The Portland daily press., 1878-03-30


and self conscious ambitions, seems like tan
gle of flowers and babel of birds. It wasa
seedtime suddenly breaking into full bloom;
and the singers of to-day, learning again the
rich music of words of the early minstrels.
look back with longing at the brillisnce and
beauty of the early day of English literature
portland: Loring, Short g. Harmony.
David's Little Lad by 7. L. Meade, is anoth
er volume of the Messrs. Harper's Half Hour
Series, portland: Loring, Short & Harmony.
1t is story of the Welsh mines. written in q
quiet, but not weak, manner. 1t is q simple
story, aboundlng in real pathos, and with a
decided though not too prominent religious
tone. The final chapters are exceedingly
graphic and striking.
Messrs. Putnam: New York, Portland: Lor-
ing, Short & Harmony supplement their vol
ume for library reference, THE Best Read
ing" with quarterly volume entitled Put
MANS Library Companion. 1t Is designed to
keep the reader informed of the current publi-
cations and to assist in the selection of books.
The name of the publishers guarantees Its re-
liable taste, and suitability to its purpose.
Messrs. Harper Brothers add to their series
Of Greek and Latin Texts, Platonis Dialogi
Unpublished in the convenient size and
strong. neat binding of this well-desgned edi-
ton of classics for the use of students. Port
land: Lorng, Short and HARMONY
Notes and Announcements.
M. Renan is about to bring out the sixth
volume of his "Histoire du Christianisme"
under the title of "LEglise."
Russia and Siberia furnish the scenes OF the
new volume of Mr.. Longfellow's Poems of
Places which will be continued to cover Syria,
Persia land other parts of Asia), Africa and
lastly of America.
Another book on the current theological dis
cussions, by the Rev. L. T. Townsend, entitled
The intermediate World, will be issued by
Lee & Shepard. 1t treats the question of a
transition state after death before the judg-
ment
The Rev. Joseph Cook is good advertising
medium. however critics may differ as to the
merits of his science. Since the publ'cstion of
his brief catalogue of bsst novels, Richter's
Titan, as the publishers state, has increased
10 sales six-fold.
Mrs. MULCH Craik has written and edited,
for early publication book which describes, it
is said, the incidents of very touching and in
teresting life. A Legacy; being tbs Life and
Remains of John Martin, Schoolmaster and
Poet, is the title of the book
An important treatise, from the army point
of view, on Oar Indian Population; or, How
Shall we Treat the Red Man, is in press by
% IN Of
Colonel G. s. Otis, United States Army, who
has had wide experience on the plains. He
enters at length into the facts and figures
which show that the Indian population Is not
decreasing, and insists that the treaty policy
must be given up in view Of the permanency
of the Indian problem.
Mr.. Benson ]. LOSING has arranged with
Harper & Brothers for the publication of an
other important work, on the preparation of
which he has been long engaged. 1t is
Cyclopedia of American History, which will
include brief sketches of all important events in
the history of the United States, and cover
period extending from land including) the abo-
riginal period and the discovery of America to
the end OF the Centennial year. July 4, 1876 It
will also include brief biographical notices of
the most prominent actors in those events.
The work will be illustrated with geographical
maps and typographical plans.
The author of That Lass O. Lowries Ia the
subject of pleasant and probably truthful Cos
sip in the Cincinnati Commercial. Frances
Hodgson was born in Manchester, England,
not yet 30 years ago; her father died when she
was five years old, and left her mother with a
young family to take care Of The future noy-
elst learned Lancashire dialect in the streets of
Manchester, and not in the mining regions, for
she has never seen mine. She was Is when
the family crossed the water, at the invitation
OF an uncle, who was plunged in business re-
verses when they arrived, and they had to get
along In the strange country as best they could
They went to Knoxville, Tenn, and Mrs. Bur-
The important series of short books on Eng
lish Men of Letters, edited by John Morley,
will be published in this country by. Messrs
Harper & Brothers. They are intended to
satisfy the public by giving in popular style
scholarly view of the life, character and works
of great English writer's The plan already in.
cludes monographs on johnson, by Leslie
Stephen; Spenser, by the Dean Of st. Paul's;
Bunyau, by Mr.. Froude; Milton, by Mark
Pattison; Wordsworth, by Professor Goodwin
SAAsu, o"ihVt W ooua AhAOfioyJ DIEusy Dy q
fellow-countryman, Principal Sharp; Scott by
r. H. Hutton; Shelley, by j A. Symonds;
Gibbon, by j. O. Morrison; and Goldsmith, by
William Black. Others are yet to be arranged
for.
nett who could read at three years of age, wrote
stories at sixteen to while away che time for
her mother and sister, who couldn't dress we'll
enough to go int0 society. Her first published
story was Miss Carruthsr's Engsgement, aud
her sister earned the postage money to send il
off by picking blackberries. The editor of
Godey's Lads's Book asked her if it was origi-
nal. She sat down in fury and wrote another
story. The editor took both and paid ber S35
This experience with her first story was re-.
peated with the first she sent to Scribner's, the
editor doubling the originality of a story so COM
plete and well-written from a writer he had
never heard ot-for ladies' magazines do not
introduce authors to literature. Mrs Burnett
has since been able tolconvince Mr. Glider and
the rest OF us that she is original She is also
That Lass O. Lowre's, which reads as if con-
ceived by the author in a succession of vivid
dramatic scenes. This theory is confirmed bs the
entry from her note book-quoted by this
friendly gossipper: 30 O'Clock A. NJ, Japuary
21, 1873. The first thought of my Hext book has
been born. was not thinking of it; 1t came Of
itself, as IL living creature had suddenly
opened the door silent before me-" Mrs. Bur-
netts husband, DR. s. NJ. Burnett, is an occu-
list; they live in Washington, and have two
boys, Lionel and Vivian the Oldest not yet four,
She IS as good housekeeper as q writer; with
q sunny temper, rather low stature, black
hair and frank, winning face.
Mopozsua NnfSaac