The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1882-11-04

cahon of improbability that seemed ready to
engulf him. The present stories are good
but compared with the authors best they
| sound like limitations written in denser air, by
| hand with slower pulses. Some exquisite
| t,uches of description deserve especial praise
| for their tender and brilliant outline.
Under Green Apple Boughs By Helen
| Campbell New York Fords, Howard &
Hulburt; Portland: Loring, Short & Harmony
| This romance, by the anthor OF the delciously
natural and amusing His Grandmothers is in
| key most remote from the earlier story. 1t is
a carefully studied psychological novel, dealing
| in a thoughtful manner with some of the prob
| lens of the present day. The characters are
/ drawn with much firmness and meaning. To
| certain class of readers who look to the nov
elist as an instructor as well as an amuser, the
| story will have much interest Another class
and they are by no means to be looked down
1 upon by the more serious-minded readers of
tiction--will agree with the present review
in liking His Grandmothers much better.
Captain Mansana and Other Stories. By
BjorLe Biornsen. Boston: Houghton, Mifflln
& Co.; Portland: Loring, Short & Harmon)
The remarkable power of Biornsen lies in his
perfect personation of Morse life, where faml-
iarity has not at all blunted his perceptions of
its fresh and picturesque details. but has on the
contrary filled his work with the very breath
| of the northern pines and the spirit of the SIM
pie, kindly people. When he undertakes to
write story of Italy, even with historical facts
for foundation, the result is incongruons.
| His Captain Ma. sana vacllates between the
sound and fury of third-rate baritone of the
opera, and solemn and complicated self-con-
seriousness. The scene where he breaks the
| spirit of the proud Austrian lady is powerful,
but the display of muscle belongs less to litera-
ture than to the circus The Morse stories, The
Railroad and the Churchyard and Dust, are
again in the authors legiti late field of work,
and are inc resting in treatment.
Those Children. BY Byron A. Brooks, Au-
thor of King Saul, a Tragedy. (New York:
g. P, Putnams Sous; Portland: Loring, Short
| q Harmony. Mr. Brooks having settled the
affairs of the ansient King Saul, now proceeds
In lively fashion to administer upon the estate
of the modern King Herod, who masquerades
now under the name of Education, and muir
ders the innocents by tens of thousands. Ev-
| cry parent, teacher and member of school COM
mittees should read Mr.. Brooks's vigorous ar
raignment Of our present systems of teaching.
| His notions and expressions are here and there
somewhat exaggerated-but frozen ground
cannot be ploughed with penknife. and the
hard, frost bound system of our schools yields
| to no soft touch. The point of the matter
which is to be first decided is this: Shall chill
dren be Taught unnecessary things by arbitrary
exercise of memory, or shall their perceptions
be brought into activity, and trai red to useful
ness by contact with things at first hand, not
solely by dry hearsay of textbooks.
Art and Nature in Italy. By Eugene Ben
son. Boston: Roberts Brothers.; Portland:
Loring, Short & Harmony. This is volume
of leisurely impressions Of some noted places
and paintings in Italy. It will rather serve to
refresh the memory of persons who have had
the good fortune to see these beauties than to
convey clear idea of them to those who have
| not crossed the Atlantic. It is one of those
volumes, elegant and agreeable, which give
especial satisfaction to the author and his per-
sonal friends, but lack the carrying power" to
1 ensure general favor.
| The Story of the Volunteer Fire Depart
| ment of the City of New York. By George
| W. Sheldon. New York: Harper Brothers;
Portland: Loring, Short & Harmonl. This
large volume in sumptuous binding of fiery
red anc golden blazonry contains many rec
| ord of heroism, and will recall many exciting
1 - ~ - ~ Al.
| gines on their wild career of mercy. Six may
ors of the city of New York, one senator and
| numerous men strong on Wall street or noted
| in literature were graduates of the fire depart
| ment, and owed their latter distinction in
| large degree to the courage and alertness
learned by hook and ladder, hose and carriage
| training.
| Central Palestine ana Phnnicia. BY Will
| liam M. Thomson, D. ID. (New York: Harper
& Brothers; Portland Loring, Short & Har-
mon) A richly bound volume, which will
| commend itself suitable Christmas gift for
| the older friends Gailee and Samaria, and
the historic places of the labors of the prophets
| of the Old Testament are situated in Central
Palestine, and the minute and very fully Illus
trated account of these localities is written by
gentleman who has served forty-fve years as
| missionary in Syria and Palestine. The en-
| cravings ara from photographs taken by him
ON the spot; and the text is exceedingly read
able and full of useful and interesting descrip-
| tions of the history and scenery Of the Holy
| Land.
| Story of the Grand Army By William
| Swinton. New York: Charles Scribner' S
Sons; Portland: Loring, Short & HARMONY
This valuable and authoritative volume was
first published in 1866 and is now issued with
the suth,r's revisions. 1t was adjudged the
| highest praise for its fairness and accuracy at
the time of it's first issue; aud the author 10 an
exceedingly modest and self-respectirg preface
to the present edition, declares that, even in
| the light of the historical evidence .fforded by
| recent investigation he finds nothing material
| to alter in his judgments as recorded. Mr..
Swinton's work is one of lasting and solid value
and will not be at all superseded as history of
the Grand Army OF the Potomac.
| The Choral Choir. By W. o. Perkins,
Mus. Doc. Boston Oliver Ditson & Co..
Portland: Ira G. Stockbridge). A work for
the use of singing Schools societies, and con-
ventions, containing the usual elementary in
structions and a fair proportion of sacred and
| secular choruses
To the Century Company of New York the
PRESS is much indebted for the bound volume
| of the Century Magazine May 1882 to October
1882. The enterprise, good taste and artistic
merit of the Century Magazine are unsur-
passed in the history of periodical literature.
1t pleases and elevates popular taste, its con-
tents are varied and valuable and the spirit of
liberality pervades its literary, pictorial and
managerial departments. In the course of the
! past year it has given us the strongest and
most worth while novel of the age, marvel of
natural force, keen perception, and fine moral
instinct free from didactic narrowness "a novel
| that cannot be too greatly praised Mr.. W.
| D. Howellss A Modern Instance. The fretted
| golden covers of the Century Magazine enclose
| no contents of base metal. 1t has the true
ring, and will pass current everywhere.