The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-03-12
THE FIELD OF LITERATURE.


nEc1T,yV OTHER POEMS. by NJ. j. SerTanO. u.
p Putnams Sons, New York; Merrill, Megs " Co.,
Indianapolis Price, 81
The title poem of this pretty little volume
covering some 100 pages while possessing some
fine features, is ambitious above the authors
power. The greatest fault perhaps, is the in
volved style, instances recurring so frequently
as to keep the mind almost constantly engaged
in disentangling sentences that might have been
stronger if more naturally arranged Take
specimen from Canto Second:
81 thought my heart within me dead.
Lay there, by Fate's sharp arrow slain
With happiness; but undyhg pain
A sieepess vulture, gnaws the heart
To joys divine that would aspire
On earth from heaven immortal fire.
Seeking to bring with fatal art.
There are, however, many excellent passages,
and the poem on the whole is good. The re
manning fifty pages of the book are taken up
with shorter poems on serious topics
THE CONQUEST OF ENGLAND. BY John Richard
Green, NJ. A., LII. d. With portrait and maps.
Harper & Brothers, New York. Merrill, Meigs 81
Co., indianapolis.
The reader is won at the outset by the beauti-
fully printed pages of this handsome volume, the
type being large, clear and Clearly printed But
the chief merit of the work lies in the worth of
the facts here so carefully arranged and so in
Lellg6nUl4 presented. Inc duJuOfS ItScdICuto
must have been very exhaustive, and the maps
he prepared go far toward simplifying the text.
The book is all the more great and lasting
credit to its author since it was wrought from
days of labor won from impending death, which
at last overlook him before it was revised as he
had contemplated.
BENNER's Prophecies. By Samuel Benner. Rob
ert Clark & Co, Cincinnati.
The author is an Ohio farmer, apparently gone
daft ON the subject of statistics, from study of
which he very confidently predicts the future
ups and downs in prices; what years to make
money on plgiron, hogs, corn and provisions. 1t
is a marvel that the world has been compelled to
wait so long for the philosophers stone and then
have it picked up by no philosopher at all in its
ancient accepted sense There is no need of ex-
appreciated To those who like this kind of
book, it will doubtless prove acceptable
CURIOUS MYTHS OF THE MIDDLE AGES BY s. Bar
ingGOuld NJ a. John b. Alden, New York. Price,
80 cents.
A little book, replete with interest, from cover
to cover. Among the myths traced to their very
simple origins are: '"The Wandering jew" 1.-THE
Seven Sleepers of Ephesus," civilian Tell, -
"The Dog Gellert," 1.-THE Man in the Moon, F"
"The Fortunate Isles" and many others of like
antiquity. To many it will be an ungracous
thing to uncover the graves of these legends and
strip them of their chief glory But by others
it will be welcomed and to all it will prove en-
pertaining and instructive.
SALMAGUNDI By Washington Irving. John B.
Alden New York Paper 275 PIP, 20 cents.
Of the excellent Irving Library in which
much of the best things of English literature
have already appeared and more being added
weekly. In addition to Salmagundi are issued
this week in paper 'SOme Twice told Tales, ,
Hawthorne, cents; IA Century's Message, "
Andrew Dickson Waite, LII D., 3 cents; "Con-
versation" Thomas DeQuincey, 3 cents No
better literature can be found than the publisher
of this sfgies gives to the public, and none so
cheap.
LUTHER ANECDOTES AND LUTHERs TABLE TALK.
Edited b. Dr. Macauay. John B. Alden, New York.
Paper cents and cents, respectively.
John B Alden also issues Life of George
Muller" cents: "Some of My Pets" Grace
Greenwood; Public Health, Edward Orion,
LID; Hermann and Dorothea," cents
Alden is doing more, through low prices to popu-
lariEe good reading than is any other firm in the
country. His sales must be enormous
ANCIENT EGYPT UNDER TIE PHARAoHs. BY John
Kenrick, NJ. A. Vol. l. John b. Alden, New York
Price 81.
Like all of Alden's popular publications, a
marvelously cheap book, containing SOP pages
bound in cloth and illustrated. A scholarly his
tory of the people and events of ancient Egypt
prepared with the utmost care and after thor
ough research of documents and tour of inves-
tigation.
THE PAGANs. By Arlo Bates. Henry Holt & Co.
New York. Bowen Stewart & Co., indianapolis.
Price 81.
This is not dissertation on the socalled
attention. but a society novel, story taken
from sketched on the lives of number of
fraternizing young artists. The book is No 2
of the American Novel series by this house
PRUsIUs. Romance of Ancient Rome By Ernst
Ecksten. Two volumes From the German by
Clara Bell. William $. Gottsberger New York
Paper; so cents per volume.
Magazines.
The keynote contains fine wood-cut of Marie
Van Zandt.
The Spectator published presumably at st
Louis presents portrait of Miss Mackey as an
American Type of Beauty" Ministers and
saints defend us. A magazine destroys its in
f1uence by indulging in wholesale libel like that
The Sanitarian for March contains papers on
Physical Training" Sanitary Relations of
Geology and Topography" Chemistry in its
Relations to Domestic Life" 'Viennese Bread :"
Ventilation" ''Simple Tests for Purity Of
Water Potato Pancakes" use of Tobacco, y
etc.