The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1889-12-09
NEW PUBLICATIONS,

|
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
A History of the Kansas Crusade. Its
Friends and Its Foes. By Eli Thayer.
| New York: Harper & Brothers; Portland: :
Loring, Short & Harmony The purpose of
this book is to show by what agency Kansas
was made free state, and nobody knows
more about this matter than Mr.. Thayer.
The subject is one that demands frank
speech and the writer has not hesitated to
speak freely Of the Kansas crusade,
| OF its friends and of its enemies. So
many years have passed since the great
struggle in Kansas, the Civil War interven-
ing and engrossing the attention of the
! people for five years, that it will be of es-
| pecial interest to the present generation to
read the summary of facts here recorded.
The volume has an exceedingly interesting
Introduction contributed by the Rev. Edward
Everett Hale and is full "a interesting
matter,
Feet OF Clay. By Amanda E. Barr. New
York: Dodd, Mead & Co.; Portland: Loring
Short & Harmony There is an undeniable
charm about all Mrs. Bars writings, a de-
licacy and refinement in the handling of her
characters and subject that is unique and
fascinating. These delightful qualities are
all to be found in this, the authors latest
work. The true heroine of the story, Bella
Cucus, reminds one of Blanche Towards
"Queen," one of the most exquisite creations
in modern fiction. But after all there is in
the book false note. The hero, George
Pennington, is weak. heartless and dishonest
by nature He is surrounded by the best in
fuences and yet he is forger, not once but
at two different periods of bis existence. and
is false and unprincipled in every relation in
life. That these fleet of clay" should "be-
come iron and brass for all the difficult and
dangerous paths Of life" it is impossible to
believe. That an essentially high nature
may slip and fall and then rise again is quite
| possible; but that man without principle
and with innate tendencies toward every.
thing that is mean and dishonorable should
| all at once, or even after any lapse of time,
| become hlghminded and virtuous and re-
| ceive the reward of the just, seems impos-
sible even though he refrain from active evil.
The past Of George Pennington seems to
have been easily and lightly buried; and we
l iCdtO HIN WIN biiuidub nOpCo anu dUOub W
be married to a charming and fresh young
| girl while everybody but Bella, whom he
endeavored to ruin), and her immediate
family, ere bowling at the shrine of his
beauty. his fascination and his recovered
virtue.
The Last Assembly Ball and the Fate of a
Voice. BY Mary Hallock Foote Boston
Houghton, Miffiin & Co.. Portland: Loring,
Short & Harmony These stories so popular
and familiar to magazine readers are now
issued in a volume with dainty dress of
white and gold, which array they quite de-
serve. The Last Assembly Ball is Bret
Hartean tale of mining camp and shows in
| its construction no trace of feminine hand.
| 1t is bright and entertaining, but in spite of
its element of tragedy has not the pathos or
the sympathetic note to be found in 1.-THE
Fate of Voice." which is altogether charm
ing.
Lii. By the author of Miss Forsey's Mis-
sion. ,(Boston: Roberts Brothers; Portland
Loring, Short g. Harmony To those who
have rean Miss Forsey's Missions, Tip-Cat
| and Laddie, no words of commentator are
needed for the new work from the pen of
their author. A pretty story sweetly told of
pastoral and domestic scenes. unexciting but
bright, cheerful and thoroughly worth while
is Slip and there are not too many of such
satisfactory sort for young people in this
day Of sensations.
Under Fire; or Fred Worthington's Cam
paign. By Frank A. Munsey. Illustrated.
| New York: Frank A. Munsey & Coz This
| is handsome holiday volume, and although
the feminine element is not left out of the
| story, it is book especially intended for
boys, and as companion to The Boy Broker
by the same author, published last year. 1t
sketches the career Of two boys, and shows
how honesty and worth are certain to sue
coed in the end, and how surely wrong do
ing bears bitter fruit. Not that this story
lacks life, humor and agreeable incident. but
1t also has an excellent moral. The illustra-
lions are admirable. and add much to the
beauty and interest of the work.
American War Ballads and Lyrics. A
Collection of the Songs and Ballads of the
Colonial Wars, the War of 1925, the Mexi-
can War and the Civil War. Edited by
| George Cary Eggleston. (Knickerbocker
Nugget Series.) Mr.. Eggleston says in his
preface that his "aim has been simply to
make the collection fairly representative in
character, and to include in it those pieces
which best reflect the spirit of the times that
produced them" rather than to always con-
slider their poetic quality. as in such mass
to choose from much must be thrown aside.
| OF course the Civil War songs by far out
number the others, the editor giving us
nearly one hundred. OF the three Mexican
War selections, the fine ballad of Buena
Vista, by Gen. Albert Pike, makes its first
appearance in any collection. Two ballads
only of the Colonial period are included
Lovewell's Fight, interesting as being the
earliest American war ballad known to US,
and The Song of Braddock's Men. Some
| forty Revolutionary War ballads, and TWEEN
| ty Of the War Of 1912 are given. Mr.. Eggle-
ston furnishes many valuable notes, and the
| collection, included in two volumes, is en-
bellished by some very good illustrations.
| lNew York G. p. Putnam's Sons; Portland
| Loring, Short q Harmony