Morning journal and courier., 1881-08-16
RECENT PUBLICATIONS.

''The Lutaniste of St. Jacobi's," by Cath
 arine Drew, is mixture of history, legends
 and fiction, being based upon popular tradi-
 tions connected with George Neumarck, the
 author of Wer 7aur den lei6en Got zasst qoaztera.
 The author tells the story of Neumarck's early struggles in Hamburg, where he starv-
 ed, and how to keep the wolf away he sold
 his yiol de gamba. This instrument,
 made by Tielke, famous luthier of the six
 teenth century, was the means of making him acquainted with the wife of the old in
 strument- and her granddaughter Janotha. But the fame and the wealth of the Tielkes had departed, and Janotha barely
 supported herself and her aged grandmother
 by lace-making and lute playing. Neumarck
 loves Barbara, a stupid girl, who is indifer-
 ent to him, while Janotha pines for him in
 secret. The town is all agog with big order
 given to the ace-makers for a Mechlin
 parure wanted by some august people who
 to be married. Janotha makes a set of
 ruffies which she sends in secret to Neu-
 marck. In the denouement the lace that Bar
 bara manufactures goes to decorate coarse
 bathing suit of some Baroness, and Barbara's
 heart is broken. The authors work is not
 done as well as could be wished. Published
 by Henry Holt < Co.,, New York, and for
 sale in this city by Judd the bookseller.
 The poems of Oscar Wilde, the famous
 English aesthete, are published in hand
 some volume by Roberts Brothers, Boston
 Those who have got their idea of the high
 priest of the sesthetes from Pal7,ch will find
 much to surprise them in his published
 poems. A competent critic well says: "His
 verse occasionally bstrays the esthetic eccsn-
 tricities to winch his notoriety is due, but this is exceptional. Taken altogether, it is by no
 means so ''Htterly utter' as many of the bal
 lads of Swinburne and the Rossettis. The contents of this volume are extremely un- equal in merit and diverse in character, and have been written we judge. under very diff ferent influences and at widely separated pe- riods. It scarcely seems as though the shamelessly sensuous and sickly 'tChar- mides," modelled after the worst of Swim burne's erotic efforts, and bearing every sign of ofiRlmaturity, could have been written by the same man who gives us the stirring, vigorous and manly verse of the "Ave Imperatrix," !" in which we catch an echo of Tennyson at his best Mir. Wilde's chief and distinguishing talent consists in power for brief, vivid and impressive description. He apprehends with extraordinary clearness the scene which he wishes to represent, and he shows it forth not only wildly pictorial but which have the curious effect of imbuing material objects with emotional or spiritual meaning" For sale in this city by H. H. Peck.
 Among the Hills," by E. Frances Poyn- ter, is added to Henry Holt tE Go. E Leisure Hour series. It is not an exciting story, but a pathetic, almost poetic picture of English country life, with some pretty bits of descrip- tion and some good portrayaIs of simple character. It is not great novel, but it is a good and readable one, and it's literary merit entities it to place in the excellent series to which it belongs For sale in this city by H. H. Peck.
 ''Synnove Solbakken," by Bjornstjerne Bjornson, now introduced to American read CTS by Mir. Anderson's translation, was MT. Bjornson's first novel, published in 1857. It
  its author became famous. It cannot fail to make deep impression in America. The plot is charming for it's simplicity and inge nuity, the style is elegantly concise, the de- scription of Norwegian scenery picturesque and poetic, the character portraits marked by strength, simplicity, and vivid coloring the influence ennobling. There is no attempt at sermonizing or the moral essay style, but in the presentation of Thorbjorn the strug- gles of human soul from darkness to light and love are given with moral power more effective than volumes of preaching in that of Synnove, gentleness, grace and devotion, united with rare personal charms, form a beautiful creation. Published by Tough ton Mif1in & Co.,, Boston, and for sale in this city by H. H. Peck.
 SBaby Rue," the new volume of the No Name series, is 8 story of camp and garrison and Indian forays on the frontier of twenty five or thirty years ago. The heroine, who gives her name to the book, is the infant daughter of young army officer. She is captured by a Pawnee chief in raid in which it had been agreed by the savages that they would take no prisoners. Having bro- ken this agreement, the chief falls into dis favor with his own tribe and is obliged to save himself and the captive baby by flight The varying fortunes of the pursuit, hard riding skllful trail-f following spirited attack and stubborn defence, with one or two cpl sodes of love-making, give plenty of incident to the story, which is told with considerable literary skill Published by Roberts Broth CTS, Boston, and for sale in this city by H. H. Peck.
 Friends: A Duct" by Elizabeth Stuart Phelps, will be eagerly read by the many ad-
 nirers of this popular authors work. The heroine is young and beautiful widow, whose husband is killed by the cars. A friend of both in the role of sxecutor looks after her interests and makes himself useful in various vays The friendship grows intimate, but she Is so faithful to her dead husbands mem ory that she looks upon bis psrsistent.x