Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1884-07-12
RECENT PUBLCATT0NS

Laura Bridgeman. The scenes of the story
are laid in California. We have formed a
Judgment not favorable TO the work. Ii
is of q certain romantic interest,
considered as pure romance
The idealism Is Of ford type the fancy
vivid enough, but Juvenile; the imagery
fresh and brilliant, but not impressive the
adventures and heart trials of the heroine,
even at tender age, something altogether
out Of the common. We must, in justice,
add that the romantic is constantly cast
down and trampleo beneath the feet of the
most prosaic and commonplace It is redo
lent of girlish ideas, and breathes of crude
and immature estimates of life 1t
is full of the displays of ignorance
of the ordinary methods in business
and in law. Improbable scenes in
Court and altogether improbable scenes
outside of Court expose the author as one
in her " literary short skirts" as some one
has expressed it. But when we have said
ali this we are ready 70 credit Miss Howe
with p0sitiyeness of originality, for there
is no cleaning nor initiating in her work
She has no need to copy after patterns.
She has talent that promises work more
closely allied to the natural and that viii
command respect. The friends of the writer
of this odd story, which gives promise
of good work, and of an earnest and honest
| disposition must regret that the lady per
mitted herself TO say Of newspaper re-
portsrs, that they are to be elassed with
Cinnamon, babies, and other unfortunate
works Of God" 1t happens that the repor-
| torial fraternity is quite too gentle and con-
5iderate of men and women, to say nothing
of its reverence for the name of Deity. to
ever indulge in such an ungraGious not TO
say biasphemous, expression and il never
forgets that even they were once babies,
and that God is not responsible for the fact
/ that Miss Howe was once Of the same order
! of human beings. We grant her protest
against that bane of Observation-Disclosures
/ siQnai reporting, the invasion OF the privacy
! of men and women, and the dragging of
their efiairs before the public-but oven
that evil, which is by no means SO wide
/ spread as Mis-. Howe assumes cannot
atone for her ineiegant and sweeping de-
nunciation OF a class OF men who know
I how TO take the measure of humanity far
better than does Miss Howe. The book is
for sale by c. s. Houghton, Sacramento,
and is from the press of Roberts Bros,
| Boston.
The American Monthly is rev peri
odicsl bidding for favor Of the critical and
thoughtful. 1t is issued at Chicago by the
/ American magazine Publishing Company,
and is under the management OF j.
/ Thompson Gill The purpose of the
monthly is to afford full, free and far dis
! Cussion Of all popular topics, on both
sides, and especially debate upon litera-
ture, science politics and religion. That
this class OF periodical literature is inTeas-
I ing, in answer to an evident demand for it,
/ is an encouraging sign. That there is a
/ field for the Chicago production we are
convinced The West has but little dis-
/ tinctive magazine literature of this class.
I Anything Of this character addressing
itself to the higher thought culture broad
! intelligence and liberal spirit of the age,
must prove benefit to the communities in
which it circuiates. The conduct of the
new magazine appears to be in good hands
| The one fault is the length given to at leas.
/ one Of the papers, '' Within and Without
I TO the exclusion certainly of better matter.
1 The contents of number four July are
Blanche" poem by Eugene J. Hall
"The Gordian Knot. or Christian and
! Paulism," by C. D. Wilber LID; With
/ in and Without part /. J. embracing chap
! tiers on & Moody" ." Laying Up Treasures
in Heaven" and The Story Of Mr. Orr's
I Life" by Appleby; England as Reflected
/ in Chaucer," by Eugene Parsons; why
! the Democratic Party Should Not Have the
Next Administration by Austin Bier
bower Reasons Why the Republican
Party Should Not be Continued in Power"
by Hon. Elijah NJ. Haines; "One Happy
Day" by D. B. L. McYickar; " katherine,
a Study in Neutral Tints," by Airs. Alice
King Hamilton " The First Lord of Crea-
ton" by H. c. Fulton We shall certainly
watch the growth of this new journal with
an interest measured by an earnest desire
for its success.
But Phiiistine," by Virginia r. Town
send, is novel issued by Lee & Shepard,
Boston, and for sale by c. S. Houghton,
Sacramento, at 81 so A popularity of the
story is that ii EN- braces 1923 pages, when it
would have boon an easy task to have told
it well in the compass Of 100 pages. There
is vast deal of surplusage in it, wearying
9urplusage. It is the story of the summer
visit OF 3 drawing teacher to her young
pupil, who resides in the elegant country
mansion OF a wealthy WHOEVER, her uncle,
who has completed his fftieth year,
and is firm, positive, successful
business men, but Of q pure true,
generous nature. He falls i'll love
with his guest who is beautiful, cour-
ageous, truthful, sensible and altogether
charming and selfrespecting woman. She
admires him, and does her best TO love him
and enter into the rest Of plenty and a
home, but finds that her admiration does
not rise 10 the level of love, and so rejects
him-and there the story ends. It is
pleasantly told and the character drawing
Is admirably effective but there WAS no
earthly need to have carried the little
drama through thirty-tTo long chapters.
( The story loses by the endless spinning of
| It's single thread
/ Science Ladders" G. P. Putnam's Sons,
New York; A. L. Bancroft 8: Co., San
Francisco This is a thick bound volume,
embracing SIX numbers of the Science
Ladder" series, fully illustrated and ad-
mirably presented for the comprehension
of the young Each of the smaller works
is divided into lessons that are made clear
by concise and perfectly lucid explanations
of The subjects treated We estimate this
most valuable work, and Prof D'Anuer's
editorial labors as of exceeding value to the
world OF beginners N the studies Of natural
history, exploration, vegetable life, etc
Stories by Americas Authors Chaa.
Scribners Sons, New York c. s. Housh-
/ ton, Sacramento A compact little book,
one of a new series, in which some Of the
best short stories of the age are 10 be pre-
sented. Ii Is novel. and we think will
prove popular idea. The price for q bound
volume is certainly low, 50 cents, whom it
Is stated TIA, sac number before us, for in
stance contains stories By Bayard Taylor, |
Braudcr Mathews, Fl. c. Bunner, William |
Henry Bishop, Rebecoa Harding Davis and |
Albert Webster.
8" Ny House an Ideal, is monograph |
by Oliver B. Bruce, treating OF the ideal !
house and its fittings. In great part it is a !
practical and artistic ideal, but in part also |
it is impractical, and not in accord with the |
highest Development Of household art |
But it is full Of suggestions If Mr.. Bruce's |
ideal house is severe IN its simplicity. it is |
Conservative Of health, economy and genu-
ineness. For these latter traits we can |
most heartily commend the little work
Tip Lewis is another of the Young
Folks Library series. D. Lothrop q Co,
Boston. The story is by Papsy Mrs g.
Il. ALDEN. More than this need not be
said, so widely known is this popular
writer for children. This series is 10 be
issued monthly, a. 50 q year.