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

done to refer his success and his disastrous
failure to their causes, and without blurring
the outlines of the portrait, to paint the man
as he was, yet with charitable hand.
Constitutional History and Political Devel-
opment of the United States. By Simon
Sterne. New York and Paris Cassel, Peter
& Galpin; Portland: Loring, Short & Har-
mon.) This excellent manual is sketch of
the Constitution as it stands in text. and as it
is interpreted by The Supreme Court, accom-
panied by chapters of political history and
review of the present situation of national af-
fairs. Mr. sterne justly finds matter for graf
ulation in the unparalleled strength of our in
situations, tested by the tremendous strain of
the war and its consequent evils Every war
issue has been successfully met, and the coun-
try remains prosperous. The elasticity of our
institutions, observes Mr.. Sterne, has ELECTED
the admiring expressions of pubicists the world
over. Nothing can more potently conduce to
the continuance of our system of government
and maintain it in its efficiency, than the per-
sonal attention OF every man to national mat
tiers. No man who enjoys the privilege of an
American citizen and has the right to vote,
acts honestly unless he takes some intelligent
interest in the government which he helps to
form and support. No pressure of affairs, no
Discrimination to activity in politics, excuses
voter from giving some part of his time and
Strength to securing proper political men and
measures. Such work as this of Mr.. Sterne,
VIII CHI explains the framework of public affairs
should be made part of the education of the
youths who in the course of few years will
help, it is to be hoped. to make forevermore
impossible such political outrage as the cleo
ton of Benjamin Butler.
The Friendships of Mary Russell Milford
Edited by Rev. A. G. L'Estrange. New York:
Harper & Brothers; Portland Loring, Short
& Harmony Miss Mitford's amiable qualities
and bright and companionable nature won for
her the friendship of very many people we'll
worth knowing on both sides of the Atlantic
Der literary gift was genuine but limited; for
criticism she was not at all equipped, lacking
fexibility and imagination. Yet she noted her
impressions with confidence and decision.
Her judgments of our greatest writers, Whit
tier, Longfellow and others, are curiously in
competent, But the general impression left
by the reading of these letters is of kindly,
gentle-hearted lady, who gathered to herself
weIldeserved and desirable friends. Mr..
L'Estrarge is not especially slzillful on apt as
biographer, and the reader will much prefer
those pages wherein Mss Milford and her
friends speak for themselves.
Messrs. Houghton & Miffiin publish an
American reprint of volume which contains
Mr. Robert Browning's strong, but unequal
rendering of the Agamemnon of Eschylus,
where phrases filled with superb motion and
the inspiration of very tragedy alternate with
distorted and rugged expressions Other po
ems included in the volume are La Saisiaz,
Pauline where the indefinite and mystic
thought often becomes exceedingly tuneful in
the poets words snd two series of Dramatic
Idyls, close packed and tense. portland:
Lorilg, Short & Harmon.