The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1886-10-02
BANK EXAMINATIONS.
Lewiston Journal.
NEW PUBLICATIONS.

MT. Henry M. bTOOkS III nlb Oiueu lime
Series has made quaint and curious collec-
tion of scraps from Boston and Salem news
papers, dating back as far as 1857, which he
has arranged with brief comments, and pub
lished in several small Volumes thus making
a valuable series. Number five. latest issue
treats of Strange and Curious Punishments
In Salem, in 1857, Dorothy Talbot for beat
ing her husband, is ordered to be chained to
post. In 1858, two men in Salem were put
in the stocks for travelling on the Sabbath
and Mary Olion had a cleft stick put on her
tongue for half an hour for slandering the ell
ders. Thomas Maule was whipped for say
ing that Mr.. Higginson preached lies" The
Providence Gazette is authority for the fol-
lowing obituary: ''Died in March, 1905, in
Wayne County, N. c., Rev. Thomas Huies,
an intinerant preacher" A Newbern paper
says: In the saddle bags of this servant of
God and Mammon were found his bible and
a complete apparatus for the stamping and
milling of dollars" Boston: Houghton,
Mifflin& Co.; Portland: Loring, Short &
HARMONY
A London letter to 1.-THE Critic says that
''the sudden and unexpected accession to
popularity of Mr. George Meredith, is a cap
ital sign of the times and it is to be hoped
that the reception of Roberts Brothers beau
tiful edition of the works of this writer may
prove that American as well as English read
ers are coming to a realizing sense of his
wonderful cleverness. Mr. Meredith's style
is strong almost to brutality, bat one of his
books contains wit, wisdom, philosophy,
satire and passion enough to make dozen
ordinary novels, and many of his characters
have an added interest from the fact that
they are portraits. Whitford of The Egoist,
is Lessie Stephen; Diana and Dacier of
Diana of the Crassways are Mrs. Norton
and Sidney Herbert; Sir Austin Ferevel is
the writer himself, and so on indefinitely.
Volume fourth of the American edition is
Sandra Billoni, originally Emilia In Eng
land, and possesses all the bewildering char
acteristics of writer who stands today first
among living English novelists. portland:
Loring, Shert & Harmony,
TIE Story of Spain, by Edward Everett
Hale and Susan Hale. This volume, while
written for young people, is not without
interest for those of maturer growth. In its
literary form it is an admirable piece of
work, as would be expected from the names
on its title page. 1t is nota barren outline
of historical facts, but graphic historical
sketch of the history and growth of coun-
try which for tive thousand years has held
prominent place among the States of Europe.
Spain has ever been the delight of poets and
dramatists The name of Spain is associa-
ted with literature and art, and its history
has furnished themes which have been the
delight of poets and dramatists. Where the
material is So voluminous, selection is diff
cult, but the work in this case has been done
with rare discretion and skill, and not the
least interesting feature of it is the intro
duction Of selections from the writings of
various authors illustrative of many phases
of the subject. (New York and London: G.
P. Putnams Sons; Portland: Loring, Short
& HARMONY
A new edition of Lucy Crawford's Histo-
ny of the White Mountains has just been
published by B. Thurston & Co. 1t is edit
ed by Mr.. Henry Wheelock Ripley, who con-
tributes brief preface to its pages. The
book will be of great interest not only to the
inhabitants of Maine and New Hampshire,
but to the ever increasing throng of summer
visitors from all the world, who are annual
ly seeking health and recreation among these
granite hills. The frontispiece is striking
heliotype portrait of Abel Crawford and an
excellent cut of the familiar countenance of
Mr.. Ripley adorns the pages. The book
contains twenty-four well selected illustra-
tions of fayorite scenes, most of which are
new to the public. This should be choice
gift book to send to distant friends, who may
look back with longing to their visits paid to
the White Mountains in years gone by. Sent
post paid on receipt of $500. III. W. Ripley,
Publisher, Portland, Maine, and Box 166
North Conway, N. H. Portland Loring,
Short & HARMONY.
1t seems pity that writer of the clever
ness and culture of Vernon Lee Miss Violet
Paget) should not put her talents to better
uses. The fewer books that are read and
written of the class to which Baldwin and
other works of this author belong, the better
it will be for the rising generation There
is shallow brilliancy, clever audacity in
the novels and essays of Vernon Lee, which
catch the fancy and win the appreciation OF
a certain class of minds, and the effect is
harmful and vitiating. A more morbid, I'M
wholesome, unnecessary narrative could hard
ly be found than The Phantom Lover, A
Fantastic Story, which is disagreeably clever
and entertaining. Vernon Lee is the Oscar
Wild of literature; but we may hope that her
present intellectual phase will pass off like
the rage for sun flowers, and that her genius
may then flow in more creditable channels.
Boston: Roberts Brothers; Portland: Lor-
ing, Short & Harmon.)
Mr.. Arlo Bates has published dainty lits
tie volume with the title Berries Of the
Brier. His poems are too good to ignore and
too unequal in merit for unlimited praise,
while many of the verses are so musty that
Al ,icrb+ hau xUriffpD las thew