokes
Wayne; and How Things Move, by Mary
Granger Chase. We notice the fourth paper of
Rev. DR.. Blackwood, on Early Christian, Ro-
man and Byzantine Architecture as seen in the
Religious Edifces of the World. Mr. A. E.
Lancaster's facile pen furnishes a fourth paper
On The American Drama-its Successes and
Failures These are followed by the Shadow
of Strength, by Will Willis; Cotton Spinning
(Part II ),by Emma L. Plimpton; The Myste-
rious Box; Mental Excursions; In the Light,
by Mrs. L. S. Mcpherson; The Fair Patriot of
the Revolution; Wooed and Married. Poem;
A Chat About the Doctor; Life with Kiss-a
Historical Incident, by Mrs. E. E. Elicit, and
Poem, Footsteps at the Door.
The departments of Notes and Queries, Cur
rent Memoranda, Literature and Art, Science
and Mechanics, Gossip and Note Book. are re-
plete with original and selected matter, touch
ing upon the Ancient Order Of Rechabites,
Prophecies on Sneezing, The Hawaiian Lam
guage. The Open Polar Sea, The Cabinet Body
Guards, The Domain of Literature, Heather
Mythology. John E. Potter 8 Co., Philadel-