The Portland daily press., 1881-01-22

by an owl with volume OF Worcester's Una
bridged tied to each foot. A more ridicolo us
exhibition of volube and empty pedantry is
not often printed.
Another volume of kindred quality with
Mrs. Howe's is that which contains Sketches
and "reminiscences of the Radical Club Ed
tied by Mrs. John T. Sargent. (Boston J. r.
Osgood & Co.; Portland: Loring, Short &
Harmony. A more complete efllgy of Boston
cultchdh could not be constructed than this
volume. Its concet. remoteness from any
practical relations with affairs, its sounding
and sententious periods, and oracular and poly
syllable contents are the quintessence of the
provincialfsm of Boston. There is something
| quite pathetic to those who honor great litera-
| ry men to see them compelled by social emer-
| gencies to be taken in a snare, Gagged, and
made to roar gently not to alarm the ladies, in
| the moral and instructive show of Mrs. Leo
Hunter. The only portion of the book with
which it is easy to sympathize is that which
records the various polite notes wherein wise
and wary luterateurs have regretted the i'm
possibility of attending the Chestnut street
sessions. The average reader will be rewarded
for tedious journey through the nebulous
| length of the volume by side-gleams of unin-
| tended fun of this kind; but it may fairly be
said that these orscular pages resemble the
other sibylline leaves in the fact that the less
| there were of them, the more the worth of the
| work as a whole.
| OF very different quality from this is the de-
| lightful memoir of Goethe's Mother, translat-
| ed with additional notes and sketches by AL
| fred S. Gibbs, with an introduction by Clar-
ence Cook (New York. Dodd & Mead. Port
land: Loring, Short & Harmony. Frau Goethe
was most lovable as well as talented woman,
and the friend and correspondent of such men
as Lavater and Wieland. 1t only seems pity
that Goethe's genius might not have been
leavened by the piety, the humanity, the SIM
plicity and consciousness of the charming
nature of his mother. The volume is made up
largely of the letters which she wrote and re-
ceived; and all testify to the honor and affec-
ton with which Frau Goethe was regarded.
This volume is a choice and valuable addition
to the rapidly increasing list of delightful and
useful biographies.
Early History of Charles James Fox. BY
George Otto Trevelyan, NJ. p, Author of Life
Harper Brothers; Portland: Loring Short &
Harmony From the scope and style of this
memoir it seems likely that the author designs
it rather as an introduction to a larger work,
prologue TO the brilliant drama of Fox's ca
reer. The leisurely fashion in which the scene
is set. the many details and historic pictures
of the age which Mr.. Trevelyan's work affords,
the brilliant figures which throng its pages,
somewhat cast into shade the central figure Of
! Charles Fox himself So far as an authors
| design may be noted beforehand, it would
seem that Mr.. Trevelyan intends to place his
| reader in entire harmony with the spirit of the
| times when Fox was born and brought up, by
the means, alike effective and agreeable, of de-
scribing the political and social fashions OF the
day, portraying the great aud little men in
bright coloring, and setting forth the condi-
tions of daily life as well as the larger affairs
OF national import. Such task is not quickly
to be completed; it requires certain spacious
ness. and many wanderngs and delays before
the actual personal theme of the work is TAX
| en-. Mr.. Trevelyan's style has much Of the
| leisurely and graceful charm of the eighteenth
century WRITER'S and he enters upon his work
with great spirit and ability. The early life of
Fox was not of great promise; he lived in
dissipated circle, surrounded with fashionable
follies; and his youth was spent in the same
manner as that of his companions; and his BIZ
ographer leaves him before the beginning Of
| bis great career as a lawyer. Upon the natu-
raj supposition that this volume is preparatory
to another-an it is much to be hoped that
such is the case-Mr. Trevelyan's division Of
| the life of Fox into TWO periods is natural
and suitable one. The public will await with
| hope and interest the continuation Of this bril-
liant and comprehensive portrayal of Fox and
his century.
History of Our Own Times. BY Justin Nc
Carthy. Vol II. New York: Harper &
Brothers; Portland Loring Short s. Harmony
This volume of Mr.. McCarthy's readable and
spirited history covers the period of the Sepoy
War, the American Rebellion, the Fenian
Movement, the Eastern Question, and con-
cudes with general survey of the literature
of the present time. His judgments are bright,
sensible and clear, and his style is strong, nat
ural and unfailingly pleasant. His literary
criticisms are notable for their telling quality
| and discrimination.
The Credit Mobilier. By J. B. Crawford
Boston: W. Calkins & Coz is monograph
upon the origin and history of that much dis
cussed financial episode, by a writer whose
faith in the Credit Mobilier is entire and un-
swerving.
Progress and Poverty (New York: ID. Apple
ton & Co.; Portland: Hoyt, Fogg & Donham)
is wildly unkempt treatise by Mr.. Henry
George, advocating species Of communism as
an antidote for all mundane grievances Its
arguments are less absurd than the usual line
of communistic talk, because the author is ev-
IDENTIFY man of talent, however impractical,
and is sincere and earnest in his desire for
general reform. His volume should not be
passed by as one of the senseless cries of law
less leaders of communism; but cannot be con-
sidered as useful or well-considere6. 1t is a
work which may lead others to good conolu-
sions, but certainly fails to arrive there ITSELF
The Huguenots of La Rochelle (New York:
Anson D. f. Randolph & Co.; Portland: H. L.
| Davis) is translated from work by NJ. Louis
| Delmas concerning the Reformed Church Of
| New Rochelle. The picturesque and tragic
| period is fully delineated, and the translation
| by Mr.. George L. Catlin. United States Com
m ercial Agent at New Rochelle, conveys ad-
mirably the writer's intention'and style. Mr..
| Catlin's tribute to the character and historic
learning of NJ. Delmas gives additional weight
| to the worth Of the work.
| The fourth volume of Kinglake's Invasion
OF the Crimea is now published by Messrs.
larper of New York portland: Loring. Short
& Harmony 1t records the winter troubles of
tn campaign, and gives distinct and forcible
picture of the progress OF the war during the
| severe months Of Crimean cold and snow.
| Young Ireland. By Sir Charles Gavan
Duffy. New York: d. Appleton & Co.; Port
land: Hoyt, Fogg & Donham) is a copious,
fair-minded and patriotic setting forth of the
history Of Irish affairs from the Repeal Move
ment Of 1910 to the death of Davis in l845. 1t
is all interesting contribution to history; and
the author records with fervor but without
1