The Portland daily press., 1880-11-06
Recent Publications.

Owing to the great pressure upon the col
umns of political news and comment, and to
some other cause.-the literary reviews have
been for the past few weeks quite suspended.
But now that the wholesome November gale
has blown the political clouds away, men take
heart to think of the new discoveries in sci
ence, the recent contributions to history and
poetry, not forgetting the novels of which this
season brings very tempting harvest And
with the first frosts the holiday story-books
fall from the presses, like nuts from the trees.
and-nuts or stories-they shall not lack well
come from the children. For wealth Of wheat
shall be garnered certain weighty and wise
volumes the novels may represent the fruit
some, ruddy and sound at the core as ap-
falls; and here and there fruit of tropic color
and SAVIOR like the Grandissimes of Mr.. G. w.
Gable, and again a homely but attractive vol
ume that is not alien iG kind to the great sum
ny globe that calls itself pumpkin. And the
reading public is invited to act as committee
of the whole, and award the prizes at this ag-
ricultural fair OF the products of literary fields
A Life of General Garfield by Major j. NJ.
Bundy "a. S. Barnes & Co: New York and
Chicago is an effectively written and excel
lent memoir of our President to be. The hon.
or and admiration which is felt for General
Garfield IS increased in proportion as one
learns more of the nature and the acts of this
remarkable man. His unswerving honesty.
his courage and his manly and practical views
are supported by his craftsmanship and his ell
egant and sound literary attainments. He is
man OF the people and has risen by his own
efforts to eminence; he knows the popular
needs and the depth and richness of his learn
ing is continually used to aid the practical
working out of the problems upon which, since
he entered Congress, he has been actively and
effectively engaged. General Garfield is
good man, not negatively good, or good for
some purposes, or "better than his party
but thoroughly good for the highest and most
difficult of trusts that an American citizen can
be called upon to fulfil.
Mr.. William Blacks latest novel, White
Wings (New York: Harpers; Portland: Lor-
ing, Short & Harmony has already become
familiar to the public in the pages of current
numbers of Harper's Magazine and in its
present library edition will of course be added
every one is interested to possess. 1t may as
well be frankly said-as story it does not
amount to very much. In order to enjoy an
artist, in literature, pictures or music one
must not desire him to go beyond the limits of
his force and of his manner. Mr.. Black is
not especially story teller; he is landscape
painter in words; sometimes he is a poet; but
the thread of the story is spun strong or
slight as may be suited to the size of the
bright foam-beads of his superb marine views
When he brings his stock company, Queen
Tita and her husband, Bell and her lieuten-
ant, or whatever group of young people the
arbitrary mistress of the yacht undertakes to
steer into happy port-it is greatly for the
readers benefit to expect precisely what he
would hope to have ON an actual yacht cruise,
leisu>ely and languid days, pleasant COM
panions; and, for excitement and variety, the
moods of the sky and sea. 1t may be that Mr..
Black has fixed his own limits, and says in
effect to the critics: Do not ask me for in
volved plots and exciting denouements, or for
varied and eccentric portraits; let US leave all
the business of photography to the sun and
the sensational noyelists, I and "the moon
may draw the sea, Ask me no more!" Or it
may be that, without formulating these limi-
tations, he instinctively and with the spirit of
the true artist does most gladly what he does
best. Either way, the result is the same. Mr..
William Black paints with unapproachable
spirit and point the finest ocean and island
scenery of the world, and adds to these mas.
terly landscapes the charm of kindly and re-
fined comradeship.
Another biography of General Garfield is
written by Mr.. Edmund Kirke and published
in Messrs. Harpers' Franklin Square Library
1t is not a pamphlet prepared merely for CAM
paign purposes but was written in 1864, from
pure admiration of Garfelds great qualities
as man and as a soldier. The writer en-
joyed close companionship with General Gar
field during stay of six weeks at Murfrees-
borough, Tennessee, where General Rosecrans
was in command. Garfield was at that time
Chief of Staff of the army of the Cumberland.
During severe illness of the General, Mr..
Kirke was constantly with him, and from the
heros own recital he learned the story of his
life. Mr.. Kirke took some notes at the time,
and consulted DR.. Mark Hopkins, President of
Williams College, as to the propriety of MAX
ing them into volume. DIR. Hopkins advised
the delay of the work, on the ground that Gar
fled was then too young man to have his
life written, justly considering that his great
est deeds were yet to come. He added: 81
should be glad to furnish you aid in this work
but having no incidents to communicate
could do SO only by preparing an essay on what
a student ought to be-" In conformity with
the suggestion of Dr. Hopkins, Mr.. Kirke did
not publish the memoir at that time, but for a
period of seventeen years gathered and sifted
his material; until now, when General Gar
field is the centre of nations eyes, this me-
moir comes forth to testify tc the worth and
efficiency of our next President. Not written
in the heat of political strife, but as the hearty
tribute of one man to another, the vigor,
truthfulness and literary excellence of Mr..
Kirke's memoir of General Garfield carry
with them instant conviction.
Religion and Chemistry. By Josiah P.
Cooke. A newly revised edition. Charles
Scribner's Sons We have for 10 years re-
garded Prof. Cookies volume as one of the
most interesting and one of the soundest books
on the subject of Natural Theology; and are.
therefore glad to welcome this revised edition,
hoping that its cheaper form will give it a Wild
er circulation than its predecessors. Professor
Cooke is chemist of high re. te and espec-
tally first class authority o. questions Of
mineralogy. In the present volume he con-
fines himself principally to the chemical rela-
tions of the atmosphere, and the testimony to
the being and attributes of God which those
relations give. His style is model of clear
ness and directness, and at the same time has
a certain warmth and beauty which OCCASION
ally rises into eloquence; and there are pas
sages in the volume which are more truly poet