The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1886-01-21
Literary News and Notes.

Joshua b. Lippincott, of the well-known book
publishing firm, is dead.
George Bancroft is writing Il historical and
critical review of the late legal tender decision
of the Supreme Court.
Mrs. Bancroft, the wife of the historian, is
said to be preparing a volume of her reminis-
cences and experiences.
Edmund Clarence Ste,lman contributes de-
scriptive poem, :'IIebe,'' to the February Cen
tury, which is illustrated by Geo. Butler and
Sidney Smith.
The noveists profession is apparently be-
coming hereditary. Not to speak of Miss
Thackeray, Mr.. Julian Hawthorne. and other
| well known instances, 4 daughter or Mr.. How
ellis is making ready to try her hand at fiction:
a daughter of Mrs A. d. 7. Whitney has
novel in press; son of Mr.. William Black has
begun to write chldren's stories, and a sister
of Mr.. E. p. Roe will give the world
novel. 1t may be added that Mr.. J. II. McCar-
thy, a son of Mr.. Justin Mccarthy, is about to
publish story.
Lee & Shepard have in press: ''Haphazard
:
Lanman. author of 'tPrivate Life Of Daniel
Webster"; Undcrwood's ''IIandbook of Eng
lish History" based on lectures on English
history by NJ. j. Guest and brought down to
the year 1880, witha supplementary chapter on
the English literature of the nineteenth cen
tury, by Francis II. Underwood; young Peo-
pies England" by George NJ. Towlc, author
of the ''IIeroes of History" and ''IIintS on
Languages" by Superintendent Bent of the
Clinton, Mass, schools.
In the january number Of the Brooklyn
Magazine five prominent citizens of Brooklyn
discuss the question of the annexation of that
city to New York; there is the continuation of
story by Rev. Robert Collyer; two more
chapters of Mrs. Admiral Dahlgren's Southern
novel; a goS>ipy paper on Mary Anderson by
Mrs. Li>le Lester: an article ON "Thc Glad
New Year from Miss Agnes Carr SAGE: poems
and papers from Donald G. MITCHELL George
II. Boxer George Bird>eyc, General J. Mere
dith Read, Mrs. n. \. Monfort. and Other
famous writers, and one of the best contrihu-
tons by Mrs. Henry Ward Beecher on how to
make a home happy which we have vet read
from the pen of this gifted lady. The twenty
five pages of miscellany which follow make up
an excellent number.
The remarkable letter written by Lincoln to
Grant just before the opening of the Wilder
ness campaign, closing with the words, "And
now, with brave army, and Il Just cause, may
God sustain YOU" is i'll the possession of Gen.
Badeau, and has been reproduced in fac-simile
for the February Century, to accompany Gen.
Grants article, ''Prcparing for the Wilderness
Campaign.' Gen. Badeau States that General
Grant was ''aWays careless about his papers.
and private or scm-otlcial ones Were often
thrust into his pockets, where they remained
for months. In some such way Mr.. Lincoln'>
beautiful God->peed was mi>Iaid. Gen. Grant
had forgotten it> existence, until, in 1866, |
came across it in my researches for my history
of his campaigns. He was SO pleased ut the
discovery, or recovery, that he gave me the
original letter at the time.
The current interest in the state of our navy
and of our coast dcfcnces will find new food in
"A review of the actual condition of The Brit
i>h Navy" by no less an authority than Sir
Edward Reed, who was for many wears ut the
head of its bureau of construction. 1t is rather
curious for an English cN-otlcial to write on
such subject for an American magazine, but
the appearance of such paper emphasizes the
international relations of our two Illustrated
monthlicS. one of the most interesting feat
ures of the article is it, full ana hearty uclnowT-
ed"ment of ''the indebtedness of Great Britain
and of Europe to the United States for some
invaluable lessons in naval construction and
| naval warfare, which We're derived from the
heroic efforts of their great civil war; Sir
Edward Reed was in charge of construction in
the British admiralty during the latter part Of
our war and for some years afterwards, and
developed tile present system Of English iron
cla's Besides numerous diagrams and seq
tion~, the paper will be illustrated BY pictures
of many of the eading->hip>. several OF them in
noteworthy full-page en@raving-. and il will be
accompanied by a stirring fronti>picrc picture
of THE Battle Of Trafalgar" the last Great
| contest Of the old inc-of-battlc ships. drawn by
j. q. Davidson.