The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1886-01-30
MAGAZINE NOTICES.

A peculiar interest attaches to General Grants
Preparing for the Wilderness Campaign in the
February Century Here he is dealing with his
plans for the last grand campaign, extending from
the James round to Nashville, Atlanta and the
sea- and which gave the Confederacy the death
hug. A fac-simile of Lincolh's "God-speedn letter
to Grant, written few days before the Wilder
ness battle, accompanies the article; also a char
acterstic anecdote of Grant during the battle, by
Charles Carleton Coffin, who observed the Incl
dent described. Anecdotes of McClelan's Bravery,
by one of his officers who was a companion in
arms as far back rs the Mexican war, lends addi-
tonal interest to the wartime portrait OF McClel-
Ian, which is the frontispiece of the number. I'm
der the laconic title, Our March against Pope,
General Longstreet gives the Confederate view of
the Second Bull Run campaign, with some caustic
criticisms and amusing anecdotes. The paper is
profuSely illustrated, as is also With Jackson's
Foot,cayalry at the Second Manassas, by Allen
Redrood, who describes the humors and hard !.
ships of private. In Memoranda Of the Civil
War General William +. Smith and others offer
Comments on General Grants Chattanooga, and
General Erasmus D. Keys describes the services
of The Rear Gnard after Malvern Hill. Antoine
Louis Barge, the French sculptor is the subject of
abe on e
Lance in Place Congo. City Dwellings, attrac-
lively Illustrate is the subject of Mrn Van Rens
salaerS NTH paper on Recent American Archi-
lecture In fiction there are the opening chapters
of Mr.. Howells's new story, The Minister'S
Charge: The fourth part of Mary Hallock Foote'S
story of Western life, John Bodewin's Testimony
characteristic sketches. The short stories of the
The Borrowed Month, by Frank r. stockton and
a dialect sketch of Georgian life, An Unfortunit
Creetur, by Mat Grim. Edmund C. Stedman con-
tributes notable poem, Hebe, which name is
seen from the illustrations accompanying, to be-
long to a li0ness that played the executioner'S
part in lovers revenge. The other poems are
by Rose Hawthorne Lathrop, the late Sidney La
nier, and others.
The Magazine of Art for February is a charming
number, and is ushered in by poem from the pen
of Austin Dobson, Illustrated by the pencil of
Randolph Caldecott. The first article is Bucking-
ham Palace, described so wildly with pen and
pencil as to open ones Republican eyes with Won
der at so much royal grandeur. The little poem,
A Song of the Road by r. L. Stevenson, brings
him back to certain simplicity and he is got well
in hand for this work-a-day world by the time he
has read the story of David Neals Struggles and
Successes In the paper on the Romance of Art
we have the story of A Faith Healing Academi-
clan, while in a more practical line we are given
a chapter on Tables and Table Customs. This is
followed by an interesting account of John Boy
ASsyria. The ancient city of Chester is described
with pen and pencil The art.of sketching is writ
ten ABOUT ana we give some excellent examples OF
what can be done in this way. The Age of Louis
the XIV. is discussed by the editor Of the maya
zine apropos OF M. Charles LeBrun's book, and
we are shown page portrait OF M0llere as Julius
Caesar in the tragedy of Pompee.
st. Nicholas for February has a richly varied
table of contents. Among those articles which
may be classed as timely is an outdoor sketch,
entitled disappearing Through the fee, which
shows how some clever boys improved on an in
genious Indian mode of fishing; Badminton, a
sort of indoor tennis for winter days. is the sub
ject of paper by G. L. Norton; Sophie SWEET has
an amusing coasting story, called The Girl who
Lost Her Pocket; and there are bright Valentine
verses by Elizabeth Cummings, and Others Then
appropriate to February 22d Is the second Install
ment Of Horace E. Scudder's George Washington:
and the comparison between the governments of
England and America, in Among the Lawmakers,
will interest all patriotic boys andgirls.
The February number of the Atlantic opens with
a long instalment of Henry James's Princess
Casamassima This is followed by charming
poem called The Homestead, by Mr.. Whittier,
which describes exquisitely adeserted New Eng
land farmhouse Ministerial Responsibility and
the Constitution is the title of a paper by Abbott
Lawrence Lowell, contrasting the differences of
the United States government and one which, as
in England, depends upon the individual RESPONSE
bility of the ministers in power. An American
Soldier in China gives most graphic account of
the manner in which Gen. Frederic 7. W ards
achievements in China smoothed the way for "Chi-
nese" Gordon's Military successes, and renders
Gen. Ward tardy justice. Miss Murfree's serial,
In the Clouds, leaves the hero in the most exciting
OF situations. Eleanor Putnam, whose sketches
of old Salem life have attracted so much atten-
ton, has paper on Salem CupboardS and their
contents and Mrs. ELEPHANTS Country Gentleman
is brought to a conclusion.