The Sunday herald. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1866-1887, 1880-12-19

ituation the way In which points, trnng In them
elves are made TO subscrve the purposes Of the
i've all combine to make Little Amy's Christmasr
me OF the most attractive stories which we have read
vim the bc,tt as well AS with the head aud the per-
sct rs,nra,"sss win which the ehl,d Amy moves and
y ~, ., -, 49,, .a =, ,n, ,.,,,, ,,,,,o s,or,,
= .,s',,,, s,srn,ag n,,e ,ho smsu African yohnn,e
i stndy in himself wei, worthy Of attention There
s ,mch Of excitement In the visit of the two chill
iren. the little. neglected, haif-ciad Amy and tho
,oupd comfortable well fed Johnnie to Boston to see
The Christmas things and the dangers and suferngs
thereby ,ncurred-and scene Of real tragic power
,ccurs while the two little waits sumber quietly In
the midst OF sIn and degradation unconscious aud I'M
harmed Mr. Vance has reason to congratulate him
self upon the iaures won In field so entirely dRerent
from that which witnessed his first marked success as
writer Of fiction. II the test OF merit In work lie
In the instant acceptance as source of enjoyment
the readers Little Amy Is certain of prosperous
career We feel sure that not only to the little ones
for whom 1t would from Its Title seem be especially
designed, hut for older heads, who have kept warm
and fresh the love OF all that pure and sweet In
nature Il viii bring an added brightness to the home
and areslde at this Joyous season. The story OF
..Litte Amy viii soften all our hearts, and re-
awaken, perhaps, in some an unseiashness to which
they may have been strangers these many years. II
will make our own homes brighter by contrast, and
us more tender toward those less happily blessed
around and about us. The old and young need such
literature as Little Amy's Christmas, " simple In
thought delicate In expression, and, above all. per-
fectiy clean and pure from every point of view.
"SELF." BY RKBEccA RurER SPRINGER, au-
tnor OF Beechwooo. fh''aue'Ph'a' D. d. lap
- .,...,
WIN a"" W 'io ,n'e'e'. VI .','
ana improving story IN washington 70 Know .ns' ..'e
antnoress Is the esteemed w''e 0, hon' m'''sm ~.
springer OF ILLINOIS, MIS- springer ".net
rather In the school MISS Edgewor.n 'na 10 .n"'
OF the aay, anu 10 oe the more "ecoe" .h e n",,'e
circle on 'hat account sne aea's win ."e 'a',..
which iay waste 'he Nheyaru' 4" "e' Pre'"eo s'e
says, "seihlshness begets unhapp'ness II Is the
,Ssorv ths story Of ss,f, na, bean written" She
takes as her subject Madge, a waIf Of poverty. who
| has been adopted by an elderly lady, whose old
fashioned love story forms an agreeable underone
the plot and who marries Raymond Curtis, proud
m IN Of wealth and family who loves r devotedly but
ealousy Equal pride and self assertion each side
lead to separation which lasts until suffering and be-
reavement have softened both hearts to touching
concliaton. The style has only the charm of natur
aness to commend 1t, with little art In the arrange
ment or rejection of materials, and none Of that
adroitness In narration which gives almost dramatic
force and leads up to cmaxes, and which we have
grown accustomed to In modern novel-wrltng. Mrs
Springer relates, with direct simplicity, with unag
ging Interest In her characters, and evidently
lying on them to make their way In the favor of the
reader. The pages are diversified with occasiona
poems, which have been extensively copied. A
favorte form Of composition with her is that Of til
diary or journal, which Is frequently adopted, and
find that the same writer's earlier work, a. Beech
wood, " Of which copy Is also at hand, from tn
same publishers, is entirely In that vein. Iti YER
appropriate to a woman seeking to portray the inner
| most thoughts Of another by elf-reyelatlon
.Reechwood =, Is the history of young girl fror
childhood to natrouhood, and incidentally OF pur
and high. souled American family of the best class
vi ant: iolmes: Lowell: Emerson. With Biographi
cal Sketches and , Notes. Holiday H,ia, Edon, M illus
n This handsomelv printed and beautiful
Illustrated volume Is the most appropr,ate Of gifts
any one who can appreciate It, And the critical read
will ipdorse the sentiments OF the EDITORS remai
prefatory to the second edition. that In reviewing
work he perceyes with renewed and stronger feei,
how pure and admirable is the spirit In which the
American poets have wrought how high an ideal |,
been before them, and with what grace and beau
their lives have reinforced their poems Surely Il
poets have given America no greater Gift than the
: own characters and lofty lives" But after all Il
hest way to convey an idea of the value Of this voun
set forth list of lis contents which are besii
lie b,oprapb,cal sketch Of each author. as follow
o,gfa,,nw,a ~ Eva,ye,,pe ', ..At,,ss stand,sb
'. and :. Ru,ld,np Of tbe sbin,, Whittlers ..snov
l. nound y, ..Amono the uiils ', =. Mabe Martin.
es ..Cohh,sr Keezar,s Vision y, =. Rarc,av of Jry
to ..rba Two Robbies >, ..,rbe Gift of Triten,in,
al .,rha pro,hor n, N.r,y ;, ,.,rho propbacv
r :. .sella, >, and ..Little People of the Snow;
=, Holiness 'Grandmother's Story ''and ''The seho
al Boy Loweh - VISION Vi Sr i-a"''ia', uho
n. thew iiows' under theold Eln' ana 'Agass'n,
Id a''i hn'..on '', .,,.',, y, ,r,.,. =, ..,, ".
rd 90" s..., -
a. .no v. ,," foe.. o''"t
n. 'ose'"'' '''"''" '"0 PA" VI "'''''
In ~, ,,,r,,,, y =, ,r,,,, WIS ~. M,
be ~ W.pHpp anthor NJ ..Tbs iavant :, a
his New Edition, Revised Boston: Houghton, Min
and Company
This edition of a work which, owing to
having been first Issued by subscription has hithe
only reached speclal class, now brings within rel
u.s. Of the general reader one of the most charming
4, ers have given US about the ever interesting East
ne Warner ia s,gbte1 and cultivated Tourist g,f
=. M, 49,, .,. - ,s., - -, 49,, -, ~ 70 .
re- a.s",,'0a mi. ,,,, rsan Ass ss,,ss os ,'nor
lph tborouph command of an admirable sty,e makes
iy' record Of travel both vivid and amusing This is
T. of the hest ~ not the very hest of modern book.
ms. sp,,ioct which in comnetent hands never beco
hackneyed Bnt ~ It were the most worn. out sub
ert concelvah,e Mr. warnsrs humorous facu,tv Ia an
. tbat bs could mt write dnl, nare about ,t His
" without obtrndinp itself or ever becom,np wear,so
ere bubbles out from fine To time most enchantnply
er, IT has subtle and refined quality too often absent
any
cal H0MiCiDEs. MOkIh y, A AND SOUTH. H. psei bein
raa | SsveIai rar'S Vi 'io o"''eu S'"'es' ny -