Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1882-10-28
OUR BOOK TABLE.
SOME OF THE LATE PUBLIC ATOMS
OF THE DAY.

New Magazines-Eistory Of Eng
lish Litsrature- Holiday
Books-Etc.
S. c. Greggs & Co., Chicago, have just
and one that calls for an extended note of re-
view. 1t is entitled "The Development of
Enylish Literature and Language" and is by
Professor A. H. Welsh, A. M. It appears
in two volumes, crown octave, cloth, l,l00
pages, So; and is for sale by w. A. & @. S.
Houghsop, Sacramento. We have given the
book CAREFUL and extended examipatio
and come from the task strongly impressed
with its value TO the literature of the age.
1t proceeds upon the text that nations
literature is the outcome of its whole life.
and that it ia to be considered in connection
with the sntecedents and environments which
form the national genius. Professor Welsh
argues that the growth of a nations literature
in kind and degree is determined by four capt.
tai agencies-race, or hereditary dispositions |;
surroundings, or physical and social condi-
tons; epoch, or the spirit of the age; and
person. or reactionary and expressive fierce.
A history of English literature there
fore requires description ct English soil
and climate, of Eaglish thought and English
character, as tney exist when first the Eng
lish people come upon the arena OF history |;
of the growth of that character and thought
as they are colorsd by the foreign infusions of
Ceit, Roman, Dane and Norman, or i'm
p.essei and fostered By the new ideal
Christianity. From this he logically reasons
that one cannot understand the American
mind who fails to appreciate its connection
with history, ancient and modern. But this
ytyorty 10 r,ta Ial a1rcafi1N al onrlianeo
and therefore it would not do to load it down
with chronological details, nor mere discus
sion of causes. He hiss not, therefore, pro-
ceeded on the theory that il is as important
to know that a certain author wrote a certain
work or passage, and that it contains certain
opinion, as to know why or how il is-how
the author, the book, the opinion are related
to some dominant idea or moral state, " how
this idea or state is shap5d by natural bent
or constrainiog force ; how from this primi-
tive bent and moliing we may see in advance
and hslf predict the character of humsn
events and productions how beneath the
literary remains we can unearth the beatiugs
of living hearts centuries ago." He believes
that history of English literature should
nose in q catholic spirit the practical lessons
suggested by its theme. His anxiety, he
says, has been TO produce not brilliant but a
useful book. That he has succeeded, we think
-
and scholarly work, and in many respects 8
brilliant one, despite his dissvowal. 1t goes
back to the pre-. English ages, indicating the
elements of the Eaglish nation, the con-
trolling qualities of English civilization, aud
clearly showing to the student and the
general reader the sources from which
our speech and literature have been derived.
The illustrations of these topics are ample
and the choice thereof good. American liter
a. pf tina MI capfpTU ia flispT, rspH
la comparison, or rather in connection, with
the literature of the same period in England.
All the pre-eminent authors are discussed
under classified heads-such as biography,
writings, style, rank, character, influence,
etc. There is a comprehensive sketch of each
period introduced to Visw as thu chief feat
ures distinguishing it, as politics, religion,
drama, poetry, the novel. history, ethics, etc.
The book, while il ID critical and philo-
sophicsl, is not SO TO an extent 10 weary any
reader; on tbs contrary, the author has
shown his skill in maintaining the interest by
Just enough Of address to the Imagination. We
consider it valuable volume, and one that
viii find aud keep high place among works
of its class.
Among the advents of holiday books of
the year may be mentioned p new work by
Rev. S. z. Liam, the author of volume
heretofore noticed SIS collection of the living
VI Iho LulLhSTS pL IIlc WOIIu. In
this Instance the author has called his book
Golden Cleans Of Thought" 1t consists of
a great mass of elections few lines Only
il each case-from the writings and speeches
or great men AMI women of the present and
past sges. As a rule, these gatherings have
small literary yal1e. At the best, they but
serve .he purpose of texts for thought, but
that they invite to much study we seriously
doubt. 1t is not to be denied that such books
ana ILL & g. Z
they constitute easy methods OF selling upon
tho ideas formulated by others, and enabling
the lazy thinker to start upon train of
thought. We might compare them to crow.
bars when used to set Ia motion stub.
bornly resisting wheels. They may have
some valus 10 those vino need, in sudden
emergency, quotation with which to grace
al essay or a speech, aad ia that sense are
literary ponies" However, whatever their
usefulness, lei us give due credit to the COM
piier for fine exhibition of perseverance in
gathering such mass of matter from such
varied sources. The volume is, by the way,
s very handsome one, aud credit to the
publishers. AS holiday gift book it is in
most attractive form. 1t is published by
Jams & McCluFg Chicago, al 81 50, and is
foc safe by w. A. 4 G. S. Aous htor, Sacra-
mento.
Hous hton, Mff1in & Co., Bosom, have
Issued o small Volume by Bret HaIte. con.
tanning two of bis peculiar stories, "Fip -
and Found at Blazing Star" Tee first is
the better of the two bus it is most irn-
probable romance, and by no means the best
Of the authors efforts. We cannot confess to
deep interest in it, yet it remains to be said
that its very wildness and its startling i'm.
probability and unnaturalness interest the
reader and fix his attention TO the end. It is
possible that such romsnces may have had
their parallel in fact in the early days of CAL
iiorGis, but We doubt it. The stor-. hoey.
ever, does not make pretensa of foundation in
fact, and that is its saving grace. The thing
that is to be said in favor IF the tale is, that
there are two characters sketched il the mar
rative that have their models il real life
Farley, the diamond monomariac, and the
Postmaster of Fishers Crossing. There are
mastery portraitures, and are OF the best of
Mr.. uaIte's Zen pictures. But Flip is
about a. unreal Il Parsonage as the fancy Of
the novelist could well copiure up. Tas vol
ume is for sale by W. A. & c. S. Hcughton,
Sacramento.
"Didie Dumps and Tot" is the title of a
rev work ror children, from the pen of
Louise-CiaTke Pyrneile. Il is sketch of
plantation child life, and reawakens interest
10 the cd stories, legends, hymns, games and
supsrsii ions Of the plantation in the South in
the old slavery days. The book does nos PIE.
tend TO any dsfense Ct IlsveEy, though it
must be Coz fssssd 1t preseoss much of the
better side Of it. The lady tells us that the
stories sre given just as she learned them
when a caild in the old South. It must no
confessed here that she has told them wei,
and given them az interest one would hardly
think possible after the chapters that have
been written of the Uncle Remus order. She
is not so skillfpl as Mr.. Harris YVES with 4 o e
tales, bu5 for ell thst, the stories have an
originality and interest that the reading OF
thu Uncle mus papers does not lessen, for
they are mere directly ccnqecsed with real
life on the p antation than the tales referrej
to. The book is FROM fhs press Of HaYper's.
New York, and is for sale by Bancroft, I Co,
San Francisco, at 81.
Bjalmar Hjorth Boyesea, the Morse 70
mancist and poet, givss ua volume OF posns
ftetn the press Of Scribner's Sem, New
York. and which is a. hand frn = Bancroft &
Co., San Francisco, entitled "Idyls OF Nor.
way" lt Is volume that is full OF the fra
GRANGE OF Morse romance and legend, and
carries with it an odor of the simple people
who dwell in the midst Of the attractive sf-
perstitions and strange and weird customs of
one OF the most pastoral of lands. Boyeser's
style and method are too we'll known to cali
for any analysis at this time. Il has been
our province 60 frequently cJnzider his merits
49, A -.