National Republican., 1884-10-04

Variety VI CTeatiNo hcVS suitou 10 NaTlOuS
times and places.
In this connection 1t may be interesting
to note the ingenious theory recently ad-
vanced by Mr.. NJ. V. Moore, in the "Maga-
zine of American History" in which he
claims that the Romans were the first dis
coverers and toonizers of America. lie
bases his conclusions upon pathological
grounds.
There Is no corruption or abbreviation
ofthose ancient terms known to the Orion-
tai or European languages but what an
identical wofd is found to match 1t in the
river names of tho Western Continent"
And if the testimonies Of philology have
any value in determining historic truth,
We may find the earliest colonists of the
Western Continent in people reaching
its shores from what Is now province on
tho western coast of the kingdom of
Italy"
A NATURALIsTs RAMBLES ABOUT
HOME BY CHARLES q. ABBOTT. New
YORK; ID. Appleton " Co. Washington: w.
ii. H.Morrison.
The rambles of one who knows how to
use his eyes, and can ramblo TO some
purpose, aud what he saw in his rambling.
These notes" of naturalist, we are told,
ARE the gatherings Of many years." and
in them are related only some of the
authors individual observations of the
anima Is treated of, and not the hearsay
report of others, and are therefore valu-
able as confirming or modestly refuting
tho statements of other writers.
The notebook OF naturalist would
seem to a superficial observer to be
dry reading, but lot any one, however
little he may be interested in zoology,
ornithology, or piscology as scientific
subjects, take up this book and he will
find how greatly he may be mistaken in
supposing to be dry the notes and auec.
dotes of the habits of the creatures which
inhabit our woods. fields, and waters
written by close and admiring observer
of them; and on tho contrary, he will
discover that he is indebted to the author
for new interest in life. .
A more glance at the table of contents
will show the wide range of the subjects
treated of, eleven chapters being devoted
to the mammals, sixteen to the birds,
and the remaining ten to turtles, snakes,
and fishes, and the authors observation
of them, with chapter here and there of
auecdotal narrative, that indispensable
requisite to boys enjoyment of book
of this sort, the bronzed, hardy, aud in
telligent, though illiterate trapper hun
ter, and fisher, equal to any emergency,
from q long experience Of life in tho
woods and swamps, being amply supplied
in tho person of UZ Gaunt, the companion
and intimate friend of our author in his
years of devotion to his favorite sciences.
There Is, moreover, q carefully prepared
appendix of thirty-three pages, contain
ing "a complete list of the mammals,
birds, reptiles, batrachians, and fishes of
Mercer county, N. j." (the authors
native place., with both the common and
scientific name of each, the list compris-
ing the greater part of the species of the
classes named that are found in tho mid
die and eastern states. The book is
furnished with q complete index. 1t is
well printed on ass pages duodecimo, and
is neatly gotten up.
ALLAN DARE AND ROBERT LIE DIABLE
a Romance. By ADMIRAL PORTER. ID. Ap
pleton Il Co., New York. w. II. Morrison
Washington.
"Allan Dare and Robert 10 Diable y
comes to us admirable in print and paper
and striking because it has on its title
page the name of Admiral Porter. But, a.
Is too often the case with the novel:
Of celebrities, striking in no other way
OF course one cannot form an absolutely
correct idea of n novel as whole from
| the first one of the nino parts in which il
is TO be published, and perhaps the inter.
| est of the plot, when it is farther devel.
| oped, may atone for tho common pl acc
style in which the book is written
But there is something which smacks
too much of the New York Ledger in such
expressions as LET us pray for strength
to bear this fateful potion Of what we
deem calamity, but which perhaps may
be u blessing in disguise" "had we pressed
| into the cup of life more of tho leaves thai
| give it bitterness and thought loss of its
fragrant tlowors and silvery waters, We
would be better ablo to bear the depths o.
woe which sooner or later all must en-
counter" Perhaps even this mixture o.
metaphors Is not 30 bad az for a heroin,
to be "the cynosuro of all eyes" and thing.
frequently to be too numerous to men
tion," but in the formation of his style
Admiral Porter has certainly not studied
the classics,
| IN PARTNERSHIP. Studies in Storytelling
| By BRANDER MATTHEWS and IL. @. BUNNER
New York: Charles Scribner's Soma Wash
ingtOn: VIM. Ballantyne u Son.
The first portion of this book is s,
numbered with descriptive headings Il
unnatural and uninteresting documents
frequently shorter than tho heading
thomselves-that all interest would b
lost oven If the documents contained any
thing of value.
The second portion is little better. bu
tho narrative style, unincumbcred, is al
improvement.
The third, RED Silk Handkerchief" /
the best in the book, and the only on
worthy attention. The plot is good; ther
are some natural descriptions of persons
while the love-making at the "Sant
Hills" quito we'll done.
STORIES BY AMERICAN AUTHORS
Charles Scrbner's Sons New York. Ba
!antyne IL Son, Washington.
Tho sixth in this series of books con
tans short stories by @. II. White, A.
Hayes, Lima Redwood Fairfax, l.. "
Champney, Albert Webster, and Harol,
Frederic, all of which have first appeare
in ScriJner's Magazine and other monthlie.
While each story is well worth perusal
perhaps "rhe Misfortunes of Brothe
Thomas Wheatley" cOmmends itself es
peolally to notice for its fine delineatio
of a character which is not entirely idea
QUEER STORIES FOR BOYS AND Girls
By EDWARD EGGLESTOS Charles ScrlbnCr
sons, New York. Ballantyne & Son, Wasl
ington.
The author Of "Hoosier schoolmaster
is again before tho boy and girl publi
and this time with reprint of ouriou
fairy tales which have appeared in variou
periodicals heretofore, but are now re