The Portland daily press., 1885-07-08
NEW PUBLICATIONS.

Vain Forebodings. By E. Oswald. Trans
lated from the German by Mrs. A. L. Wister.
philadelphia: j. B. Lippincott Company.)
1t will be remembered what an immediate
and remarkable popularity was achieved by
novel called The Old Nam sells Secret, by
E. Marlitt, which was translated into Eng
fish by Mrs. Wister and is said to have had
more readers than any story except Uncle
Toms Cabin. According to the Nation, E.
Marlltt is the pseudonym of an elderly mai
den lady named Eugenia Johns, who lives in
small town of Central Germany So sue
cessful was her first book that the conduc-
tors OF the Gartenlaube not only published
all that Miss Johns could write, but looked
about for further supply of the same sort,
and so successfully that several ladies, under
masculine pseudonyms, furnished novels
even more clever than the original story
which created the demand. The names of
these latter writers will be remembered in
connection with Mrs Wister's delightful
translations, notably E. Werner, L. Hartner.
w. Heinberger, etc. Directly after their APP
pearance in the Garteulaube Mrs. Wister has
turned these stories into English, and her
name upon the title page as translator is suf-
ficient to insure the success of any book.
The German critics cry out that the Garteu
laube noyelists are driving Freytag, Heyse
and Keller from the market, but in fact
these writers are Of so different an order that
no comparisons need be made. But if the
writings of Heyse, for instance, are critically
superior to those of Miss Johns, there would
be no question as to which is the purer.
sweeter, more wholesome, The Witch of the
Corso or The Old Mamsells Secret.
The latest of Mrs. Wister's translations.
Vain Forebodings, is one of the best, where
all are good. 1t is an enchanting story in
setting Of pastoral beauty, and is as fresh
and clean as landscape after a shower
The woodlands, the hills, the lakes are
brought to ones vision glowing with life and
color, and against this wonderful background
is set a .romanee equally picturesque and
vivid. 1t is the story of young German
officer of the Uhlans, the last of three sons.
His brothers have died insane, while yet
there is no such hereditary faint in the family,
and our hero has morbid idea that he is to
be overtaken with like fate. When the
woman whom he desperately loves deserts
him and marries another man. he actually
has an attack of acute mania, which is fol-
lowed by a settled melancholy Then comes
subtle analysis of the loss of will power. Of
the weakening of the will by self-induIgence
and lack of self-control, and of the methods
by which these difficulties are overcome. and
the gradual process by which the strength of
the will is restored and exerted for the bene-
fit and final re-establishment of health. OF
pOurSQ fhnrQ iC OH Al
which this thread of metaphysics runs, and
more lovely creation than the heroine one
seldom finds. The other characters are excel
lently drawn, and there is no sacrifice of mi
nor details, but the most trifing touches are
made by the hand of an artist and add To the
perfectness of the picture. That the trasIa-
tors work is done as no one else in this conn
try could have done it goes without saving.
Colonel Enderby's Wife. A novel. By
Lucas Malet (New York: d. Appleton & |
Co.; Portland Hoyt, Fogg & Donham.) It
has only recently become known that Lucas
Malet is the pen name of Mrs. Harrison. a
daughter of Charles Kingsley, and this
knowledge makes us quite eager to read |
what she has written. Colonel Enderby's
Vile is very charming story, but a sad |
one. 1t is told with much power and pathos |
and the tale seems quite natural and proba- |
BILE. Mrs. Harrison's hero is a man already |
past forty when first introduced to us. and |
he seems to be one who is always suffering |
from the sins of others. Kind, generous and |
man without vices, misfor- |
tune follows in his footsteps, and he is the |
victim, from the beginning to the unhappy |
ending of his life, of the most painful cir
cumstances. This is the dark side of the
picture, while there is much that is bright,
CHEEKY, and great deal that is very delight
ful and clean in this entertaining book. It
IS, III fact, one OF the notable novels of the |
season, and proves that the author inherits |
much of the talent of her father, who is so |
lear to American hearts
Upon Cast. By Charlotte Dunning.
New York: Harper & Brothers. Portland
Lorlng, Short Il Harmony. Upon Cast is
IN unusually bright and pretty story, with. |
'ut being remarkable for either power or
There is very good girl for
heroine, who is chaperoned by an amiable
md accommodating aunt. There are two |
overs, one of whom Carol would have fallen
n love with had she not aScertained that he |
lad concealed from her the fact that he al
eady had wife. The other lover unfortu-
lately had jealous mother who would have
made bad mOther-in-law, and who threat |
ned to cut her son off with a shilling if he
married anybody. However, lover number |
ne is punished for his deceit, and when his |
wife OPPORTUNITY dies Carol will not replace |
er. The jealous mother has summary JUS
ice dealt her, and lover number two marries |
ur heroine, and all ends happily for this |
air. The moral of the story seems to be, be
God and you will be happy and in the end
ct what you want.
A Superior Woman. No Name Series.
5oSton: Roberts Brothers; Portland: Lor-
,g, Short q Harmony We are accustomed
think the mo Name" series of novels very |
ood OF their kind, and A Superior Woman
no exception to the rule 1t is not pre-
'ntlous story, but is well and simply told in |
bright, attractive style, and is thoroughly |
lcceSstul IN interesting and satisfying the | !
,ader. The hero declares himself to he in |
eed OF wife, and goes on quest for ga
lperior woman" while all the while the
lperior woman is quietly waiting for him in
IS own home in the person of an adopted |
Ster, with whom it has never occurred to |
m to fall in love. SO this modern Coelebs, /;
ter vain wanderings comes back to find n
We waiting for him at his own hearthstone i
I'd two people are made happy. One charm 9