Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1886-03-30
Book Notices.

A UNIQUE CYcLoPEDIA.-An extremely
valuable Cyclopedia, and of very great popular
interest is Alden's Cyclopedi1 of Uniuersdl Lit
erdtUre, Volume II. of which is just published.
Novel in plan. and novel in form. at once beau
Iiful and convenient, and at u price low even
compared with Mr.. Alden's always low prices.
this volume gives in its nearly 500 pag ges bio
graphical sketches of one hundred and eleven
prominent authors. with characteristic selec-
tions from their writings. The following au-
thors. among others, appear in this volume ::
Audubon. st. Augustine, D'Auvergne. Bacon.
BalZac. Bancroft, Banim, Barbauld. Beaumont,
Reccher (scveral of the uume.) Bcnthanl, BiOn.
Bjornson, Black (William). Blackstone, Bles-
singtOn Countess of. and BOccacciO; thus
representing nearly all ages and all nations
even in this volume-Amcrican, English,
French. German. Italian. Greek, Latin, Swcd-
ish. Portuguese. Scotch, Dutch. Irish, Norwegian
and Danish auth0rs-from the period $50 B. c.
to A. d. 1886. The literary and mechanical
workmanship are both of a high order. The
work Is really one that ought to find q place in
every home library it offers fund of enter
tainnient and instruction that will prove we'll
nigh incxhaustahlc. The price, only co cents
q volume. makes its possession possible even TO
nearly every schoOl-bOy. The work is published
also in Parts of 100 pages each (exchangeable
at any time for bound vOlunes). which are
sent postpaid for Is cents each. Every reader
of this notice ought to get at least n specimen
Part for examination. JOHN B. ALDES, Pub
Usher, New York.
HARPER's MAGAZINE for April is q fine num-
ber. Charles D ldley Warner. Phil. Robinson.
1elen Hunt jackson. z. P. Roe. X. D. Black
more, Constance r. WOolsou. Frank Wilkeson.
George VIM. Curtis, Vim. Dean Howells are on
its table of contents. In its illustrations Abbey
continues ''She Stoops to Conquer :" w. II.
Gibson has some particularly soft drawings of
fancy pigeons G. s. Reinhart gives us scenes
at Fortress Monroe and along the coast, and
Alfred Parsons illustrates Blackmore's novel of
81 Springhaveu." commenced in this number.
1t opens in u way to make US hope Blackmore
will be at his best. which, in Lorna Doone and
other works. is very good indeed. and not at
his worst, which in this uneven writer Is very
bad.
GoDET's LADY's Book for April opens with
a charming frontispiece engraving of Spring
time" The fashions and work designs are ar
tistic in color and conception. With the pres
eut number, a new story of French society. en-
titled "A Coronet of Thorns." by J. V. Prich-
ard opens with considerable ecLdf, and there
are several short stories of decided strength and
originality. az An April Fool" is a comical ac-
count of q woman's discontinue which ended
happily in a sweet recompeuse. a poem LAS
ter Bells" by Minerva Bond. and some Charm
ing lines on "ApriI' by Joseph Barnett Cow
din help to make up n number of exceptional
strength.
The April BIvoUAc wil1 have the first of two
illustrated articles on the Virginia Cavaliers,
written by Miss K. II. Rowland of Baltimore.
The illustrations are portraits from q number
of old photographs and are unusually inter
estiDg-