The Portland daily press., 1879-08-22
Magazine Notices.

In the September number of Scribner's
Monthly Magazine the reader will fancy he
feels the first fresh winds of the new autumn
the entertaining, light reading suitable for mid
summer numbers here gives place to articles,
not less entertaining indeed, but of something
frmer fibre, setting mems minds in train for
the return to their autumn work. Sandy
Hook, a picturesque little peninsula in its own
way, is fully and effectively described by Mr.
George Houghton. The Half Noon, Henry
Hudson master-a ship which seems now
wrapped in the fog of legend-was the first on
record to touch the shore of Sandy Hook; and
extracts from the journal of Robert Juet of the
Half Noon are in quaint contrast with the log
book of sailors Of these times, who steer for
Sandy Hook in the rays of the great beacons
that stud the long sand-strip These light
houses and the telegraphic arrangements are
fully described; and the article closes grace
fully with honorable mention of Dickie, the
carrier pigeon that was accustomed to carry
news from steamers to the office of the West
ern Union Telegraph Company. Dickie's
occupation is gone-he was superseded by the
Atlantic Cable! The illustrations by Mr.. f.
S. Church are effective and well engraved
Mr.. Hialmar Hjorth Boyesen writes valua
BILE and well considered article upon the U nj
versity of Rome which gives clear and liber-
al view of the system and progress of edu-
cation in Italy. The illustr ations (portraits) are
good Mr. Henry James contributes chapters
Ill and ~ Of his Confidence; unlike the
usual serial novel, it does not contain an event
or development in each monthly installment
but moves on at an imperceptible pace. Mrs.
Burnett's Haworth's reaches its ffty-frst chap
ter, and viii be concluded in the October Scrib-
ner Mr.. Herbert II. Smiths fourth paper on
Brazil, An American Home ON the Amazon, is
especially interesting, and the illustrations of
tropical scenes, notably of trees, are well exc
cuted. Four-leaf Clover is a short poem which
makes padding for a page with a comicaly
poor illustration. Signs and Symbols by Mr..
f. b. Mayer, is not mystical essay, but q
curious and agreeable account of the origin OF
obiect-advertising, that is to say of inn-sgns,
tobacco-shop figures, barber's poles and the
three gold balls of the pawnbroker-which
have the same relation to legitimate advertis-
ing in newspapers that the picture-writing OF
early civilization bears to the prnting-press.
Text and illustrations are alike lively and well
imagined. Mrs. Constance Cary Harrison
gives an excellent historical paper, My Lord
Fairfax of Virginia, for which some of the cuts
are lent by Mcmillan OF Landon. Mrs. Mary
Ainge de We're sings gracefully of a mother
who laments that her boy is old enough to be
married. and that mothcr-in-lawness is to be
thrust upon her. Mr.. L. X. Lounsbury writes
upon English Spelling and Spelling Reform.
and attacks the stronghold of photography by
declaring that dictionaries destroy, instead of
preserving, the roots and derivations of Ian
guage. It's to be hoped that Worcester and
Webster will bear up under Prof. Lounsburys
sarcasms.' Mr.. VIM. G. Brownell writes of the
Art Schools Of Philadelphia of which the system
OF education appears ovor-technical, and want
ing in sense of beauty and freedom of art.
The Illustrations by pupils of the school are
correctly designed, for the most, but are unat-
tractive, and the faces and figures tend toward
grotesqueness, so much does play and pose OF
muscle and bone take the place of expression
and liveliness Mrs Mary Hallock Foote's
Story of the Dry Season is admirable; possess
ing the point, grace and finish OF her charming
manner as an illustrator Miss Kate Fields
account of Mr.. w. S. Gilbert is very attractive
though one feels little surprise that his
handsome portrait does not represent him as
wearing Pinafore. The Documents in the
Case is an unique and expressive story by
Messrs j. B. Matthews and III. C. Bunner-
the best thing about it is the lively initiative
talent OF the latter gentleman, who is already
noted for his amusing handling Of bdttddeS,
rondedu6, etc., in the parodist's vein. Several
poems by different writer's are tolerably good.
Dr. Holland speaks small part of the truth,
and by no means the best part, in regard to
newspapers writes fairly well of European
travel; and with more apparent than real
practically in the paragraph Write 1T Your
self. The various editorial departments are
managed excellently, as usual; and as whole,
this number of Scribner's touches its high
level of merit