The Portland daily press., 1878-10-12
Recent Publications.

AsOSOhb
An exceedingly elegant as we'll as valaabl
volume upon the Ceramic Art, Is written b
Jennie j. Young New York: Harper & Brott
ers; Portland: Loring, Short & Hsrmop) ]
is a large, well designed and full history of tb
progress OF the art of pottery and is notably we
arranged for special reference in regard to the
rious branches of ceramics as we'll as in its qua
ity of record of the art as a whole. Many er
cravings illustrate the shapes and decoration
of pottery of all times and nationalities. Th
contrasts between the various styles are stril
ing and will repay study. These illustration
are taken from specimens included in America
collections; and credit is given to the severs
owners, in the index. It is pleasant to see on
Portlsnd pottery establishment upon the lis
OF the principal art-potteries of the country
and its work described as follows: ''The Port
land terra.cotta is well known both for excel
lence of body and beauty of shape. Th
paste is unusually fine and close in textur
aad is excellent under the brush" 1t is q littl
unhattering to the boas;ed progress of moderr
times to observe how sef-cooscious and ineffect
i've appear many Of the designs of our owl
time compared to those of old nations that W,
consider to have existed in ths shadows of bar
barism. Compare for example, the plate
painted by Mr.. John NJ. FAlcouer Zig. 46l
with the rudest attempt at plastic art of the
mound-builders. The prehistoric men OF Amer
lea possessed a degree of fancy; in their gro
tesque attempts there existed at least the vital
germs OF spirit and sense of form Tae erecu-
ton was precisely upon tae level of the de-
sight had the dignity of congruity, Of being
an honest effort to initiate nature as the work.
man saw it. Then look at the essential funk
eyism of the design Fig. 461, the cockney pail
tripping through perspective to a neat little
church, and dougby Cupid, with a box of
wedding cake and the cards of the bride and
groom tied to it, lowering heavily above the
scene. 1t is extraordinary that this design
which Jeames Yellowplush might have origin
ated in some fortunate moment, is included in
volume, usually SO well illustrated; and
stranger till that Mrs. Young, whose descrip-
tions are. commonly, appreciative and intell-
gent, should have found no words of blame
for work of such comically bad TASTE To
those interested In ceramic art, who do not
possess the works of Prime and Others, this
volume is to be recommended as a foil and
interesting treatise; and those whose pleasure
in the subject is already stimulated by the pos
session of standard handbooks will Fl I'D it a
very desirable addition to their libraries.
All Around the House, is the title of o
manual of housekeeping, written by Mrs.
Henry Ward Beecher, New York: D. Apple
ton & Co; Portland: Dresser & Mcclellan. }
1t contains some good suggestions, but these
are mostly of a kind already familiar to. tarsuu
keepers: and the genaEs1r Is at once heavy,
indicat4fbhed aud = extraordinary. For in
admitting that there are those
who may consider the practice "ungenteel-"
Mrs. Bsecher recommends that the lady Of the
house scrape the plates, ETC., at the table, set
ling aside such fragments as are suitable to fu-
,ure use, and depositing the rejected debris in a
srge dish kept for the purpose! Meanwhile,
he waiter is placing the knives and forks
which have been used, in a tin pail! The mis-
ress utiiizes the time in collecting the table,
mats, and folding ''towels." Apropos of table
Ms. Beecher says one should not ad-
ast the hair, cut the nails or yawn at table.
Persons who need similar hints will find profit
in Mrs. BeecheI's volume.
Lessons in Cookery Nav York: d. Appleton
hand book of dom astic receipts, arranged by
he Instructors Of the Cooking School at South
zensiDgtop, London. 1t differs from most
,ook-books in thu careful manner of its direc-
ions. Every step OF the process 70 set forth SO
hat the most inexperienced couk will not be
puzzled as to the order in which ingredients are
to be added, or the precise manner in which the
,ookiag is to be be done. Many of the receipts
themselves seem more suited to English ways
Of living than to American needs-but the
practical po wer of cooking that will result from
she use OF the volume will enable the house,
keeper to select and adapt receipts according to
he wants of the family for which she provides.
An essay upon the Principles of Diet, by
Thomas K. Chambers, NJ. D., is a valuable bus
appendix to the volume.
A volume Of lessons in Grammar, by the
Head Master of the City of London School,
Rev. Edwin A. Abbott-is entitled How TO
Parse, and if the grammatical rules Of speech
,ln ever become other than the rafting OF its
Try bones, work so philosophical, minute and
,lear as is this treatise will effect the purpose.
rhe binding is bright aud tasteful, so that the
young students natural dislike to the
grammar Of com mmerce with its its fun,real
binding and dismal contents has, no room to
flourish.
Guy Livingstone one of the first of sensa-
tioual society novels of the muscular.sentiment-
al school, is reprinted in Messrs. Harper's
franklin Square Library Series, portland:
Loring, Short & Harmony. A lamb in the
boudolr, lion at the club, was Guy Living
stones aud the record Of his career is novelex-
citing, uuwholesome and trifs absurd. When
the story was first printed,it might have seemed
Ike the brilliant record Of fashionable life; but
time and many limitations have tarnished its
lustre-wbch was always of the foo.lights.
A new volume Of Messrs. Harper's Library
of American Fiction portland: Loring, Short
& Harmony is story written By Mrs A. E.
Porter aud entitled Cousin Polls's Gold Mine
1t is wholesome New England story written
10 an unaffected and pleasant STYLE NJ series
of novels is more uniformly agreeable, varied
and thoroughly to be recommended than.
Messrs. Harpes's Library of Amelic IN Fiction.
Messrs. Roberts: Boston, Portland: Loring
Short g. Harmony add two volumes of selec-
tions from the Apocrypha to their Wisdom
Series. The small size and good type of these
volumes add to the readers pleasure in their
valuable contents.
Notes aud Announcements.
Kaulbach's pictures Of the female characters
in Goethe's works will be among the heiotypes
in the "Goethe Gallery" holiday book which
Houghton, Osgood & Co. have in preparation.
The neatest dedication on record was written
by Mary Cowden Clarke, aud runs as follows
''To Douglas Jerrold, the first wit of the pres
ent age, these Proverbs of Shakespeare, the
first wit of any age, are inscribed by Mary
Cowden Clarke, of certain age and no wit at
ALL"
st. Nicholas for November will contsin a
long article aud two poems over the names of
Mrs. Mary Mapes Dodge, the editor, who has