The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1886-02-13
TRAGIC RETURN.
Philadelphia Press.
NEW PUBLICATIONS.

NEW PUBLICATIONS.
Harper'S Classical Series for Schools anG
Colleges. The Sixth and Seventh Books Of
Thucydides. By w. A. Lamberton, A. NJ.
Professor of Greek in the Lehigh University
Bethlehem, Penn, New York: Harper
| Bro; Portland; Loring, Short & Harmon.
| These books, the Sixth and Seventh of Thu
| cydides History of the Poloponesian War
| contain the account of the disastrous Athe-
MAN expedition to- Sicily The terrible ca
tastrophe with which that expedition ended
made the final overthrow Of the Athenian
empire inevitable Thucydides thought tive
entire books not too much to devote to events
of such Importance, and on these books he
| expended all the skill of which he was mas
ter. They form the most magnificent and
thrilling narrative in his immortal work. Oh
the Seventh Book Macaulay said: 1T is the
ne Plus ultra of human art" The Athenians
had expected by this enterprise to acquire
new resources for the approaching conflict at
home. When the catastrophe came, Athens
was in despair She had fallen into the pit
which her own hands had digged. Her army
was gone, her docks were empty her treas
ury was drained. Her subjects would re-
volt and the Spartans would appear before
her walls Her last hour of empire, per
haps of independence, was come All Greece
looked for her instant fall.
But in face of all the enemies who FASTENED
to profit by her disaster, there was no
thought Of submission at Athens. Out of the
depths of her despair the city evoked hero
ism, energy and fertility Of resources that as
founded her enemies, and prolonged the war
for eight years more. Do what she might,
however, her doom was sealed. She could
save her honor, but not her empire. At Egg
ospotami, in 4O5 B. c., the last Athenian fleet
was captured by the Spartan Lysander, and
in the following year, Athens was taken and
her walls RACED to the ground. The Athe-
MAN empire, and with it Hellenic nationali-
ty, was destroyed forever
This volume, then, relates to the most
thrilling episode of the great war, and is ed
tied with marked ability. The notes are full
critical and sufficiently extended. The life OF
the historians. well written, and the essay
on his style and idiosyncrasies as historian
adds Interest to the volume. Praised by Gle
ero, initiated by Sallust Thncydides still
stands at the head of all ancient historians
Zeph. Posthumous Story By Helen
| jackson. (H. H. BOSTON, Roberts Broth.
ers; Portland: Loring, Short 81 Harmon
81. III. is one of the most popular of recent
writer's and in the opinion Of some her "Ro
mona" takes rank with George Eliot:
| "Romola" Zeph is a.posthumous work, full
| of life and movement. The characters are
well drawn, and the interest sustained to the
| end, which is given in sketch from the out
| line of the story found among Mrs. Jack
| sons papers. The story was begun by II
| H. in Los Angeles during the winter of 1884
| 5, and put by to be finished on her return
home to Colorado Springs, home she wa;
| destined never to reach. In her last hours
she sent the manuscript to her publisher,
! with this message. Il am very sorry l can
| not finish Zeph. Perhaps it is not worth
publishing in its unfinished state, as the CHIEF
| lesson for which | wrote it was to be forci
bly, told at the end" The end as she had
sketched, however, being given, the story is
rounded out and the moral is by no means
obscure. The many admirers of Mrs. Jack
sons writings will gladly avail themselves
of this opportunity to read these, as the last
lines that proceeded from her gifted pen.
Rachel. By Nina H. Kennard. Boston
Roberts Brothers: Portland: Loring, Short
& HARMONY The compiler of these Memoirs
draws largely from recent volume by Ar.
sene Houssaye, for sometime director of the
Fro nnnic ap6 on init Off fria,1H M
the actress, but she relies chiefly on Rachel's
own letters, as giving the true key to this
extraordinary woman's character. These
letters were written in moments snatched
from the arduous duties of her profession, OF
in the rare periods Of rest she allowed her.
self from her wanderings to and fro. They
show no signs of generalization or pedantry.
She wrote as she talked, easily and wittily
Towards the end they become deeply pathet-
ic as she touches on her own suffering her
disappointed illusions, and her hopes and
fears for the children she loved. Rachel's
genius is undisputed She was woman
richly endowed, and many who admired her
acting will desire to read the record of her
life and drop a tear over her misfortunes
The Garroters. A Farce. By W. D. How
els New York: Harper & Brothers; Port
land: Loring, Short & HARMONY This is
one of Mr.. HowelPs realistic parlor plays
which have frightened an hour and thus
given pleasure to many. The Elevator, Reg
lister and the rest are indeed all of piece,
but the author is careful to secure much va
riety of "details. The characters as well as
the scenes are so diversified that there is
really no repetition to lessen the interest
with which we read or act each successive
piece. Howells has become the delineator
of character and scenes in average American
life. He is intensely realistic and rather
commonplace. His women are below even
the average of every day observation. But
his sentiments are usually good, as is also
the moral of each play or story. we regret
to add that we see no signs of growth In
Howells's recent efforts, and he is In danger
Of deterioratiDg rapidly.
Donovan. Modern Englishman. BY Ed
ma Lyall. New York: D. Appleton d Co;
Portland; Hoyt, Fogg & Donham.) Donovan
Is modem Englishman in the sense that he
passes through phases of thought. experience
and life, which are familiar types of the
present. The author has made a careful and
conscientious study of these types. and has
succeeded in presenting them in the form of
story which abounds in incident and is
never dull. The characters are we'll drawn
and theirindividuality is maintained through
out the volume. Perhaps a little compress