The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1885-08-29

ana all tne characters of the story. SilaS
and Persis, his wife. are very amusing PEG.
pie, but never appear ridiculous or excite
contempt. Irene is a beauty, of type very
common in America, and Penelope is no less
common, and in the eye of many honest
young fellows besides Tom Corey, shines
by her sense, wit and unselfish good nature,
if not by beauty.
Airs well that ends as well as the fortunes
of these young lovers. Many such there be
and will be while the world moves on. The
sum OF it is, in Silas Lapham we have an ad-
mirable story of average American life, re-
alistic story almost like photograph in its
fidelity to facts, and yet tale as pathetic,
and in point of real human interest, hardly
inferior to the immortal Vicar of Wakefield.
1t will be observed we have not attempted to
solve the social problem presented in the
story by the author. That would require a
much more extended notice than this.
The American Version of the Book of
Psalms. Edited by John G. Lansing, DID,,
Professor Theological Seminary, Bruins
wick, N. j., (New York: Fords, Howard &
Hulburt.) 1t will be remembered that the
readings proposed by the American Reyisers
of the Old Testament so far as they were
not accepted by the English Committee
were published in the form of an appendix
The present version of the Psalms reversed
this order. The emendations of the Ameri-
can reyisers are all incorporated in the text,
while the English enendations are put into
an appendix. The object of this is to show
hat coIx II L
radical views of American scholars were car
ried out. Thus the American scholars agreed
in preferring to retain the Hebrew word .Je-
hocGh throughout the Old Testament to the
common rendering Lord. This gives a very
different sound to the Psalms with which we
are most familiar, and at first, the change is
not an agreeable one. The argument is that
Jehovah is God's name as the Guide and Re-
deemer of man. But it may be replied that
it is rather the Jewish tribal name for the
Deity, and SO an appellation not so universal
as Lord. Take for example the Sixth Psalm
or any other to test the theology
A Popular History of Russia From the
Earliest Times to 1882 By Alfred Rambaud
Translated by L. B. Lang. CNew York
Harper & Brothers; Portland Loring, Short
d Harmony M. Rambaud in this work has
admirably supplied long felt want 1t is
sufficiently full for the purposes of the his
torical student and not too full for the general
reader 1t occupies place between the dry
compendium with all but the bare facts
squeezed out and the dreary exhaustive his
tory. The work wears the crown of the
French academy which is sufficient gnaran-
ty of its trustWorthiness. NJ Rambaud
has long been recognized as a sound authori-
ty upon all subjects connected with the great
Empire of whidh he writes, and his history
will take its place as standard. The large
and constantly increasing prominence of
Russia as continental power, and especially
the recent controversy with England have
greatly stimulated the interest of the public
in everything that pertains to her past histo-
ry, her present condition and her future. NJ
Rambaud's work admirably supplies all that it
Is necessary to know about her past, and it is
to be commended as the best general history
of Russia that has yet made it's appearance.
The TRANSMITTING has been well done.
After All A novel. By Lillian Spencer.
Chicago: S. c. Griggs & Co.. "After ALP
is sensational English story, but written in
imitation of French models and of course
abounds in passionate descriptions and har-
rowing details The writer has good de-
scriptiye power, and when she has had
some experiences of life and has toned down
so as to feel and write on the plane of the
actual, she will probably produce work of
greater merit than after ALL
1t is pity that young woman who had
real talent and means to inculcate a sound
morality should not know how to tell her
story in a manner that will not minister.
pathologically in an evil sense, to a mind dis
eased. The errors of the lheroine's life are
too numerous, and follow each other in such
rapid succession as to allow of no repose.
In a word the authoress is too lavish of her
high colors, and has too many hysterical sit
uations.
A recent volume in the Harper Handy Sc
ries is Miss Keith's Crime; in Lippincott's
Series Barbara Heathcote's Trial, by Rosa
N. Carey Recent issues in Harper's Frank
lin Square Library are Lady Lovelace novs
ell, by G. L. Pirkis and A Coquette's Con-
uueSt novel nv Rasil