The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1882-09-30
Recent Publications.

the brilliant crowd OF New York journalists
the steady and quiet illumination of DIR. Rip
ley's talent was by no means obscured and lost
to sight His clear, just and adequate criti-
cisms, written in pure and careful English; his
high mindedness, energy and reliability were
we'll understood by readers of the Tribune.
His temperament was quiet and critical rather
than expansive and creative; but his literary
insight, polished by practice, went far to sup
ply the lack of intimate artistic sympathy. He
was charitable and unprejudiced in his iudg-
ments and conscientious toa remarkable de-
gree in the preparation of his critiques. He
made himself master of his subject before writ
ing upon it, collecting notes, dates and author
tiles upon every point Beside his labors con-
nected with the Tribune he edited, with Mr..
@. A. Dana and competent corps of sub-edi
tors, the New American Cyclopedia. He had
plan, more or less vague, of writing series
of critical volumes, but only the title and
| preface were set in order. The work was to be
selected from the great bulk of DR.. Ripley's
contributions to newspapers and magazines,
and would have been sound and suggestive
course of reading. DR.. rockingham explains
the preference shown by DIR. Ripley for jour
nalism beyond the "more formal adventure OF
authorship" by his unselfish devotion to his
literary ideal and his belief that his prejudicial
efforts would be worth less than the imperson-
al power which he exserted through the col
umns of his newspaper.
Political History of Recent Times. Transla-
ted from the German of Prof Wilhelm Muller
by Rev. John P. Petres. New York: Harpers;
Dor IL. r I'D. 1 Il
work, written by a German professor, natural
| ly looks at the progress Of recent history from
German point Of view. The translator has
| abridged the portion of the volume most di-
rectly concerned with Germany, entirely
omitted that which treated of the United
States and added to the annals of England.
The historian is to be credited with great zeal
and industry in collecting matter for his work,
but the style is somewhat disproportioned,
lacking in dignity and directness and in the
large tranquil temper of history.
The March to the Sea. By Jacob D. Cox,
LII. D. New York: Charles Scribners Sons:
Portland: Loring, Short and Harmony. Under
this inspiring title, the present volume of the
Campaigns of the Civil War Series records the
campaign works, this recital of the events of
the rebellion is clear and soldier like mar
rative, telling its story with no pretense or
pomp but with all useful and interesting de-
tails, many of which are now made public for
the first time.
Outlines of Ancient History. ByP v.N.
Myers, A. M, President of Farmers College,
Ohio. New York: Harper and Brothers; Port
land: Loring Short and Harmon. An excel
lent and compact manual for the use of stu
dents and schools. The author has formulated
what every reader, not specialist in military
or political annals, feels instinctively that the
civilization, art, science and daily life of ma
ton are of more worth and interest than the
base records Of the campaign and its diplomacy.
He also notes the arbitrary fashion in which
history, as generally taught, begins with the
Greeks and Romans, leaving the Egyptians,
Chaldeans and Assyrians in dim historic Had
es. Proceeding from these just considerations
Professor Myers has been at great pains and
research to select and condense from the al
most limitless lore which modern discoveries
have furnished to the students of antiquity
The reader has to pause and think how untir-
work in arranging SO clear brief and effective
a textbook.
Irrilus and Cressida is the most recent vol
ume of Professor Rblfe's admirable edition Of
Shakespeares Plays New York: Harper and
Brothers; Portland: Loring, Short and Har-
mon.) The comment upon the familiar lines,
"One touch of nature makes the whole world
in In, VIII olf follo xba
reading of Mr.. Grant White, is very striking
zone natural trait, !" he says sis characteristic
of all men, and proceeds to explain that the
obvious and sentimental reading of the line is
quite opposite to Shakespeare's intention. He
meant to say, according to the context, that it
is the common failing of mankind to ''slight
familiar merit and prefer trivial novelty"
Under the Sum- By Phil Robinson. Boston
Roberts Brothers; Portland: Loring, Short and
Harmony The author of this unique and
charming work has led no idle and monotonons
literary life; professor of literature to the Gov
eminent Of India and the war correspondent of
the London Daily Telegraph during the Zulu
war, the double merit of his keen observation
and large resources of elegant reading will
scarcely surprise the reader. Mr.. Robinson is
humorist of the leisurely, kindly and poetic
school to which, with quicker American
pulse and more rapid and fiery touch, belong our
Mr. Howells and Mr.. Aldrich. But after read
ing these East Indian sketches, one finds him.
self possessed of very tolerably, clear notion
of life in the bungalow, and is grateful to the
author for telling precisely those little details
that give atmosphere and color to the outlines
of sketch of foreign places Mr.. Robinson's
love Of animalsis one of the delightful traits of
his work; he does not condescend TO them from
his human heights, but turns fairly around to
look at life from their view. Tiger or faun,
household puss or monkey fallen from the al
tars of ancient worship. Mr.. Robinson has
quick and subtle understanding of their nature
and ways. His story of the Hunting of the
Soko, the connecting link between the ape and
mankind, and the fearful tale of the Man-Eat-
ing Tree are favorable specimens of his power
in effective fiction. Mr.. Edwin Arnold the re-
nowned author Of the Light of Asia, writes
an introduction to MIR. Robinson's book in
which he says the authors STYLE that it has
with all'its lightness of manner and material, |
great strength and value, like these fine webs
Of Dacca and Delhi with the embroidered |
wings and feathers
new volume of the English Men of Letters
Series is Mr.. Leslie Stephens memoir of Jona- |
than Swift New York: Harper s. Brothers;
Portland: Loring, Short & Harmony. The BIZ
ographies of Swift already existing were mea- |
gre and prejudiced; of these Mr.. Stephen pre- |
fers Scott's work, which, though it contains |
many inaccurate statements. is, he says, "full |
of strong sense and genial appreciation of char |
acter." Certainly Swift needed much charita-
BILE construction to be placed upon his life and |
writings, and those writers who have consid-
cred his case with view to brain pathology
had before them curious problem with many
unknown factors.
Beauty in the Household. By Mrs. T. W. |
Dewing, Author of Beauty in Dress. New
York: Harper & Brothers; Portland Loring,
Short & Harmony. 1t is not possible to imag- |
inc more womanly or kindly use of artistic |
axnariAnca than that which Mrs Dan inc makes |