The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1888-09-22
NEW PUBLICATIONS.

personal and exempt from taxation, and she
shall thereupon be assessed for her poll, not
exceeding fifty cents, etc. aN
a NEW PUBLICATIONS.
The Story Of an African Farm. BY Ralph :.
Iron Olive Schreiner). The writer. in her
preface. claims to have laid aside all effort
at fiction in depicting her African scenes,
but to have made them true to unadorned
nature. She says that 1.-THE wild books of
such life' (Rider Haggard's we SUPPOSE
"are best written in Piccadilly or in the \
Strand; there the gifts of the creative imag-
nation, untramelled by. contact with any
fact may spread their wings" This is
bold statement of the lady writer. She has
been there and tells us about 1t truly.
Place an dame: We have never been in
Africa and even II we had-would not pre-
sumo to dispute her, Wewill go so far as to.
say that we enjoy her simple descriptions Of
the cattle. sheep and ostrich farms of that
wonderful and detestable country. How
any human being, who could get away lives
there we have got to discover. But, if our
author is realistic, and therefore simple in
her description of these farms, she is by no
means so in her in her dramatic presentation
Of the people who occupy them-some con-
stantly and others occasionally. Here we
find village Watts, whose talents are never
discovered; a wealth Of beauty and passion
that goes to the bad; patient faith and
enduring love, beautiful self-sacrifce, Hot
tentots, Beers, with an occasional English
man or other foreigner thrown in. Taking
NIT &ba ooffi
ostriches, bugs. moles. lizards, tarantulas,
etc., we get quite bewildered.
1t is difficult to feel much sympathy with
the beautiful and fascinating girl who de-
serts two adorers, one of whom she loves as
a brother, despising the other. The latter,
however. she has promised to marry, but in
spiteof her vows flies with still another,
between whom and herself there has been
EGison during her last year at boarding
school The two best characters in the
story are the silly, confding old German and
EN-" The first third of hebook is taken
up with preposterous red-nosed swindler
named Bonaparte Blenkins, whose stories of
his ewn distinction would not deceive ten
year-old child. but did deceive a large house,
hold. We are unable to discover what he
&Aao W w WIN tlC otoAJs ~ 40 unnCCOccdiJ
to add that this varied tale is full of interest.
New York; Harper & Brothers; Portland;
Loring, Short g. Harmony
Fifty Years Ago. By Walter Besant. This
is valuable and exceedingly interesting con-
tribution to current literature and-one
might almost add-the comic Of the express
sion may be allowed) art Of fifty years ago.
The book, it will be seen, begins with the ac-
cession to the throne Of Queen Victoria. 1t
was about that time when the present era of
English literature began its rise, with Dick
ems, Buiwer, Disraeli. Carlyle. Tennyson
and Browning; and on this side the water,
Irving, Emerson, Charming, Bryant and
Whittier; Scott, Wordsworth, Southey, By
ron and their friends having declined or
passed away. While the text of this book is
Of undoubted value, the most delightful por-
ton Of it is the reproduction of the old illus
trations of London scenes. the portraits of
prominent men Of the time, and the inimita-
bic caricatures Of Cruikshank and Leach.
These are very valuable. Forty-seyen full
page plates reproduce rare pictures and por-
traits from the galleries; and about ninety
wood-cuts show, better than any other coll
lection outside special art works, the charac-
ter, sentiment and humor Of the times, and
are rare specimens for the owner. The en-
cravings alone make this book standard of
great value. New York: Harper & Broth
ers; Portland; Loring, Short & Harmony
Famous American Statesmen. BY Mrs.
Sarah K. Bolton. This book is equally as
interesting as its predecessors in the ''fa-
mousY series, Famous American Authors,
Poor Boys who Became Famous, and Girls
who Became Famous. The sketches, are
short, but the most noteworthy incidents
connected with the lives of these noted men
are well told, and their lives are, as Mrs
Bolton says, "a constant inspiration to both
young and old. They teach patriotism--a
deeper love for and devotion to America.
They teach that life, with some definite and
noble purpose, is worth living" There are
ten of these sketches: Washington, JEFF
ferson, jackson, Franklin, Clay, Webster,
Hamilton, Sumner, Grant and Garfield.
New York: Thomas Y. Crowell& Co.;
Remember the Alamo. BY Amelia K.
Barr. Interesting 40 this story Island
what from this pen is Motive do not con-
template it with entire satisfaction after
reading that charming brochure The Bow of
Orange Ribbon. We think Mrs. Barr to be
out of her element in depicting these stormy
scenes, albeit she has the sensuous of Afri
can life to make large part of her work;
and Notwithstanding she has dealt with war
like times in her most delicate Of books.
Let us say without further criticism that we
welcome anything from this gifted writer,
and If we are not as well pleased with the |
Alamo as with all the other books from the |
same source, 1t is still better than the best of
many another popular author. (New York:
Dodd, Mead & Co.; Portland: Loring. Short |
& HARMONY
Christmas with Grandma Elsie. By Mar |
tina Finley. Perhaps in no direction has |
there been so great improvement of late |
years as In the literature for the young. The
stories for children In this year of grace are
MANY and delightful, and the first Hterdteurs
of the day are not ashamed to give their
time aud talent for the amusement of the
little folks. Christmas with Grandma Elsie
is charming home story, pure In tone, lofty
in sentiment and bright and amusing In
Short just such a book as children love, and
as their elders are glad to have them read.
New York; Dodd, Mead & Co.; Portland:
Loring, Short & Harmony
Malwas revenge By III. Rider Haggard. |
one must nave taste for the horrible TO |
enjoy Mr.. Haggard's latest and fercest per-
formance In the line of fiction. Here we
have again Africa re-hashed and served up
hot and-we might say-heayy There are
horrible monsters, blood-thirsty and cruel.
fierce battles with wild animals, and among
the more civilized smoking, drinking and
living 20 any extent. An old friend Allan