The Portland daily press., 1879-10-04

ceded it. For enjoyment it must be said that
the Lass O. Lowries is the more readable of
the two because most novel-readers like to
have friendly feeling for the heroine, and the
cold caprices of Rachel Ffrench give no posi-
BILE hold for liking. A scheming woman, with
precisely enough emotion to spoil her plots is
as unlovely a being as can be imagined; and
that Mrs. Burnett has succeeded in making
the portrait of this coorless, irresponsible and
heartless Rachel Ffrench, is as much dispraise
of the subject as praise of the artist. Chris
tian Murdoch, who has the qualities for n her.
oine of romance, only takes that place by i'm
plication in the closing pages of the novel.
The hero is fine, and it is a genuine relief to
the reader to understand that his faith and
usefulness were not to be spoiled by Rachel
French. Haworth is the most remarkable
character in the novel, such a man as few
women-writers could have depicted with sue
cess, and his mother in her quaint, gentle
goodness, is an angel-disguised in print gown
and check apron-imminent to save her son
for his best possibilities, and from his misdeeds.
The story is wrought with care and skill, and
is finely developed. In the traits which made
George Eliot great among novelists, Mrs. Bur-
nett shows extraordinary promise; and her
lively and fresh way of setting forth characters
by their own words and ways, gives no fear of
oyer-wise monologues and general reflections
which often and long delayed the progress OF
George Elot's stories. 1t is pleasant to think
that all the early noveettes of Mrs. Burnett
have been printed and are out of the way, and
that her readers can enjoy the genuine growth
of her talent with each fresh publication.
The Gracchi, Marius and Sulla by A. ii.
Beesly (New York: Scribners Sons; Portland;
Loring, Short & HARMONY is volume belong
ing to the Epochs of Ancient History Series,
and is written after the manner of the other
volumes of the series; that is to say, it presents
ancient history, not as bare record of battles,
but with its attendant customs of home life
and the personal interest that gives warmth to
the dry bones of chronology.
Why Miss Ingelow gave the name OF Sarah
de Berenger to her latest novel Boston: Rob
erts Brothers; Portland: Loring, Short & Har-
mon) it is not easy to say. The person of that
name who appears in its pages has perhaps as
little to do with the action of the novel as any
other character in it; and title much more
expressive of the story might have been given
to it than the name of one of its minor person
ages-Miss Braddon, for instance, who is sim
gularly fortunate in finding names for her
novels, could have invented a dozen which
would have sold the book better and have added
to the readers pleasure. Fora good name is a
good thing for man or book. 1t might, perhaps,
not have been worth while to dwell much upon
this point but that it illustrates certain lack
in Miss Jean Ingelow as a noveist-lack of
art of bookmaking. There are certain techni-
calities in every department that are useful,
and tend to success. They are suitable and
seemly, and if they are neglected, the work
seems unready for public view. In Miss Inge-
lows former novels, the lack of literary shap-
ing was more conspicuous than in this one
and it is pleasanter to speak Of a fault in pro-
cess of mending than when it seems a part of
the writer's style. Delightful as is very much of
Miss Ingeow' fiction, it is often too wordy, and
often seems as if it were written to please an
intimate circle of friends rather than for the
general reading public. Sarah de Berenger
has more distinct plot and less of the home
ish quality than her former stories; but as in
the case of the title, shows that Miss Ingelow
with all her poetic gifts, needs tostudy practical
effectiveness. The story itself is remarkable
and strongly imagined. A woman in humble
life, whose husband is convict, denies thai
she is the mother of her two little girls, but
serves them all her life long as nurse, that
they may have a place in life higher than her
poor circumstances could give to them. With
Miss Ingelow's tender and poetic way ofdealing
with such a theme, it is easy to imagine the
pathos and stifled passion of this poor woman's
life. The meeting of Hannah Dill with her
husband, and the piteous duty which con-
strains her to follow him, is scene which is
scarcely to be surpassed in its way, in modern
fiction; and the dramatic quality of the closing
scene is magnificent Miss Ingelow has many
of the highest qualities which go to make
novelist-poetic and dramatic feeling, delicate
insight and fine choice of words. 1t is only in
the mechanical qualities, so to say, that she
needs care and study, and a certain acquain
tance with the ways of the bookmaking and
book-reading world.
Another volume of Mr.. William j. Rolfe's
admirably useful and convenient edition of
Shakspeare's Plays, contains the comedy of
Twelfth Night. The notes are, as usual, in
structive, and free from the over-verbal and
bewildering quality of much of the current
comment upon Shakespeare. Each fresh vol
ume of the series gives new occasion to speak
of the excellent and practical manner in which
Mr.. Rolfe adapts his edition for school and
family reading as regards text, form and ex-
pense. New York: Harper & Brothers; Port
land Loring, Short & Harmony
To the Bureau of Education at Washington,
the PRESS is indebted for valuable volume
containing the report of the Commission for
1877. 1t notes the bad results of the financial
depression upon schools, shortening terms, re-
ducing salaries, and causing in some cases the
employment of inferior teachers. In fact
and the sooner our people realize it the better
every Greenback vote is a blow at our sys-
ten of free schools by its injury to the national
credit. The commissioner shows the relations
of education to labor and capital, and quotes
Fletcher of Saltoun in regard to the tramps
who range for food through our roads and
towns. Several questions relative to legal age
for school attendance, teachers expenditures,
etc., are discussed. Maine reports decrease
in school attendance from 1876 to 1877. The
specimens of drawing to the Centennial Expo
stion are praised. The excellent normal
schools of our State are noted-but many inn
provements have been made in these since the
date of the report; and the Normal School at
Gorham is an efficient member of the group
added to it last year. If reason be sought for
the decrease Of attendance after the year 1876
it may be suggested thus Portland, of course,
contains a large proportion of the public
schools, and at the time referred to, the de-
mands upon the time and strength of teachers
and children were very much greater than in
former years. The superintendent of the pub
lie schools of Portland at that time was Mr.. E.
Hunt, person who greatly esteemed red tape
in education; and while many of the school