Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1881-07-30
LITERARY TABLE.
MAGAZINES OF THE DAY-HowELL's NEW
NovELs-HEPwoRTH.
synnove solbakken = Punctuation-Louis
Laras = Beauty in Dress A
Lesson in Love.

of the best of Blornstjerne BJornson' s novels.
It is not novel either-hction it may be as
10 persons and plot, but truth it is as to man.
ners, customs, superstitions and the simple
lives of the Morse farmers. 1t Is book
which has a strange fascination for the
reader In style peculiar, almost childish in
its simplicity, it has the strength of giant
in the enforced interest with which it holds
those who peruse its pages. But this strength
Is not in the plot, for that is transparent nor
In the incidents, for they are, with two ex-
ceptions, anything but stirring; but
it is in the pastoral melody which
marks it, the poetry of the text,
the naturalness of the recital, the wonderful
ciearness and impressiveness of the pictures
of scenery, Of persons, of interiors, that
the author has drawn, and which fix them
selves in the mind without the slightest effort
indeed one is unconscious as he reads that
the author is constantly painting, with that
peculiar art of the pastoral poet, ineffaceable
pictures upon memory's walls A master
hand held the pen, and a master mind con-
trolled it, while the genius OF poet touched
the pages with the glowing colors with
which they burn. Bjornson stands almost
without peer in the north of Europe as a
novelist, national and lyric poet orator and
press writer while as dramatist he holds
quite as exalted position in public respect.
The story under notice was the one which
marked the first year Of Biornson's literary
career, now nearly a quarter of century ago.
Beauty in Dress" is an admirable work
by Miss Oakley. 1t is from the press of
Harper & Bros, New York, and is for sale
by A. L. Bancroft 4 Co., San Francisco
Miss Oakley dedicates her essay to The
Women of America" and certainly they
should read it. Miss Oakley is woman of
artistic taste, keen wit, sound Judgment, and
ifc tbinUl ia GrtficIaoflU
sentative on all the main topics treated.
She writes clearly, gives her reasons for her
belief without hesitation, and advises with a
positiveness hat is born of experience, study
and conviction. Her training in art, her
clear perception of the beautiful, of harmony
in colors, and her cultured taste, are all
made manifest in this work, which we do not
hesitate to pronounce one of the best issued
upon a like subject. Its reading, if acted
upon, would better nine tenths of cur women,
advance them in physical strength, and make
them more attractive still.
" Harper's Monthly" for August is at
hand, beautifully and richly illustrated. The
following are the leading papers, in addition
to the regular serials and the editorial de-
partmerts: 1.-The Surrender of CORVALLIS, T"
by IL P. Johnston Almond Blossom" a
poem, by Margaret VeleY; 1.-THE White
Mountains" by Samuel Adams Drake /;
1.-THE Parce, or Three Daintie Destinies, :"
by Robert Herrick; "Anne," by Constance
Fenimore Woolson; Left Behind, by
Louise Chandler Moulton "Then,' by JAS
II. Fields; 1.-THE Various Languages of Billy
Moon. story, by Richard NJ. Johnston /;
- A Neglected Corner of Europe" by Mrs
L. w. Champney; Water Routes from the
Great Northwest" by Frederick G. Mather ;
q" Assassins and Nihilists. by Hugh Craig !;
Sheltered" q poem. by Sarah o. Jewett /;
President Madison and the Baptist
Preacher" by VIM. Pope Dabney; "a Lao
dicean," by Thomas Hardy; "a Day in
Africa, by T. B. Aldrich.
"n!" A strange title indeed for Rev. Geo
H. Hepworth's latest literary production,
which comes from Harper L Bros. press to
us through A. L. Bancroft 4 Co., San Fran
cisco. 1t is an autobiography, in which the
theory of metempsychosis is presented. and
the life Of the writer in supposed previous
state Of existence is pl7ced before the mental
vision. 1t is not an interesting story. 1t
Calls for too great an exercise of patience
with its extravagant details. 1t is not reason
able and lacks vitality. 1t is not natural, is
calculated te encourage morbid tastes and to
direct the mind in paths that will bring it to
no helpful end. Mr.. Hepworth should not
have written this book.
The Atlantic Monthly" (Houghton, Milf
q To-. DO5LDll Is AT AaHQ lOE August. LIS
leading papers are: DR.. Breen's Practice,
by w. D. Howells; French Domestic Life
and It's Lessons" by John Durand "Corda
Concordia," by Edmund G. Stedman 50 In
Exile" by Mary Hallock Foote 1.-The New
York Art Season, by 81. G. Van Rensselaer, !;
''On the Acting of Iago," by Richard Grant
White 1.-The Portrait of Lady, by Henry
james, Jr.; Sleeps Threshold" by Edgar
Fawcett 1.-The Indoor Pauper a Study"
n IL -.
H; " Recollections Of James 7. Fields, by
Edwin P. Whipple; Parton's Lite of Vol
taire,n by James Freeman Clarke Wards
English Poets" by F. II. Underwood.
Z" Bigelows Hand Book of Punctuation is
q small, compact volume, published by Lee
& Shepard, Boston, and is for sale by A. l..
Bancroft & Co., San Francisco. 1t is by
Marshall Z. Bigelow, "correctorn at the
University Press. The work is for the use of
printers, authors, teachers and scholars. It
IS complete in all it aims to consider, and is a
wade mecum for all who need and desire in
struction as to punctuation, proef-msrking
and reading, authorizations, spelling, orthog-
raphy, etc, and who are interested in some
of the details Of the compositors art.
The 50 Catholic Quarterly Review " Hardy
& Mahony, Philadelphia) is at hand for July
These are its chief papers "The Soul and
Evolution" by st. George Mivart; Cath
olic Colonization in the West" by William
j. Onahan Richard Crashaw," by Joseph
A Nolan, NJ D., Phi b.; 1.-THE Latest of
the Revisions, by Very Rev. James A. Cor
corAn, d. D.; 1.-THE Irish Land Bill, - by NJ
+. Sullivan What Right has the Federal
Government to Mismanage the Indians, by
John Culinary Shea, LII. D.; Biology
or, The Principle of Life" by Rev. Thomas
Hughes, S. j..
Louis Laras," by D. Bikelas, is one of
Appleton & Co.'s new Handy volume series.
1t is a mournful, almost horrible, rem
iniscence of the trials and sufferings of a
Chiote merchant during the Greek war of in
dependence, but it is fascinating work, and
by an author but little known to the English
reader. The merits of the book are widely
acknowledged, and its popularity in Europe
is great. 1t has been translated into several
languages, and is among the books awarded
prizes in the French Lycees.
From the Leonard Scott Publishing Com
pany, New York, we have "Blackwood's
Edinburgh Magazine" for July american
reprint, with these leading papers: BE
sieged in the Transvaal, The Defense of
Standerton !" "reminiscences of Prison
Life" The Land of Khemi, the Labyrinth
and the Lakes :" THE Private Secretary
"a French Lady and her Friends, " King
Bemba's Point, a West African Story "
Recollections a la Fourchette, "Tunis,"
1.-The Late Andrew Wilson"
"Appleton's Journal" for August 3D.
Appleton l. Co., New York;, presents this
interesting table Of contents for its readers
81 Saints and Sinners" tNoirs ct Rouges)
from the French of Victor Cherbuliez
French Family Life and Manners" by
Karl Hillebrand; Authors for Hire !"
a. Bsdeau's Military History of General
Grant = Arab Humor :" " A Talk About
0des )" THE Wit aud Humor of Lord Bea-
oonsfeld = Jefferson Davis and the Con-
federacy," by A. H. Guernsey.
"a Fearful Responsibility " is the title of
w. ID. Howells' latest novel. The story is one
of the best this accomplished author has
given to the public. The scenes are mainly
in Europe. The volume containing the story
has also two others by Mr. Howells-" At
the Sign of the Savage and "Tonelli's Mar
riage both well worth the reading. The
book is from the press Of James r. Osgood &
Co., Boston.
From w. A. & C. s. Houghton, Sacra-
TT ~