The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1879-08-16
Recent Publications.

horn, to the Democrats.
Recent Publications.
A Ragged Register (New York: Harper &
Brothers; Portland: Loring, Short & Harmony
is the title of book of rambling "reminiscences
written by Miss Anna Dickinson. "Smart'' is
the popular adjective that might fairly be ap-
piled to the volume; it is not especially witty
OF brilliant, and it leaves no heightened i'm
preston of the literary taste of the author. II
is easy, sharp, and off-hand; with large pro-
portion of the shrewish and aggressive quality
which Miss Dickinson displays upon the plat
FORM There seems an affectation of mannish-
ness which is not attractive; but beneath va
riety of lacks and lapses of style, it is easy to
recognize the sincere good-beartedness and ire
quent good sense of the writer. Some jokes
which occur in the volume were originally
carved in the old red sandstone by the ances-
tors of Joseph Miller, and were not considered
especially funny or in the best taste at tha'
time. A large portion of the work is given up
to minute delineation of the manner in which
Miss Dickinson disposed of various more or less
well-meaning bores that beset her. She de-
scribes scenery with some power and originality,
and is quick and vivid i'll sketching the salient
points of landscape. In brief, Miss Dickinson's
Ragged Register is, as might be expected, a
curiously compounded mixture of fun-honest
though not of the finest quality-shrewishness,
bluff common sense, and much strenuous con-
viction. 1t is an exceedingly readable book;
and a precise place in literature need not be
given it.
Messrs. Harper of New York publish Othel-
10 in the course of their edition of Shakspeare's
Plays adapted by Mr.. William J. Rolfe for use
in schools and families. The edition deserves
praise in every respect; its compact and con-
venient size, clear type and fine paper, neat
binding and lettering are in Messrs. Harper's
usual good taste. Mr.. Rolfe is doing his work
admirably; his selections of critical passages,
and his notes explanatory of the text, are not
oyer-nice and over-wlse as is the wont OF
Shakspearian comment, but are such as to aid
very effectively the student of the great dra-
mas. PORTLAND: Loring, Short & Harmon
HOLIDAYS in Eastern France, by M. Betham-
Edwards (New York: Harper & Brothers.
Portland: Loring, Short & Harmony is pleas
ant description of part of France usually lett
out of the tourists route of travel. The pas
toral valley of the Marine is taken as the start
ing-point of the journey. One of the first OBJ
iects of interest visited was the superb chateau
of the Rothschilds; and Mrs. Edwards de-
scribes the rich decorations with enthusiasm
and effect, particularly series OF hangings
painted upon Cordovan leather-a species OF
art-work upon which she quotes some very In
teresting notes from a treatise by Barn Davii-
lier Another interesting locality was the
Chocolate City, founded and maintained by
the well-known M. Menier. His studies OF
village economy must have been profound to
enable him to establish such an ideal commu-
nifty as this of which he seems to take the most
minute and kindly care. The antiquities, lett
after the ancient Roman occupancy OF France,
share the writer's attention with details OF
modern family life, clear-starching, cheese
making, and manufacture OF watches and Jew
elry Mrs. Edwards gives brief but exceed
ingly interesting account of the pottery at
Mans, two hundred years old. where is made a
brilliant and highly ornamented Jaience with
creamy glaze. The brightness and attractive
ness of French towns evidently impressed the
writer-in fact each several village is described
as being "airily and coquettishly perched,' a
phrase to which the reader becomes more than
accustomed by repetition. 1t is at least ungra-
cious and lack of good taste in Mrs Ed
wards to comment so harshly and with need
less frequency upon the Religious beliefs OF the
people whose kindness and hospitality to her.
self she records in the same pages. Polemc
differences are not entertaining or useful in a
slight and prettily sketched journal of travel
like this.
An entertaining description is that which
the writer gives of the carvings in wood, ivory,
horn, etc., done at st. Claude. One artist,
young man. could earn but five francs day,
carving each day two dozen pipes i'll vine-
leaves, flowers, arabesques, at the fancy OF the
moment. The red wood used for the brier-
wood pipes, Mrs. Edwards says, is the root OF a
heath (bruyere) which is common in the Pyre-
nees has ne .ther taste nor odor, and is peculiar
in it's resistance to heat. The beautiful church
of Bron is described in detail. Some notes as
to the history and geography, routes, notable
places, etc., of Eastern France form useful
little appendix.
Another volume of the Half Hour Series is
Colonel Hamley's fresh and muscular story,
Wassail, hearty and we'll written sketch of
English farm life.
In the Franklin Square series OF novels,
Messrs. Harper have recently published Dorcas,
an original and graceful story by Mrs Georgi-
ana MI Craik, which, opening well. develops
into very charming novel and is worth read
ing Another of the same series is the Green
Hand sea story by Mr.. George Cuppes. IL
is breezy, and full of nautical terms and adven-
lures of the sea, but is here and there rather
needlessly coarse. Another of the Franklin
SQUARE novels is Mrs. Mary Patrick's well
written and in every way readable story, Mr.:
Leslie of Underwood, which has much inciden'
without being sensational and is a story OF real
and sustained interest
Harper's new edition of Motley's History OF
the United Netherlands Uoring, Short Il Har-
mon, Portland), in four volumes, is the cheap
edition (SS.) corresponding with the Rise of
the Dutch Republic recently noticed. 1t is
from the same plates as the expensive set
originally issued by the same publishers, and
is therefore as perfect and complete as any
thing of Motleys which has been published.
This is most favorable time to supply private
libraries with this indispensable history The
ground covered in these four volumes is from
the Assassination of William the Silent in
1884 to the Twelve Years truce in 1909, and
the character and value of the work is too we'll
known to need mention. 1t has an especiai
interest to students of American history on
account of the great influence which the events
described had upon our own revolution. $. B.
The Life and Death of John OF Barneveld,
Advocate of Holland by John Lothrop Motley
New York: Harper & Brothers; Portland:
Loring. Short & Harmony, closes the series OF
Motley's histories recently republished, and
will be received with equal pleasure by the new
generation who are so eagerly following up the