The Portland daily press., 1882-10-25
Magazine Notices

AS the first number of a new volume, the
November Century gives promise of even in
creased excellence for the new magazine dar-
ing its second year under the new name. Pic
torially, the November number shows that the
Century is as ambitious as ever for the reputa-
ton Of American wood-engraving, as witness
the frontispiece portrait of Florence Nightin-
gale and the full-page. portrait of Henry
James, Jr, both by Cole; Elbridge Kingsley g
beautiful full-page engraving, direct from ma
ture, of view in New England Woods FAC
companying which is a description by the en-
graver, of his manner of working); the full
page reproduction, by Kruell, of an ideal
bronze head which is one of tho costly art
treasures of the British Museum: Mary Hal
lock Foote'S refined and charming illustra-
tions, engraved by Miss Powell and by Cole;
and the many other pictures by well-known
artists, some OF which have special interest as
the opponents of new process of art reproduc
ton. Though the art side of the November
Century is SO conspicuous, the contents offer
striking proof of a tendency to make the liter
airy side of the magazine paramount. In ear
nest of this tendency, the November Century
Jr., who treats the subject in a charming, un
conventional manner, with all the vivid i'm
preston and delicate coloring that might be
expected from such subject ii. the hands OF
brilliant nov elist; paper on Henry James,
Jr., himself, by W. a. Howells, whose gener-
GUS and acute Judgment of his fellow novelist
cannot fail to interest wide circle of readers;
remarkably able and entertaining article on
'Victor Hugo" by Alphonse Daudet, who de-
scribes his personal intercourse with the poet
and paints word-portrait of Victor Hugo
which will become acknowledging, besides,
many interesting glimpses of Daudet's own life
and literary methods; forcible essay by
Charles Dudley Warner on the sources of the
material and Intellectual prominence of Eng
land, and the literary Indebtedness of the Unit
ed States to the mother Country, as also the
growing literary independence of the United
States, and strong argument in the negative
to the ripe question SIS the Jury System q
Failure?" by Albert Stickney, who argues for
the abolition of the system and suggests sub
stitute Other prominent features Of the num-
Der are Edward Eggleston's description OF The
Beginning of a Nation, the first of his series
on Life in the American Colonies, the Illus
trations of which include many curious old
drawings of Indian life, for which the maya
zine is indebted to the courtesy of the British
Museum; the Rev. Dr. Washington Gladden's
opening chapters in his story with purpose
looking to Christian cooperation entitled
The Christian League of Connecticut; finely
illustrated paper on A New Profession for
Women, in which Franklin 81. North de-
scribes the Bellevue Training School for Muir
SEES; and Mrs. Lucy M. Mitchell's illustrated
paper on The Sculptures of the Great Perga-
mon Altar, which are among the new and i'm
portant discoveries. The fiction of the number
comprises the first chapters of Mary Hallock
Foote'S novel The Led Horse Claim, humor-
GUS short story by Frank R. Stocton, entitled
The Lady and the Tiger. and the continuance
of Mrs. Burnett's Through one Administra-
ton. The poems of the number are by Thorn
as Wentworth Higginson, H. H., James r.
Mckay, George Edgar Montgomery, Edward
N. Pomeroy, and Richard Watson Glider.