The Portland daily press., 1883-02-20
Magazine Notices

The March Number of Harper's Magazine
is beautiful and entertaining Number. The
frontispece engraving is from George III.
Boughton's picture, The Burgomasters
Daughter. William Henry Bishop contrib
utes paper entitled Across Arizona,
which is attractiyely illustrated. George H.
Boughton continues his Holland papers with
a fresh and quaint description Of Friesland,
illustrated by his own drawings and those of
E. A. Abbey. Colonel Higginson's fifth pa
per on his American History series is emit
tied The French Yoyageurs, and treats of
the early attempts made by the French to
establish colonies in this country The pa.
per is effectively illustrated Howard Pyle
contributing several important pictures.
One of the most valuable and interesting of
the illustrated articles is Mrs. NJ. G. Van
Rensselaer's paper on Parsifal at Baireuth.
1t clearly shows Wagner's method of work
ing out bis musical and dramatic concep-
lions, and gives fair estimate of the place
occupied by him among modern composers.
Not the least entertaining portion of the pa
per is that devoted to description of the
masters home-life. The illustrations for
the article include drawings by Carl Mari.
representing the most striking scenes in Par
sifal, new portrait of Wagner, and beau
tiful full-page portrait of the soprano. f.
Therese Malten. Consola, an exquisitely
beautiful poem, is contributed by Mrs. II.
w. Sewall, and is accompanied by fine IL
iustration, drawn by f. Dielman. E. Mason
contributes paper on Philip Wouvermans.
The illustrations, which are from paintings,
include portrait of the old Dutch master,
and an excellent specimen of his work.
Charles Francis Adams, Jr., contributes an
interesting chapter of our earliest Colonial
history, entitled Sir Christopher Gardiner,
Knight-a prominent figure in several TO-
mances by Miss Sedgwick, Motley, and 9TH
ers. General Benjamin Alvord contributes a
brief but very curious paper, entitled The
Morning Star; an Indian Superstition. Will
liam Blacks Shandon Bells, and Miss Wool
sons For the Major are continued; and good
short stories are contributed by Mrs. H. p.
Spofford and M. Rowland. Among the po-
ems in the Number the most striking is
Miss Jewett's The Eagle Trees, the subject
being associated with the poet Whittier, and
dedicated to him. Charles L. Hildreth's
Frost treats an old subject with much fresh
ness and extreme delicacy of fancy. S. S.
Conant contributes charming valentine DO
EN-; and Miss Mary A. Bars Lethe is a
beautiful song-motive. The Editors Easy
Chair-apropos of a recent article in the
London Daily News-sbows that American
taste does not follow the dictates of English
criticism; gives pleasing picture of an old.
time Knickerbocker New Years Day: no.
tices DIR. Grimshawe's Secret; discusses the
effect upon France of Gambetta's death:
and concludes with tribute to Mr.. William
A. Seavor, late editor of the Drawer. The
other Editorial departments are well sus-
tanned. The Drawer contains noteworthy
contribution in the shape of comic operet-
ia, entitled King Alfred with five lllustra-
tionsl, by Mrs. E. I. Corbett, whose II Ja-
cobl-a similar production, published some
time since in the Drawer--was SO popular.