Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1885-07-11
NEW PUBLICATIONS.

"Obiter Dcta is the title of a neat vol
ume octave. received from A. L. Bancroft
| & Co.. San Francisco, published by Serb
ners Sons, New York, and sold at 81. 1t is
a volume of essays, originally issued in
| London, and which met with such success
as to warrant an American edition The
! ESSAYS are seven in number and treat of
| Carlisle" Browning" " Truth Hunt
ing" Actors" A Rogue's Memoirs,
The Via Media and Falstatf.' They
are all pervaded by the humorous spirit,
and impress the reader as having been
written while at perfect ease, and in that
semi-nonchalent spirit that makes the
! critic caustic in his wit and yet broad and
reHshable in his humor. Fairness of spirit
aud the Cenerousness of Judgment make
the ESSAYS very pleasant reading. The au-
| thor realized that one of the direct APP
proaches 10 the understanding of the
| reader is By and through methods
| of fair treatment and large-heartcdness.
! The little volume does much to reconcile
rs to the brotherhood of critics, which has
| heretofore done so much 10 set the world
| against it, in lis failure to realize that in
| ciSiveness need Tot he of necessity the
| child of a disposition TO rend and destroy.
| For clear and easy critical writing. clothed
! in a delicious hum0r, we commend the fol
"
be the hight Of ungeneroSity to blame q
| woman for following the only regular pro-
! feSsion commanding fame and fortune the
| kind consideration Of man has left open to
! her For two centuries women have been
free to follow this profession, oneroIls and
exacting though it be, and by doing 50 have
| won the rapturOuS applause 81 generations
Of men. who are ali ready enough to be
lieve that where their pleasure is involved
no risks of life or honor are too great for a
woman to run. 1t is only when the
latter, tired Of the shamS of life,
would pursue the realities that we become
alive to the fact - hitherto, | suppose,
etudiously concealed from us--how frail
and feeble creature she is" So, too, in
the chapter on TRUTH Hurting occur these
happy passages along with score of others
in an ocean Of sharp philosophical text
that is as clear as Il mountain spring
| Nothing so much tends to blur moral
distinctions and TO Obliterate plain duties
as the free indulgence of speculative habits.
We must know many a sorry scrub who
has fairly talked himself into the belief
that nothing but his intellectual difficulties
prevents him from being another ST.
Francis We think we could suggest a score
of other difficulties. Would it not be
better for most people If, instead
of stufiing their heads with controversy,
they were TO devote their scanty leisure to
reading books : which are cTammed
full Of activities and heroisms, and which
force upon the readers mind the healthy
conviction that, after all, whatever mystic
rieS may appertain to mind and matter
and Notwithstanding grave doubts as to the
authenticity Of the Fourth Gospel, it is
bravery, truth and honor, LOYALTY and hard
work, each man at his post which make
this planet inhabitable.
From Harper & Bros, New York.
through A. l.. Bancroft & Co., San Francis
co, come three tuck-cOver volumes III leather
that are entitled Harper's Hand Book for
Travellers in Europe and the East I'm
clasping the tuck and opening the books,
each volume is found 10 have two pockets,
each pocket containing from one to three
neatly-folded maps, that open out into very
large form, and are very detailed in their
drawing and exhaustive in their references.
The text Of the volumes is also supple
mented by great number Of lesser maps
folding between the pages. The matter
treats of various routes Of travel each one
numbered III Great Britain, Ireland,
France. Belgium. Holland Switzerland,
Tyrol, Denmark, Norway, Sweden; Russia,
Spain, Portugal Germany, Austria, Italy,
Egypt, Syria, Turkey and Greece. The text
is exhaustive on all the topics Of scenery,
places Of historic interest, statistics of cOun-
tries etc These hand-books were first
issued in 1861. and new edition has APP
peared each year since. They are now-as
might be safely assumed from that fact
very nearly perfect. and about as elaborate
and exhaustive as Il is possible for hand
books 10 be and ~ retain their character
Birds in the Bush is a volume by
Bradford Torrcy, published by Houghton,
Mitfiin 3 Co, Boston, and for sale by G. S.
HOughtOn, Sacramento, at 81 %. 1t con-
sists Of eleven papers on Boston Common
and the birds thereab0ut, by one who has
studied the habits OF the birds from both the
poetic and the practical point Of view,
lie writes of birds Is one would
OF men whom he has critically observed.
The style is graceful, the humor charm
ingly bright, the philosophy gentle and
true, while there is great deal of the truths
and facts Of natural history presented III q
new garb. The chapter on bird songs and
why birds sing is a delightful one, full OF
facts and rich in sweet tancies. Character
III Feathers In the White Mountains, Phil
Ida and Gordon. Scraplng an Acquaint-
ance, Minor Songsters. Winter Birds About
Boston, A Bird Lovers April, An Owls
Head Holiday and \ Months Music are
the titles Of the remaining chapters.
From the press of D. Lothrop & Co.
Boston, through the house of A. L. Ban
croft & Co., San Francisco we have vol
ume entitled " Alaska, Its Southern Coast
and the Sitkan Archipelago by f. Rub
a-:!ah ScidmOre 1t is freely explained by
maps and profilsely illustrated The author
spent several summers in the Sitkan region,
and gives the results of her observations in
a very interesting narrative. She is
graphic writer, is strong in descriptive pow
ers and has the grace and finish OF the
scholar to whom style has been matter OF
conscience. She disabuses the readers
mind of the prevalent idea that Alaska is
barren and inhOspitable region, and re-
gion Of almost constant snow and ice, save
in isolated spots. So far as grand and
inspiring scenery is concerned, the lady
presents Alaska and the Archipelago as
surprisingly rich and beautiful.
The Current Chicago maintains itself
admirably upon the high plane OF excel
lence to which it has attained. 1t is crit
cal aud literary journal occupying an
independent field of almost boundless eX-
tent. In the number for the week ending
July 1th, besides the reviews, incisiye edi-
tovials and current expressions, there are
brief papers by Professor Swing ON various
topics +. 2. ROes continued story; Chas.
J. D Naliey's BY Marsh and Pool third
paper; the second article by W. C. Bruce
on The Duel in America; > paper on
Illinois Colonial Records, " by Chas, DIM
TRY; an article on Amateur Photo
graphy.n by G. c. Matthews, and other
Contributions by writers OF merit on topics
Of broad interest.
Among the latest numbers of the Har-
pers " Franklin Square Library series IS
the novel Betwixt My Love and Me,
written by the author of Christiana North,
Under the Lines etc. For sale by A. l..
Bancroft IL Co. San Francisco.
\ Russian traveller predicts that Tibet
will prove to he a second California, as
during recent visit there he found the
natives god-washing in the crudest way,
but win the richest results.
\ new kind of fish is said to have been