The Portland daily press., 1879-08-02

|
perhaps recall the fact that the italian Ian
| guage is set at pitch several tones higher than
the reserved and limited Saxon speech. The
Italian dictionary is itself flower bloomed
above the roots of philology; and the Tuscan
tongue is apt to "call the cat puss'' with all
sorts of pretty diminutives. So much of re-
| Election upon the different spirit of the two
languages for those who can catch breath to
criticise in following the leadership of Signor
de Amicis through Partisan streets, and the
universe as represented by the Exposition.
Every page is delightful, quotable. If one tries
to select passage here and there, the difficult
ty of choice is so great that, if the whole book
cannot be transcribed, it seems little use to
| quote detached passages.
| The chapter upon Victor Hugo is admirable
The enthusiasm of Signor de Amicis for the
greatest of living Frenchmen is immeasurable.
He tells us of his desire of seeing NJ. Hugo
| face to face; of the alternate tremor and de-
| light that possessed him when he arrived at
the door of the poets house, and assembled the
stairs which led to his apartments. The maid
servant who opened to Signor de Amicis the
door of NJ. Hugo's house appeared to him like
some benefcent fairy. With the fine smile of
the true Italian Signor Ide Amicis recognizes
| that his ecstasy is q little amusing-as one
laughs to see his own happy face in mirror as
he passes by. The mingled delight and efface-
| ment in the presence of the poet is something
| with which everyone who has had the fortune
to meet some author or artist, long time his
| ideal of greatness, will know how to sympa-
thize. 1t is not surprising, even after this
| frank avoNvaI nf overnowarino afnotion in Drac
ence of NJ. Hugo, to find that Signor de Amicis
has been able to draw portrait of the French
poet which, for strength, subtlety and large
comprehension can hardly be surpassed. 1t is
not less grandly designed, not less vividly col
ored, than if the positions of artist and subject
had been reversed.
With the qualities Of M. Zola-of whom the
| next chapter treats-the author has little natu-
raj sympathy. He sees Zola at his best; and
| gives him credit for more of good intention
than is apparent in his works. The p---'0i
best known by such literary i.'sraco %
| L 4SsonlnlOtr; who published Volume, MY
Hatreds; who openly declares that the entire
public is base and to be despised-is not likely
| to work from any but selfish and bad motives.
| Nevertheless, Signor de Amicis makes re-
| fined and entertaining sketch from the un-
| promising material.
| The last chapter of the book, which follows
and may have been consequent upon-the
meeting with M. Zola, records the utter weari-
| ness that of a sudden comes over the sojourner
in Paris The enchantment vanishes; every
thing appears detestable, and-what is unpar-
donable-tiresome. Wearied, irritated, fas-
cinated repelled, enchanted and utterly bored
| 6a mi ~ oil lxxrIo ,tcit
| Paris, as they turn away from her gates they
shall cry: sob beautiful and tremendous sim
ner, absolve thee, and at the risk of the
damnation of my soul, 1 love thee!"
Readings from English History CNew York:
Harper Brothers; Portland: Loring, Short &
Harmony is admirably arranged work for
young students of history. 1t is edited by
Mr. John Richard Green, whose larger works
upon the same subject have received such thor
ough and unstinted praise for their historic
accuracy, clear and effective language, and the
life that they impart to the dry bones of his
tory. Mr.. Green understands how great is the
interest of details of common or courtly life, of
the conditions that form the gradual growth Of
national power; and that the human ties that
bind us of to-day to our forefathers of olden
times are strengthened, not by recital of how
many men fell under battleaxe and sword ON
such and such a field, but by the story of the
daily life that differed less in kind than in de-
gree, from the civilization of our own century.
The present volume is, for the most, made up
of selections from the best writers upon Eng
lish history-Bancroft, Motley, Macaulay,
Scott, Southey, Guizot Stanley, Kingsley,
Froude, are among the authors represented; !;
and the history is rendered smooth and contin-
Gus by the able work of Mr.. Green himself. 1t
is, in every respect, an admirably designed
volume, and will not fail to become classic in
its department 1t is a rare mosaic Of historic
writing, as attractive as romance and thor
oughly reliable. 1t is at once concise and
complete.
The Race for Wealth New York: Authors
Publishing Company is series of letters sup
posed to be written to each other by brother
and sister. The affectionate phrases at the
beginning and end of the documents are not
enough to take away anything of the didactic
quality of the correspondence; and the young
girl who could write such letters upon Com
munism, the Labor Reform, Prohibition, etc.,
must have been fearsome woman upon ordi-
nary occasion. Her first letter, for instance, is
upon "The labor and pain we must undergo,
and the mean or base actions we must submit
to, and commit, in order to accumulate vast
wealth." Setting aside the domestic interest
of this extraordinary series of letters-it may
be said that they contain much stilted and
wordy statement of truths which have been for
long time familiar to the public.
The Breton Mills. Ry Charles j. Bellamy.
New York. Putnam; Portland: Loring,
Short & Harmon) This is a story concerning
Labor Reform and seems to have been written
by person given to the perusal of sensational
story-papers. 1t is neither entertaining or de-
,sirable reading; the plot lacks amusement as it
does morality. One passage of the work does,
indeed, merit quotation; the description of the
apartment prepared for the heroine:
A room all as white as some cave in noun
tain of snow. The mantel of marble,
the curtains cloud-like masses of snowy lace; and
even the upholstery of the chairs and the carpet
white damask.
Opulence upon paper is, fortunately cheap, as
advocates of greenback currency and writers
of novels like the Breton Mills have discov-
cred.
Under the Bells. By Leonard Kip, author of
Enone, the Dead Marquise, etc., (New York
G. p Putnams Sons Portland: Loring, Short
& Harmony is powerful and brilliant novel of
France in the fifteenth century. The style is
elegant and romantic without any tendency to
the stilted affectations which so frequently
mars the merit of work in this department Of
fiction.
Epiphanies of the Risen Lord. By George
Dana Boardman, author of Studies in the
Creative Week, and Studies in the Model
Prayer. (New York: D. Appleton & Co..
Portland: Dresser & McLellan.) This volume
is made up of fourteen earnest and meditative
chapters upon the various appearanceIof Christ
after thecrucifxion and burial, to his disciples
1t is written with much fervor and will prove
acceptable to very many readers, especially
those who belong to DR.. Boardman's denomin-
alton.
Messrs Scribner & Wexford of New York