The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1879-07-14
Magazine Notices.

Harper's Magazine for August will pleasant
ly surprise even those readers who from long
experience have come to expect in each sue
cessive Number new revelation of the posi-
bilities of wood engraving. Never has even
Harpers contained in single article so many
and at the same time so varied and excellent
series OF landscape engravings as those which
illustrate Mr.. Beniamins paper on Lake
George. These engravings are from Mr.. J. d.
Smillies drawings, twenty-three in number,
covering every picturesque feature of the lake
from Caldwell to its northern extremity. OF
an entirely different character but of equal
excellence, are the engravings illustrating Mr..
Gibson's paper, Snug Hamlet and Hometown.
The drawings are by the author who has tax
en- for his theme an artists vacation among
the scenes of his childhood. The old New
England homestead, with its inevitable garret,
the studies of insect life of the beautiful land
scape views along the Housatonic, and of
Hometown characters, and finally the remin-
iscences of school life, afford unusual oppor.
tunities for illustration; and the result here
shown is very beautiful, apart from the gla-
mour always cast over "reminiscences of this
kind. The beautiful engraving of butterflies
with which the paper opens has been executed
by Edward King, and is only equalled by the
engraving of the peacock's feather by the
same artist, in the Harper's for August last
year. Mr.. Rogers illustrations of character
for Mr. Rideing's paper, The Nautical School
ST. Marys, are very striking, from their novel;
ty and spirit. This paper is one of unusual in
terest. The ST. Marys is a sloop of war loaned
nv the COxrarproapt ta Nau +ha in,
struction of youths in navigation, seamanship,
marine enginery, ETC. 1t is part of the pub
lic-school system of New York, being designa-
ted Public School No. 80. Among the illustra-
ted papers in this Number is one entitled
Chautauqua, giving an interesting review of
the peculiar educational features which have
been developed in connection with the Chau-
tauqua Sunday-school Association. William
e. Griffis contributes curious and interesting
paper on Japanese Rock-Crystal, with illustra
tions. Little Barbara, poem by Will Wal
lace Harney, is exquisitely illustrated by Miss
Jessie Curtis; and Mrs. Harriet Prescott Spot
ford contributes short story, The First Mrs,
Petersham, which is illustrated by Howard
Pyle. In fiction this is a remarkable Number.
William Blacks yachting romance, White
wings, opens IN the most promising manner,
and with spirited illustrations. r. d. Black
more, the author of Lorna Doone, begins a
new novel, entitled Mary Anerley. Young
Mrs. Jardine, by Miss Mulock, is continued;
and besides these three serial novels, and the
story already mentioned by Mrs. Spofford,
there is also striking short tale by Elizabeth
Stuart Phelps, entitled Miss Mildred's Friend.
An important contribution is the paper by DIR.
Edward G. Loring, the celebrated oculist, en-
titled Consequences of Defective Vision. This
paper was read before the New York State
Medical Society this year, and its suggestions
will command universal attention. A paper
contributed by Willard Brown, on The For
eign Indebtedness of the United States, is of
national interest, and is remarkable for its
maiterly handling of a complex subject.