The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1884-01-26
LITERATURE.
books.

York: Harper & Brothers. Chicago:
Jansen, McClarg & Go. Price, $2.25.
After the admirable Life of Lord Lytton
lately published by the Harpers, the gath
erlng up Of the Literary Remains of the
great novelist and the presentation OF the
minulcr details Of his history as could on.
ly be found in such photographed frsg-
mcnts as be left gu his death, became ap.
propriatcly the WORK of his son, the present
Lord Lytton, who. under the pseudonym
of "Owen Meredith" has attained litera,
~ reputation second only to that OF his
father The volume now presented con-
,ans two volumes of the English edition,
to be followed by others, and gives all the
portraits, illustrations and fac Smiles of
manuscripts 10 be found n the foreign
editlon. The contents are largely auto.
biographical, and illustrate rs no second
hand could the personal traits, exceptional
surroundings and propulsions and inceDt-
ives of the writer in his successive stages
o! literary development. What strange
family they were, these Iytl0ns and Bull.
wers but mostly notable for that high
strung, iiascible temperament which ena
bled none OF thcm--grandta,her father or
son--to enjoy the ordinary comforts Of
marital or domestic relations. On this
subject the book contains more than is
either pleasant or rrcdllable. Nor are the
fragments" other than those purely
photographed, such as possess any spe.
cial interest or merit comparable with the
finished works Of their author. As to the
main purpose OF the book, however. VIII oh
Lord Lytton explains IN be "lo illustrate
my fathers works by his life and his life
by his works." his success must be conce-
ded to the extent of jus,ifying his convic-
ton that "his fathers life and character
present exceptional features of peculiar
interest TO those who have already been In
terested in his works, or for whom the
study of human nature has any attrac-
ton
HIS SoMBRE RIVALS. BY L. =. Roe, au
thor ct "Barrtrs Burned Away" g..
New York Dodd, Mead & Co. Chicago:
Jansen. McClurg s. Co. Price, $3.50
The Rev. Z. P. Roe, as writer of fiction,
has heretofore been better known and more
popular IN Sunday school circles than with
the general reader on account of the pro-
nounced religious cast OF his stories. In
the present effort all that is changed and
the leanngs, wherever the question of re.
llg,on is obtruded, are rather on the side
of atheism; at least, though The author
himself remains s,aunchly orthodox, he
puts such arguments ID the mouths of his
skeplical heroes as to give them decided
advantage. The story itself 10 manly con.
nected with incidents of the late war, IN
which the two principal characters are
officers, and of course perform prodieies
Of valor. The heroine is the daughter Of
an old army officer III full sympathy with
them, beng the betrOthed and subsequent
ly the wife Of one while thoroughly in love
with both, who are both as madly in love
with her IN return. Yet, III spite Of this
unfortunate coatfetemps, never n Damon
and Pythias loved each other like these
unhappy rivals. As the story is connected
with the movements Of the Army of the
Potomac from Bull Run TO Appomatto
there is no lack Of thrilling incident, and
as the Damon Of the story ,s slain Pythias
remains to round it up to a lamentably
"happy" denouement There IS good
deal of fine character drawing In the book
and some OF the incidents are very touch
ing, bet upon the whole, IS story, ito res
Qestg and principal characters are so be.
yond the range of ordinary human expo
Renee, and Of the probable or even posi-.
bic, tina. the reader, il ne has had the pa.
hence to toll to the END, viii very likely
throw i. aside with d feeling akin TO that
when one IS conscious 0! having been
rather imposed upon.
RAISING TIRE Pearl. BY James Oiis, au-
thor of Toby Tyler" Tim and TIP"
&c. New York Harper e Brothers.
Chicago; Jansen, McClurg & Co. 81.
This is one of those delightful storieA
10Y young people which are constantly
running through that model publication
for young folks, H1rper's Young People,
Few writers OF the day have so largely the
faculty a. Mr.. Ous OF ,nfusing solid in
Isiruc,ion IN what at the same time Is such
charming fiction. The scene of the pres
ent story Is LAID or the southwest Florida
coast, the strange geology, botany and
ianua OF which have filled - many vol
umes, yet none IN which SO much may be
learned SO easily and asreeably as in the
pleasant little volume before US.
SHAkEsPEARE's TITUS ASDRoKICUs Edi
ted with Notes by VIM. J. Rolfe, A. NJ
New York: Harper & Brothers. Chica.
go: Jansen, McClurg & Co.
We have had frequent occasion hereto
fore 10 commend the admirable edition Of
Shakespeare edited bY Prof Rolfe, as one
v,la .,tt.f 70