The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1880-05-22
Recent Publications.

| hers, with enthusiasm, and at the same time
with such care not to overstate the merits of
the noble life it depicts that the reader is sure
that scant justice is done to the memory of
| Sister Dora The biographer has insisted up
on the few faults that she finds to give some
| shadow to her picture. Dorothy Pattison- Sis
| ter Dora-was born in the village of Hauxwell,
Yorkshire county, England; and was the next
| to the youngest of a family of twelve children.
| She was beautiful, and possessed singulary
| clear and alert mind, with plenty of wit and
humor. AT twenty-nine years of age, in 1861,
she left her home to teach a school in small
village on the borders OF Buckinghamshire;
and few years later, she Joined ssterhood.
She had been ordered by the sisterhood to go
to the South of England to nurse patient,
when the news came of her fathers dan
gerous illness. She begged the sisterhood
to let her go to her father, who longed
to see her, but they sent back cruel an
swer, No; and she obeyed the order Her father
died; and Sister Dora, broken-hearted and
filled with righteous resentment, returned to
her work with the sisters; but never again was
wholly united to them in feeling. The anec-
dotes told of her strength, skill and sympathy
are amazing. Her witty remarks and merry
ways were often better than medicine for her
patients; and the hold which she had upon
their affection is easily imagined When she
died after an affective illness she was followed
by crowds to the grave. Mrs. Lonsdale has
written this memoir with so much genuine
feeling, and such remarkable freedom from
the stilted and didactic manner often found in
the biographies of persons eminent for their
goodness-that no reader can fail to be strong
ly interested in this memoir of bright and
powerful life, devoted to doing good in the
world
Ballads and Lyrics. Selected by Henry Ca
bot Lodge. With Biographical Notes. (Bos-
ton: Houghton & Osgood; Portland: Loring,
Short & Harmony. This excellently chosen
collection is particularly adapted for the use of
children in school Or at home. 1t includes
choice and suitable poems by SHAKESPEARE, JON
son, Herrick, Waller and Milton, as we'll as by
Scott Macaulay, Longfellow and Tennyson.
Its variety will appeal to every natural literary
taste, and it cannot fail to aid in developing
the love of good poetry in the mind of the
child who counts it among his possessions. 1t
will be found very useful for school declama-
nations, as also for home reading; and its
tasteful binding saves it from the unattractive
look of lesson-book.
Elementary Principles of Scientific Agricul-
ture New York: d. Appleton; Portland: Bal
ley & Noyes) is written by Prof. N. 7. Lupton
of Vanderbilt University Of Tennessee, at the
- ~:Ax1 okoI H.. ~, r
islature of that State to cause the preparation
of such work. 1t treats of the chemical COM
position of soils, of plants and of the atmosphere;
the sources of plant-food, the improvement of
soils, rotation of crops and care Of live stock.
The appendix contains formulas for chemical
experiments, and some questions and answers
upon the instructions given in the volume. 1t
is small and compact textbook and will
prove useful work for farmers who like to
understand the reasons of things and care for
philosophy of seedtime and harvest.
Mr. Charles Francis Adamss argument be-
fore the committee of Commerce, upon the
Federation of the Railroad System is pub
lshed in pamphlet by Messrs. Estes & Lau-
riat of Boston. 1t embodies the thoughts and
conclusions formed by Mr.. Adams in the course
of quite extensive research and experience in
railroad affairs.
Our Common School System is the title Of
Gail Hamilton's latest work Boston: Estes &
LauriaD and is, of course, exceedingly enter
tanning reading. 1t is comparatively little mat
ter what subject Gail Hamilton chooses; she is
certain to make it lively and difficult for the
topic. She dances about it, shakes it, worries
it, holds it up to scorn and laughter, breaks
into snatch of delicious poetic song anent it,
talks slang at it, reasons with vigorous unreason
upon it, and finally drops it, a limp and
outworn and generally demoralized thing
She has gift Of denunciation, extremely
lavish and unsparing Of its kind;
and yet withal is an undertone of
genlality as if she simply enjoyed the muscu-
| lar exercise of her gift, and heaped opprobri-
um upon opprobriums head to see what a
| neat pile she could make But it is refreshing
| and wholesome to see her keen blade cut and
| slash the Gordian knots of red tape which
| school principals, and over them the school
committee, and yet above these the super
| visor of schools, have woven and bound about
unhappy teachers. Her vivid setting forth oi
l the extravaganza, uselessness and delay of the
present complicated school system the unfair
ness to teachers and unnecessary restraints up
on scholars should bo read by all having any
concern in school affairs One point of great
Importance is emphasized in this book, that by
taking away the direct authority OF the teach
| er over the scholar, by reporting every trife tt
committees and supervisors, the confidence
effectiveness and satisfaction of teacher and
scholar are destroyed. The chapter in which
this truth is set forth is plainly called the Deg
radiation of the Teacher. The sum of the bool
is that everything is sacrificed to an idol
which is named System; that school affair
are ordered, not for the healthy trainin,
| of children to become useful men and women
but in honor of this strange Juggernaut who's
feet are Averages" and the right hand of hin
! 'report' and his left hand Supervision ant
his head is variety. Gail Hamilton is tot
rapid and trenchant a writer not tt
fall into occasional mistakes; the onl,
one which need be commented upon a
present as occurring in this volume is her en-
| tire Interpretation of such normal school
as, for instance, the one at Gorham. She com
pldluS tIldt tuolr COurS6 VI Stuuy is uOt luOrOuSl
and does not take time to be SO; but shoul,
understand that habits Of study, certain
amount of knowledge etc are pre-supposed il
the scholar who goes to the Normal School
1t is the technique of teaching; the handicrafl
so to say, of the profession that normal schoC
aims to give; and it must not be expected
supply the knowledge which is the teacher
stock in trade, but to train him to impart tina
knowledge effectively.
Monsieur Lecoq Boston: Estes and LAURA
| Portland: Dresses and McLellan) is a powe
full and sensational story, translated from til
French of Emile Gaboriau. 1t is full of az
| ventures and plots, the story turning upon til
skillful dscoverery of murderer by dete
tive. 1t is exceedingly strong, and is dramat
and ingenious in structure.
Messrs. 1. X. Funk and Co. of New Yorl
: ! publish in their cheap and excellent Standar
Series, the sixth volume of Knights Popul;
History of England and Charles Kingsley
l Town Geolopv a orr nm of familiar talks unf