The Portland daily press., 1883-05-19
Recent Publications..

Travels and Observations in the Orient
and Has Flight in the Countries OF Eu-
rope. BY Walter Hartman, Ex-Governor
of New Hampshire. Boston Lee Il Shep
ard; New York: Charles L. Dillingham;:
Portland: Loling, Short d Harmon. Mr..
Hartman calls his journeying through Eu-
rope a "hasty fight''-the Orient being his
objective point and all beside incidental aud
rapidly sketched. But It Ia pity he should
have thought 1t necessary TO delay his flight
to tell In detail the stories of Romulus and
Remus, Of William Tell, and other familiar
historical and legendary tales, which make
this part of his book read like school hisio-
ry And after reaching the East too much
space is used In giving accounts of notable
events in the lives of the Prophets and Apos
ties, which are much better told In our BIZ
bic. But his descriptions of the Eastern
countries are graphic and interesting, and
the various incidents of the journey enter
tainingly told. One place in Jaffa which he
visited 1.-THE site of the Adams Colony re
calls an incident in the history of this State
WdiSA ndtC DCcu iOfSuttSh W
E der G. j. Adams, calling himself proph-
ct, had by his efforts and preaching in the
villages of Maine founded new church
called THE Church Of the Messiah" the
creed and doctrines of which were set folth
in u journal, 1.-The Sword of Truth and the
Harbing.r of Peace" published by him in
South Lebanon. In the summer of 1866
about one hundred and sixty persons, after
selling their land, houses, stoek--everything
they owned-and putting the proceeds Ia his
hands, embarked with him in a ship for
Palestine, there to await the speedy coming
of the Messiah, foretold by Adams. The dis
astrous fate OF this colony will be remein-
bered. Adams, of course, proved swlnd-
er, many of his followers died, a, d.onr goy-
eminent furnished the means to bring the
rest back to Maine. Mr. Hartman found
some half dozen of their houses standing,
the materials for which they carried With
them.
Through One Administration. BY Fran
ces Hodsson Burnett. Jam es r. Osgood &
Co, Publishers.
Mrs. Burnetts latest novel has proved a
great success, and We are glad TO see it In
book form, as it is always at disadvantage
that one reads serial. To take 1t in frag-
ments destroys the unities, and the author
is at the mercy of the moods of one's idle
moments. The present work is well worth
more serious perusal and thorough consid
Grafton rhan It cuuTd receive read In this de-
sultors manner 1t is clever and careful
- -,
Administration; and in this, more than any
other of her books, Mrs. Burnett has demon
straied her power as novelist. 81 ee the
publication of Democracy, novel which has
excited much and deserved atten ion In this
country aud III England, Washington socie-
ty has never been SO web aud successfully
dep cied Mrs. Burnetts story is sad one
from beginning to end, but i; is full of in
terest and charm. The style is delicate, yet
strong; the characters are wonderfully well
sustained. and if We did think in the begin
ming that Bertha had fallen in love with Ar
buthnot instead of Tredennis, we are quite
willing that the writer should have charged
her plot In that respect. While, probably,
Mrs. Burnett would not admit that she has
drawn her characters directly from life, it is
certain that every habltue of Washington So
ciety will feel that he or she has met each
one of these men and women and will be-
lieye that they are portraits, so glowing are
they with life and reality. As we meet con-
stantly in our daily walks the Pecksniffs,
the PIckwicks, the Camps or the DOmbeys
Of the world. so sooner Or later we shall see
III that social AID political centre at Wash
ington all the people who figure in Mrs.
Burnetts pages, and whom her genius has
appropriated and served up to US in delight
full form. Through One Administration is
charming as well as powerful story, and
will prove very satisfactory to the authors
hosts of friends and admirers.