The Portland daily press., 1878-08-10
Recent Publications.

possession of the brain, and lacking the finer
instincts and reserves Of genuine passion
while intellectual culture md New England
coldness have kept it at certain height of
literary merit. 1t has pallor and delicacy
that seem bloodless and fibreless; and if there
be occasionally something that resembles real
sentiment it is only as the prismatic colors of
light may be reflected in an icicle. The sufi-
cient proof of the want of womanly passion and
sentiment in Mrs. Rollins poems is the lavish
display of the brain emotions and womanish
sentimentality that are offered in their stead.
The poems are the outcome of some domestic
felicities upon which q review would have no
right to intrude by any reference, save that
they ara so constantly referred to. and so
plainly in the volume. In reading The Ring
OF Amethyst one feels a continual sense of be-
ing Third party to the sentimental passages of
people in whom he has but the vague, imper-
sonal interest of general benevolence, and, be-
cause he has Paul Pry-ness thrust upon him,
feels certain righteous anger in the situation.
Miss Alice Wellington, before Mr.. Rollins pur-
chased any amethyst rings for her wearing,
was accustomed to write rather heavy analyti-
cal essays upon George Eliot and her works,
which-considering that the great novelist is
accustomed to annotate and expound at consid.
erable length as..she goes-was unnecessary but
harmless Many young woman 10 Massa-
chusetts has views upon Daniel Deronda; it is
part OF the charter of that State that one may
discuss the rhapsodies of Mordecai with CORES
ponding prolixity and live-and if the Chris.
tian Register or any other journal print the
essays, paying for the same, it is well. Most
writers in some shape or another have to SOW
their wild oats. Literary wild oats are a sinless
crop. for the most; they shoot up, greenly and
ambitiously, and ripen to nodding and heavy
headed harvest. But there is something ex-
ceedingly disagreeable in the spectacle of
woman's poems that take on the speech and
attitudes of passion without the least of its
attributes-even the reserve that, wells it and
holds it apart from common touch. AT pres
ent it is Mrs. Alice Wellington Rollins fancy
to pose herself 10 the manner of Mrs. Brown
ing. The latter was woman of rare poetic gifts
and the gods have not made Mrs. Rollins
poetical; Mrs. Browning's life belonged more of
right to the world, because, poetess she was
the wife of poet, aud each had established
AAsSA"Ay AoAAo. QlsEcopeCb W NLE IOl-
Inns, the PRESS has not as yet received any vol
ume from his pen, or other demonstrated proof
OF his existence. Mrs. Browniug's genius was
like the inspiration of an ancient priestess, it
seized her and compelled her to mystic utter
ances. Occasionally the contortions of the sibyl
might ba noted, but were overlooked n the fer
vid beauty of her poetic speech. Mrs. Rollins
seems to have partaken Of laug hing-gas, mod
ern substitute for the fumss of the Pythian
grotto, and affords comic spectacle to an un-
sympathizing audience. Perhaps the first
requisite for poet is sense of the ridiculous
that will teach him what not to say, and it is
comparatively easy to acquire the art of saying
something. 1t is both absurd and painful to
see the entire unreserve with which a woman
can write of feelings which they weak or
powerful, for not all are equally endowed with
capacity for great passion-should be the most
sacred, and reserved for herself aud for those
for whom they exist O.her women will feel
embarrassment and pity for this mental uure.
serve that is possible to woman of the high
moyal and Intellectual worth that Mrs. Rollins
evidently possesses. In the first sonnet she
dedicates her ring to George Eliot (Which must
be surprise to Mr.. Rollins) and offers to let
her try it on, after thirteen lines of the cauoni-
cal fourteen have gone to prove that George
Eliot doesn't care much for jswelry. Next
comes sonnet to Mr.. Rlllins, in which the
poetess fatty declares that shs would not
change her ring for laurels, but hopes to COM
pass both by diligence and application to busi-
ness. The reader cannot bat feel solicitude for
Mr.. Rollins and hope that he will remember
that the public are likely to become acquainted
with his domestic life, and that he shall speak
gently when his supper is late or his buttons
require sewing. He lives in glass house.
Next we find a sonnet to the critic. Critics, as
class, do not have much poetry written to
them in their official capacity. Mrs. Rollins
says she is unable to pour for us any classic
wine such as they had when the "world was
new and only poets wrote" for which vigor.
ously imaginative touch she deserves great
credit That must have been indeed the golden
age for critics. Mrs. Rollins adds that the
reason that the wine is not better is that her
"cup Is trimmed with amethyst" The apology
is accepted. But the next sonaet. To the
Reader. is fairly subject for resentment. 1t is
headed Narcissus, and intimates that VIII atever
the reader finds in the book that is true to hu-
man nature and to the needs of the heart re-
fleets, not Mira. Rollins face, bat his own. 1t
is, however, unlikely that any reader will rec
ogniza himself or herself in the mirror of these
poems. Next is a sonnet to the book itself, in
which Mrs. Rollins states that even should her
book be noticed uniavorably, Mr. Rollins will
love her as before. 1t ia likely that Mr.. Rolling
will have frequent opportunity for the exercise
of this excellent trait OF fidelity. In two con-
trasting poems Mrs. Rollins tells the world
what her heart was like. Next follows study,
in the manner of George Eliot, minute and
tedious, closing unmusically thus:
Lives which have the cool and temperate flow
Ofhe althtul purpose in their veins, will seem
Peculiar
The comic ring of the last adjective is fine
through uuintentional burlesqus. Brutus at
Philppi is pedantic of too painstaking fancy,
and in the self conscious manner of nine.
teenth century philosopher. A poem TO H. H.
states that Mr. Rollins offered himself quite
suddenly. A Face il another slow painstaking
and ineffective study. A poem on Sumner con-
tains some very excellent lines but is not sus-
tanned and has tendency to bombast about
Massachusetts,. Rue with Difference is a
pettish youre another argument in which Mrs.
Rollins pleads that men are as curious as wom-
en-, but are sly and don't show their curiosity.
There is a class of women, usually those who
are not individually fond of their sister women,
who ara forever battling for Woman with a
capital W, aud appear to think man as the en-
emy to be routed horse and foot if he claim,
even by the indirect means of displaying them,
any good qualities whatever. Some women
again, feel no special call to defence, being Sc
cure of their rights and privileges because of
their own worth and that of other women, the
justice and generosity of men, and their mu-
tual interests. A young person whose pet
name was May, is elaborately complimented in
sonnet in which Mrs. Rollins says that "the
wealth Of possibilities" hinted at in the name,
is the reason of her liking it. for a little
sweet unreason, for wearsome woman is she
who makes puns about subjunctive moods of
verbs, and loves with her head, and gives click
ing kisses with the nib Of her pen. Cycles is
graceful little poem. Trust is another heavily
analstc poem. With Violin is thoughtful
and delicate. Reserve is bombastic ami cold,