Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1883-11-24
LITERARY NOTES.

GUsr,yE DoRE. With Comment by FdnIund q
inston' Roller; Bal. a 4 Gh.sisr '''ers "sSh-
UnQuestionahly the most imposing and AZ
tractive holiday book issued SO far this year 10
this sumptuous folio volume. So familiar is the
poem itself 10 al readers OF the English Ian
guage that any new interest in Its appearance
AT the present time must attach not so much TO
the literary side Of the book as to it's illustra-
tons and the Sarb in which IL is presented. In
these respects the publishers have spared no
paihs ana no expense; aud the result L. one with
which both they and the public have reason to
De aOundantly satisfied. The drawings we're
made expressly Tor the work by NJ bora and
were aihohE the last Efforts OF hts prolific and
gifted pencil. That they meet the highest de-
mands OF Their theme Viii probably not he
claimed, and Was hardly to be expected but. all
things considered IL would he difficult TO fpd
an artist who could come nearer Ia complete
success. In respect to paper, Typography en-
CRAVING. etc. nothing T. left To be desired and
the volume as a whole viii long stand "a an
3 Illustration OF the great perfection Ia which the
art of book-aahng 10 now carried in the United
States.
THE VOYAGE OF THE IFaNNrTTF. Tho slim an,
lee Jour-, Is II GHoRGE DE Loss. Ileutrnant-
| Somnani,r y 8 aud Cominander Of The hnisr
D. Long: With two steel Portraits Mars and Many
illustrations on Mood aud Stone. In Two Noiun.s
Boston: HoushtoD, MIian & co. Washington. hob
ert all.
The character Of these two large and heauti-
fully printed volumes is sufficiently in Heated by
their title. The story they tell Is not new nor
pleasant; the experiences Of the ii-fated exps-
diton have been SO fully described by the news
papers OF the period that the main facts are
widely and well known; but the pathetic his
tory as now presented TO the public ought
nevertheless to find o wide circle OF readers.
The account as given here Is very complete
and the narrative Is most interesting from the
first page TO the last lt Is indeed az once al
boz, -
Ing heroism Of which any age and any country
mi-ht well be proud. In points OF Topographic
cal appearance illustrations &C. the narrative 10
worthily presented.
MR. WILLIAM sHAKEsPE.RE's COMEDIES. HIS
Newly Edited, with Glassarial. Historical and EI-
Eianatory Notes: by gIcasgD GR,sr WHITE, In
Hoashton. Miflm & Co. Washington WIN. Balan.
We see no reason why this should not be one
Of the most popular editions of Shakespeare's
works ever published. particularly with per-
sons OF moderate means. Mr. waite Is so gen.
orally recognized as an authority on Shake
speare that his interpretations of the great
bard will probably be accepted without ques-
tion,-for common Use. at least. In addition
TO his labor in editing the text, Mr.. White Con-
tributes general introduction with a sum-
mary OF the poets life. He also prefXes each
play with a brief Introduction. giving what Ia
known about its origin. and furnishes a COM
plete glossary in the convenient form Of foot
notes. The volumes are of convenient size
and the Typography is good. although, a. was
to have been expected, the paper is thin, but OF
| fair quality.
THE HYMNS or MARTIN LUTHER: Sat to their
Original Melodies with an English Version. Edited
| by LEONARD Wo lsey Bacon and Nathan II Allen.
New York Charles Scr1bner's sons Washiuartont
VIM. Ballantyne X Son.
Quite appropriate To the present interest In
the life aud works of the Great Reformer comes
this handsome edition OF his famous hymns the
value OF which is heightened considerably by
the intelligent and judiclous lahors of the edi-
| tors. 1t Is intended as memorial volume OF
/ the four hu ndredth anniversary of Luther 9
birthday, and will be priced 10y many as well on
that account as for its literary interest which 10
by no means inconsderabe.
THE ExEc 81 TOR IL Novel By Mrs. ALEXANDER.
| Holt & Co. Washington: A Brentano & co.
| Stesie Werner, charming English girl is LEFT
an heiress by her stepfather who appoints his
! half-brOther, HormuZ Kharapet, an East Indian
and two native Englishmen executors OF his
Will The two latter ignore their trust and
| neg ect their ward. while the former falls in
| love with her and tries to win her hand and
heart. His passion Is not returned. however,
whereupon he plots her death by poison in the
| hope of securing her fortune. as next OF kin.
Happily deliverer appears at the right time In
the person of DIR. Brooke, who saves her from
| Tic CiulCHeS Vi Tie UTulai Drleu1al kllaln DV
| marrying her himself. Such in brief IL the
| story, which, told I'm Mrs. AlcXanders enter.
| tanning way, constitutes No. 155 of the Leisure
| Hour Series.
W HnIs REASON REASON NSysl - By wIII.S ..
Boston; James r. Osgood Il Co. Washington
| One charm of Mr.. Howelrs stories lie the nat
ural and life-like way In which his characters
are drawn. This attractive quality and the ex-
ceilent literary style which marks all his
writings makes them deservedly popular.
But against these great merits must
/ he set the rather provoking fact that the ex.
| pectatOns formed in the beginning of his stories
| are rarely realized at the close. and that he has
| way OF leaving unsoved the problems which
| he is all the while making US think he means to
| settle. These defects are observable In ga
WOmans Reason" and will probably disappoint
| the reader somewhat; but on the whole it lie q
bright, pleasant story, full Of nice touches and
can hardly fail to add to the already high
reputation of its author.
HIS Of s9 slla1 f b by IVA RoE apthSs
| Mead Co. Washington Vim. Ballantyne & Son
The Sombre Rivals are grief and DEATH and the
story told by Mr.. Roe is about the late war be-
tween the states. Ii is full of thrilling interest
and contains descriptions of scenes and incidents
that are said by participants to be singularly
| life-like and vivid. Mr.. Roe was himself sol-
|
their muskets. he pays tribute both to the yaor
| and the integrity of purpose of his late foes.
| Although not great novelist, Mr.. Roe's work
| is always clean and earnest, and extremely pop
ular as well. Evidence on the latter point is
! furnished by the fact that over twenty Thousand
| copies of this story were ordered before it came
from the press.
The 5th and 9th volumes Of G. p. Putnams
Sons -'Topics of the Time" series. lately issued,
take rank with the best of the group TO which
they belong. The first named comprises an ex-
| cellent selection Of articles Questions Of
| Belief" In which the opinions of some of the
| ablest living thinkers set forth, while vol.
| ume contains papers on "Art and Literature"
| by such writers es John Stuart Blackie. stanley
| Lane-POole. Frederick Wedmore. and otner
| well known contributors to the leading Eng
| llsh periodicals. Both are well worth reading
and preserving. Received through Robert
| Beall.
We are indebted to The Century company for
neatly printed and bound volume containing
the articles on the christian League OF
Connecticut" contributed to that magazine
| some time since by Rev. DR.. w ashington Glad
| den. The good sense and liberality Of DR..
Gladden's views commanded for them wide at
| tentOn when they FIRST appeared. and their
| publication in permanent form may fairly be re-
garded as public benefit