The Portland daily press., 1889-05-06


yenient Bohn's Library are translation of
PROFESSOR Reinhold Pauli's monograph upon
oiver cromwell. and Edmund Burke's IA
nous treat'se on The Sublime and Beautiful
Lovers OF useful editions of standard books,
ana readers interested in special departments
VIII do well to consult the list of works con-
'aineu IN the Bohn Library. as appended to
eacn volume. London: George Bell & Sons I;
Portland; Loring, Short & Harmony
Inc Mouse-Trap. and Other Farces. By
W'D. Howells. (New York: Harper &
brotners. Portland; Lorlng, Short & Har-
mon] III is only the irresistible smile of these
little comedies that delays for moment ap-
probation Of their really exquisite art. Their
heid is so limited, their personnel so simple
merely group of well-bred citizens of Bos-
ton, irreproachable in all that they say-and
leave unsaid-that the inexhaustible inven-
ton and humor of Mr.. Howells display all
their nimble resources The surprises of the
play are mostly due to the caprices of the
overstrung consciences and sensibilities of
the ladies-except when an illusion worthy
OF Don Quixote of Commonwealth Avenue
inspires the valor of an amateur Garroter.
And in this last case, how deity does the
author waive the honor of invention, in ia
vor Of the local paragrapher of daily paper |
1t is fortunate idea to make the same per-
sonages appear in the various comedies land
1t is quite startling to see how clearly Mr..
Howells has been able to differentiate his
pretty fools; the idiocies of Amy, for in
stance, coquette, disposable. trifie egoist,
may not at all be COMPOUNDED with those of
Agnes. emotional. devoted, whose egoism
embraces also her husband and children.
Mrs Curwen, frisky matron of Boston, is
labelled dangerous in very minute but very
legible lettering. OF the men, the returned
Californian. Willis Campbell, is by far the
most agreeable; one also believes that he is
most nearly the: elect mouthpiece of Mr..
Howells's own witty fancies. A refreshing
breeze Of common sense floats into the last
of the farces, in the personality of Miss
Greenway, with surprising effect; and yet,
had she appeared saner, the comic atmos
phere would have been dispersed Perhaps
there is not another English writer of
comedies who can create such dainty
dramas out of next to nothing as deftly as
does MIR. Howells; it may be observed, how
ever, that these women whose want of a
head seems to grow upon them," these men
SO adoringly, and adorably. tolerant are per-
haps entirely of the world, irresponsible and
gayly caricatured, of comedy. Here, in
these farces, they are quite at home and in
place; but they have already too much inyad-
ed novels which are understood to be the ex
pressions of Mr.. Howells' serious ideals of
fiction, where it is not possible to accept
them as realistic types. Their delicious incon-
sequence, their epigrammic imbecility rem
der them veritable discovery in the line of
pure comedy. By the way, the Mouse-Trap
and its companion pieces will be found pre-
cisely suited to amateur theatricals at sum.
mer resorts.
A Quaker Girl of Nantucket. By Mary
Catharine Lee. Boston: Houghton & Mif-
film. Portland Loring, Short & Harmony
The charm of this story of the life of an
imaginative little maiden brought up among
the quiet congregation of Friends. is in its
clear and pleasant portrayal of Nantucket as
it was quarter-century ago. The tenderness
humor and descriptive talent of the writer
are of rare quality; while she is less apt in
the unraveling of a plot which involves a
question of identity; and the introduction
of the worlds people" rather mars than re-
inforces the delicate sketch. Altogether the
story is charming and quite apart from the
usual crowd of fiction. Since it is difficult
to say whether it is written for young or for
elder readers, itmay be safely recommended
to all as singularly refined and picturesque
study of an interesting locality.