The Washington critic., 1886-01-07
AMONG THE NEW BOOKS.

terfere.
AMONG THE NEW BOOKS.
Mr.. Charles loves biography of "Prince
Bismarck" is the first comprehensive at
tempt of an English writer to place the life
OF the great German chancellor before the
public in all its relations to the accomplish
ment Of German unity, the internal policy of
the empire and to contemporaneous events
elsewhere. 1t is In two large, well-printed
volumes from the publishing house of Cas-
sell q Co., New York, the one embracing
the period from Waterloo to Versailles, or
the close of the Franco-German war, and
the other from 1871 to 1885, with an intro
duction by Munroe Smith of Columbia
College, N. Y, and two portraits of the
Prince. The work is written with all an
Englshman's hatred of Frenchman, SO to
speak, but Notwithstanding the authors
animus, contains vast amount Of informa-
tion, well collated, and it is to be presumed
sufficiently authoritative to be Of great SER
vice and interest to students of European
affairs, in which Bismarck has been so long
a central and commanding figure. The
book is for sale at Brentano's.
The poetic compositions of Mrs. Lillian
Rozell Messenger, as published In tasteful
volumeUf over a hundred pages by G.. p.
Putnam's Sons, New York, under the quaint
title Of "Fragments from an Old Inn, u are
interspersed with little gems Of prose, char
acterized by the same tenderness of thought
and grace ofexpression that characterize her
rhythmic muse. Mrs Messenger Is one of
the most charming poets Of the South, deal
ing rather with the affections than the pas
sions and weaving her inspiration into verse
with rare combination of deicacy and
power. Perhaps some readers of THE
CRITIC will remember her poem, "Old
Loves" from which the following stanzas
are selected:
They say our earth Is very old,
Though beauty still will pass
Her hand so gently DER the face of all
That is or was,
Until there seems, nor age nor time,
To spirits looking through
The form and sense the idle change between
Us and the true.
And then yon thoughtful azure sky,
In iieecy dreamings yelled,
Wears just the glory robe it wore as when
The darkness paled
Beneath the finger.touch of God;
Flow'rs wear their magic hues
As when His mornings kissed them warm, be-
''oib Va uONS'
From Mr.. Robert Beall we are in receipt
of "My Study, and other Essays" by Dir.
Austin Phelps, Professor Emeritus, in And
over Theological Seminary, author of "Eng-
lish Style in Public DISCOURSE" "The
Theory of Preaching, or Lectures on Homl-
letics,n etc., published by Charles Scrib-
ner's Sons Most of the discussions con-
tanned in this volume are republished from
various periodicals, but have been so much
enlarged that nearly one half of tho mate
rial is entirely new. Much space Is given
to the subject of "Future RetrbutIon" aud
kindred themes, from the orthodox Andover
standpoint.
"The Strange Case of DR.. Jekyll and Mr..
HYDE" by Robert Louis Stevenson, author
of "Treasurc Island, - "Famllar Studies Of
Men and Books" and other works that have
given the author an established literary
rank, has just been published by the Scrb-
ner's and will be found at Beall's,
The poems of Mr. Henry Frank of Chi
cago, many of them never before made pub
lie, have just been published In neat form
"The Skeleton and the Rose aud Gems by
the Waysde," and the author informs us
in his preface that his only apology for the
book is a desire to crafty the oft-repeated
requests of his friends. Mr., Frank is for
tunate and felicitous in many of his IDEAS
but most OF them would look better in the
garb of honest prose than In that OF some
times strained aud stilted rhyme. The best
poem in the collection is the following, en-.
titled "Autumn Scene':
Meier artist dropping veil unnung
From picture more diviney fair,
Than DER the hills and woodlands hung,
All bathed within the halmy air.
Oerbending all the eXpcctant earth,
The mellow skies with rapture hung,
And forestalllng winters dearth,
Praises from the woodlands rung;
A thousand leaflets all bedecked
With splendors of q thousand suns,
With gold, and red and brown o'ercheckel,
While here and there Wild vine runs
Now yellow flush of molten gold
O'ertioods the view from maple boughs
While oaks red-iamlng leaves uphold
Against the SUMS iastiadlng glows.
Hills and raylnes are all aglow
With hazel Of yellow and sumach red
And endless blaze of bilowy flame,
AS far as far us the heavens spread
And 'mong the boughs and leaflets peeplng
The bright blue CLEAN of a lake is seen,
Down by the rushes sweetly sleeping
Where wild ducks skim her beautiful sheen.
But what excuse can there be for the fol-
lowing from Mr.. Franks poem on "IIope"
The dull, dark skies are bending low,
My burque Is skipping fleet;
The gulls swirl wild and leeward go,
Mid clouds of spray and sleet,
The thunders. crack, the lightnings flare,
MY barque Is qulNerlng through;
My eyes, red balls of fire aglare
on phantoms iiercely glue.
For hope Is gone:
Despair Is king,
The waves have none
But agonys ring.
The friends and admirers OF the late
| George b. Mcclellan will all read with
| interest the brochure written by Mr. George
| Ticknor Curtis and published by the APP
| pletons, entitled ''McClellan's Last Service
| to the Republic, together with a Tribute to
his Memory.n 1t is not only the tribute of
friend, but of an impartial historian. 1t
may be seen at Brentano's,
We have also received from Appleton &
| Co., through Brentano, Herbert Spencer S
Ecclesiastical Institutions the volume
constituting the With part Of the authors
elaborate treatise on the "Principes of
Sociology"
Mr.. Robert Beall is in receipt from Lon
don Of a full supply Of "Whitaker's Alma
nackn and "The Financial Reform Alma
nackn for 1886, both of which are publica-
tions Of great value and standard reputa-