The Portland daily press., 1880-11-13

Italian; and 1t is q useless and arbitrary waste
OF time to teach the student the cases OF italian
nouns with their governing propositions. Tho
constant reference to Latin construction Is Of
no use to the practical student; If he choose to
learn Latin, and later, to interest himself In
comparative philology-it is we'll enough.
Bui the aim of an Italian Grammar is to teach
italian, and this elastic and simply formed
language is best acquired by the nearest pos
sible approach to the natural methods by which
child learns. Practical exercises, large
vocabulary, and frequent speaking, with
written translation occasionally will give a
better knowledge of italian in short time
than this method will ever do, with its con-
slant uneasy look over its shoulder to catch
glimpse of the ghost of Cicero. The vocabula-
ries are puffed up with comparative philology
they only need hat and overcoat to be mis-
taken on the street for Mr.. Max Muller. In
conclusion, one may say that simple, straight
forward grammar, like the excellent one of
Fontana, for instance, is worth dozen Of
this one, where the guileless scholar trips in
tangle of Aryan roots.
Common Sense in the Household. BY Mari
Loring, Short & Harmony is reprint of an
excellent, clear and practical manual for
housekeepers. The receipts are such as arc
required in tasteful but not wasteful house
holds and the directions are plain and do not
make requistion for all sorts of impossible in
gradients, as do some of the cookery books
which, under pretence of aiding the inexperi-
enced woman, bewilder and discourage her.
Marion Harland also makes many good sug-
gestions for housekeeping, outside of the linn
its of cookery The volume has already had
circulation of nearly 100000 copies in less than
ten years. and should have at least equal sue
cess in the coming decade.
A reprint of Mrs. Harriet Beecher Stoves
delightful volume, Sam Lawsons Fireside
Stories, Boston: Houghton & Miffin; Port
land: Loring, Short &c Harmony needs no in
PRODUCTION to the reading public. So perfectly
does Mrs. Stowe convey the spirit and letter
of old-fashioned New England life, that, apart
from their literary interest, these stories are
most valuable as preserving in fresh and bright
colors the traditions and manners Of a time
which has now become historic. Sam Lawson,
the kindly ne'er-do-,ceH of thrifty village,
with his inexhaustible fund of stories, his
grave comedy, his quaint mixture of natural
gaiety and doctrinal austerity-is as good in
his way as one of Shakespeares fools.
The Stage. By j. e. Murdoch u. NJ. Stod-
dart & Co.: Philadelphia) abounds in theatri-
cal "reminiscences collected by the author dur
ing long theatrical career, chapters upon the
great actors of the days "when Siddons played
with Kemble," some critical notes upon the
rendering of Shakespearian characters, and an
appendix, including dissertation on Theatri-
cal Subjects, written in 1859 by Colley Cibber.
Mr.. Murdoch writes easily and agreeably, with
judgment and taste; and lovers of the drama
will greatly enjoy his volume. A portrait of
the author, etched with delcacy and point by
Mr. S. j. Ferris deserves commendaticn.
A new volume of Mr.. VIM j. Rolfe's edi
tion of Shakspeare's Plays (New York: Har-
pers; Portland: Loring. Short & HARMONY con-
tains King Lear, and the authors notes upon
this great tragedy are of especial interest
Each successive volume which Mr. Rolfe gives
to the public deepens their obligation for an
edition wherein the te xt is carefully compared
and revised, and the notes are clear and lumi-
nous, with no tendency to the intricate vari-
ties in which Shakspearian commentators are
apt to indulge, to the confusion of readers
Hints for Home Reading (New York: G. P.
Putnam's Sons; Portland; Loring, Short &
Harmony is one of the useful series Of Handy
Books of Things Worth Knowing. 1t is made
rf rntpr oh apta tho bn;o -
books, plans of reading, suggestions for house.
hold libraries &C., by such competent writers
as Messrs. Charles Dudley Warner, Mr.. F.
Sweetser, E. E. Hale, G. P. Putnam and 9TH
ers. 1t will be found very useful and sug-
| gestive volume. The lists of standard works
and their prices, appended, will greatly aid
| those who wish to form library suited to
| their tastes and means.
Valhalla. The Myths of Northland. By
| Julia Clinton Jones (New York: A. Worthing-
| ton). The writer of these poems has collected
the strange and mystic legends of the Morse
men, and given them varied poetic FORMS
| of which the literary execution is praisewor-
| thy. The depth and the wilc power of the
Morse legends is well conveyed by the terse,
somewhat rough lines of these poems; and the
| authors comments and index are valuable and
interesting.
| Historical Studies of Church Building OF
the Middle Ages By Charles Eliot Norton,
| New York: Harper & Brothers; Portland:
Loring, Short & Harmony gives fine and ex-
haustive record of the progress of architecture
| in Venice, Siena aud Florence during its gold
en- age of the medieval centuries. The pages
shine with great names which recall the
| princely splendor and the marvellous art of
those days, and include many valuable notes
of the political and literary as we'll as the ar
tistic and eccl esastical, conditions of the Mid
| die Ages.
| Another volume of Mr.. Joseph Cooks Mon
day Lectures Boston: Houghton & Miflin) is
made up of lectures and preludes upon the
subject of Socialism. They are in his usual
style-truths, errors and wide, if not par
ticularly deep, acquaintance with general hiss
| tory and literature welded into bolts which
| this self-elected son OF thunder hurls at his
| audiences, hit or miss.
| Books Received.
Common Sense i'm the Household. By Mar
/ ion Harland. Cloth SAC pp S1.75. New York:
Charles Scribners Sons. Portland Lorng, Short
| & Harmon.