The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1878-07-20
Recent Publications.

sA0 N'AS ~aN AsOhoAy ACAdAud VI OOuu MdfLlQ.
which she has recently edited. A sadder
work can scarcely be imagined than the gath
ering together of these literary fragments that
are the token of dreary life whose short
space was filled with aspiration and desire
that were unfulflled, and whose physical exis.
tence was darkened by want, disease and
death. John Martin was born and bred in
East London, among scenes of misery of which
few can have an adequate impression; and BY
force OF his extreme wish to improve, fitted
himself to become an assistant master in one
of the schools of that vicinity. Here his energy
and ambition, and the good character which he
had kept stainless in the midst of crime en-
listed the sympathy of gentleman who intro
duced John Martin to Mrs. Muloch- Craik The
ardent wish of the young man was to become a
poet, and it is pathetic to read of his repeated
attempts in that line, sending the poems for
Mrs. Craik's judgment, and each time receiy-
ing the advice, phrased as gently as might be,
to wait and study longer before risking
publication. These counsels John Martin read
with sad smile, for long waiting he knew
was not for him; and his one desire was to
speak for the worlds hearing before he died.
His poems from which selections appear in the
memorial volume, contain some striking lines,
and have touches of sudden force, together
with much that is commonplace and unpoeti-
cal. He had read overmuch for grace of ak
pression-and yet only in reading was it tha
he could meet with any beauty of thought or
OF imagination, shut in as he was by the
crowded wretcbedness of London. The prose
writings OF John Martin are extremely thought.
fol and show his faithful reading of many
standard authors That he possessed talent is
undeniable, but the unfortunate and unhealthful
tona of his mind, derived in large degree from
Circumstance, would have barred his success.
Moreover there was by nature q grim, hard
quality in his thought that reminds the read
er of the old English dramatlsts, of Webster
and his contemporaries. Yet this was not the
only conspicuous trait in his writing-it is easv
to recognize in it the struggles of patient and
trustful, il not hopeful soul. 1t is in manv
respects painful task to read this book. but
nna nannnt hnt feel that poor John Martin.
somewhere, set free from his sorrows, and
things made clear 10 his eyes, takes pleasure
10 knowing that his dead mouth speaks and
that he has taken, though passed from among
them, place in the ranks of the singers
New York; Harper Brothers; Portland: Lor-
ing, Short s. Harmony
Etiquette is the title-a little alarming in
these hot days when "ease afore elegance" is
the avowed aim of mankind-of a neatly exc
cuted volume, written by Mrs, H. o. Ward,
and published by Porter & Coates, Philadel-
phia; cortland: Loring, Short & Harmony
Mrs. Ward is evidently conversant with and
has fortified herself by numerous authorities
upon the subject of etiquette, and the result
will be found useful. So many formalitles
must always exist in society, with regard to the
leaving and sending of cards, invitations &c.
and as to visits of ceremony or fashionable
social intercourse, that book of this kind is
often of much assistance. Mrs. Ward very
sensibly omits the minute and special direc.
tions for behavior with which Miss Leslie and
other writers upon etiquette have insulted the
understanding of their readers, by appearing
to imagine that nursery and general home dis
cipline and decent manners were unknown to
the public There is usually tendency to
diate upon subjects in general and Philadel.
phia in particular, in the writings that origin
ate in that city-it is a leisurely place
with time before it, and has much satisfaction
in itself. So, whoever is in haste to know
some special point of etiquette will be Obliged
to turn over swiftly many pages about the
sphere of woman, Christian graces and the
superiority of Philadelphia to New York. But
Mrs. Ward deserves credit for a hightoned
book well adapted to assist those who are-and
who is not among them-desirous of acting
suitably 10 social affairs
Shooting Stars is the name of volume of
collected humorous sketches which originally
appeared in the New York Times Many of
these are genuinely comic not relying upon
bad spelling or capricious grammar The style
is, on the contrary, good and is unobjectionable
in its tone. 1t is the nonsense of gentleman;
and if not always very laughable. is we'll writ
ten and well intended. But volume all COM
pact of the comic is rather serious reading un-
less it may be taken in.small doses. The Slip
per Report is capital burlesque. Popular
Electricity is good-quite in the manner of M.
Verne, with its preposterous application of
scientific laws. The Periodicity of Stories is
also good chapter. The book is much better
than the average of newspaper wit, and its
occasional over-elaboration is better than the
eternal epic of the stovepipe or the stray goat
that the realistic school of paragraphers have
made so wearisome. New York: G.. P. Put
nam's Sons; Portland: Loring, Short & Har-
mon.)
In the franklin Square Library of Fiction
(New York: Harper Bros. Portland: Loripg,
Short q n,,bI had kuyo
umes. Christine Brownlie's Ordeal is a charm
ing and refined story by Mary Patrick, author
of Marjorie Bruce's Lovers. 1t is very bright,
full of variety and sparkle, and is admirable in
tone. II may be fully recommended as
whole, though some of the griefs that beset the
heroine might have been avoided by frankness
and good sense. But if the heroine's mind
chad been stronger the story had been''-not
so long or the change from misery to joy so i
marked. A Beautiful Woman is preposter-
ously foolish story. 1t must have been written
by a very young person who had read novels OF
high life and was sentimental to the last de-
gree. 1t would take too much space to note
the most conspicous absurdities of the book.
Any one who has nothing better to do than to
read it, will have no difficulty in discovering
them.
Greek Viguettes is the narrative of sail in
the Greek seas, written by James Albert Harri-
son and published by Messrs. Houghton &
Osgood, Boston portland: Loring, Short &
Harmony 1t is evidently written with Ger.
tain degree Of haste, together with detail of
Imagination and description. The authors
style is brilliant uneoual lacking somewhat
the sense of proportion. He is as likely to go
into raptures over we'll cooked breakfast as
over the golden Grecian skies-and with much
the same vocabulary. Irresponsible, faulty,
poetic, at times exquisite in its fortunate
phrases, the book is eminently readable and
often charming. Under the shade of our