Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1883-12-14
LITERARY BOSTON.
what Authors and Publishers are DO
ing.

Fred Obcr has become my neighbor, and i
his little rcd Zuni shield now looks out from t
/ lofty window on Park street across the sea ]
IF brown trcc-tops that fills the Common He =
Is publishing fine subscription work on i
Mexico via Estes 81 Lauriat, while ID. {
I.ohrop& Co. have just issued another book
of his, "Thc Silver City" being q lively
boys story, full Of adventure, and some I
geography "a sort of flctlon.travel in the
wids Of Mexico, only in this case the
author really has been there, and is an
authority on the subject. The book is fully
illustrated, and while some of the cuts are
fine, others arc ingeniously atrocious. The
artist has done better work in a book of his
own, Through Spain on Donkey Back"
which is the pictorial record Of flying TIP
thither, with notes on ye manners and GUS
toms OF ye natives, and accompanied by a
text that is packed with statistics and solid
information. The illustrations, by Bodfsh,
are the best that have yet seen by him, and
some of them are decidedly witty and full of
fun, particularly one that at once illustrates
their love of music and disregard Of the
value of time. 1t is really quite unique |
little holiday book, and has as tailpccc-
what | never saw before-an illustration |
advertising another forthcoming work |
of the same class, Through France On
Sabots."
The same firm have brought out another
| worl, on Spain, by Susan Hale; one Of her
"Family Flights" in gorgeous crimson
binding. She has peculiar knack of writ
ing travel sketches for the young in good
wholesome, entertaining way that is
altogether different from the irreverent spir,
of some, and the sensational of other similar
books, weaving in, meanwhile, as much
instruction as an ordinary guide-book. There
is no STORY" in the strict sense of the word.
They simply went, and saw. and learned
history, and some legend-"They" being The
same familiar faces that went on the other
Flights" There are host of cuts gathered
from all quarters cathcdrals and bcggars,
barb and mule in the homogeneous mixture
that constitutes Spanish vs,as, with here
and there a fresh sketch in the easily recog-
nzed style of B)dfsh. Saying nothing of
their value in their proper place in the home
library, books q like these have another
vocation in which there is u wide field for
} usefulness. One such work in the hands of
a teacher, or read aloud among group of
| pupils is worth wilderness Of maps and
b. aliases, and it occurs o me that 1t would be
= a wise plan for every village to havo little
9 library Of such books to be used purely as a
t reader in the clasa. How weary used 10
c become of looking over the same old pages,
= term after term, in the hard front seats of the
. old town school.
4 Mary A. Livermore has written sensible
e little book on "What shall we do with oui
e Daughters" the same being Il Collection o.
v her lectures on various subiocte, such "a
"Higher Education" physical Education
=, Gin which last she makes vigorous war OF
a that servant of sa'an-thc corsel), and othe
n kindred points. 1t is book for parents, ant
!. thoughtful girls, and published by Lee
:. Shepard, who have also brought gu
Trowbvidge's exciting little story of TIN
:, Tinkham Brothers Tide Mill" 1t is under
y stood that this is founded on fact; that
=, somewhere in New Jersey there really wa
~ such mill the realistic flavor that per
=, vades it is perhaps due to this, in part, and
:, since the Jack lIazird' series he la
B" written nothing SO thoroughly, boyishl
natural as this The brothers had bought
T. mill that was run by the power gained b.
retaining the high tide for space by mean
Of dam, and were supporting their Grip
c. pied mother by the manufacture Of doll
A. carriages when boat club decided for them
selves that the dam was a nuisance tina
n, should be destroyed, and stirred up tw
to"ho O'Ni tuS ultNtCi uiiAil tut1 aStudiil III
,e make raid in force and pulled it up by tn
roots. The boys were plucky, though, an
had it back again before day. light the mex
', morning, and the story Of their watch an
"a ward is one of the most wholesomely excl
ing that has ever been written, and mantle
n boys never "trod the pages Of a book"
nc Collections of short stories are pccunar
90 failures, for some reason, with one class eA
cept Juveniles. Susan Coolidge has write
Al
&c for girls, mostly, and published them Vi
Roberts Bros. Quairt, wholesome little hi
ri of home life, little housekeeping stories, OF
Nv or two of the fairy element, generally suite
~ for from to 10. I've tried them with ri
~ tinguishing success. on one little mite, wi
,;r was just round dozen herself that day ar
~ children are good judges of a story. One
." the most whimsical brings the telephone in
Fairy land.
&C. like Helen Zimmern's Maria Edrewort
70 better than any of the Famous Womc
by series, with the exception of George EIio
1t is carefully aud critically written, fl
oGc thing. 1t introduces literature, ar
I,,' the way in which it grew, which was
~ great step forward in the worlds education
-, childish though it may seem TO us now
nc many ways, and it is blcssedy wanting
the morbid tone that leaves so sad an IN
no preston at the end. Indeed it might almo
X be considered q record of n happy life, bl
lis for that pessimstic thought, The happie
he people have no histories, and, therefor,
X nothing to write about, while Miss ZimmeI
has found material for very enioyab
and instructive book. 1t is, believe, Il
ng last of the series which Roberts Brothe
Die will issue this year
on Next door to them and opposite
ne the Old South church, Estes Il Liuri
M have issued an illustrated young folks Iii
tory of the Civil War, by Mis-. L. Emn
III. Cheney, which Goes right to the root OF Il
ve matter in the fist line. at was slavery tn
l,e made all the trouble; now that it exists
Oh longer, we remember 1t only rs bad drea
ev from which We are thankful to awaken
a I" 1t is question whether it is right for CHI
zoo dren to have their imagnations wrought {
~ by histories of war and blood-shed, WI
on not leave that part of their education Ii
later? Yet, since it is the fashion, and mu
If be followed, Mrs. Cheney's book puts it
loo as pleasant and clear light as have cv
ho seen it done, and there are enough quail
stories told to relieve the tension. A brig
child Of thirteen would not find it ditlicu
m to understand and would find it excitir
rid reading. | noticed few inaccuracies, b
ng they were trlhing, in matters of detail whit
OF do not matter.
he The same firm have published ano,h,
on book of Lizzie Champney's, "Thrce Vass
TO Girls in England" this time, which, like Il
be girls abroad, is a romance in n gui
at book, with the contents of an artists POI
tie folio thrown in. Cecilia is Saint sli
he Maud given deeply to the decorative mani
i'd (wlnding up by returning 10 America
he accept position in porcelain manufactol
y. with the consciousness that, while she coul
lis never become great artist, she cOuH I'LL
ne place of comparatively high degree viii
is Barbara turns philanihroplst in small wa.
e. onc of the THO 'goes and does it," inall
IL and is married to the identical Eugishma
an who was secretary to Lord Gubbius," bl
Nv if You have read the grievous volume wi
say it was not the one that you think, and
r. YOU have not read it-guess