The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1890-05-27
CONCERNING BOOKS.
BY e. CAvAzzA.

BY e. CAvAzzA.
Ekkehard. By Joseph Victor Won Schef-
fel. This tale of the tenth century is in
every way valuable and interesting contri-
button to the fiction Of history Out of the
dark confused mass of meni@val records.
DIR. Won Scheffel has been able to draw ma
terial for bright detailed picture of life in
Germany in the days Of the Monk Ekkehard
the chronicler. This worthy lived in the
monastery of st. GALL and continued the
records begun by the Monk Ratpert. In the
naive narration of Ekkehard, with all its
childish errors and impossible anachronisms,
was to be found a treasure of truthfulness
and poetic charm Of which the novelist has
gladly and ably availed himself constructing
romance which for learning easily at COM
mand, variety and local color, and literary
charm may well take its place beside Ebee's
remarkable revivals of ancient society. New
York: w. S. Gottsberger G. Co.; Portland
Loring, Short & Harmon 2 Vols. 80 cents
Edward Burton. By Henry Wood. A
little remote from the two great camps of
the realists and idealists who contend in the
field of modern fiction, are pitched the tents
OF the didactic story-telers. 1t is not a very
diverting company, extremely serious, de-
voted to their individual propaganda, but
slightly attentive to the requirements of art
for arts sake. Occasionally, by force of Wv
vacity and by merit of an interesting theory.
the didactic romance becomes interesting.
but these cases are rare. Mr.. Henry Wood,
already known as the author of book upon
Natural Law in the Business World and
various economic and ethical writings, has
undertaken to treat of everything movable
in bis new novel, Edward Burton. The ex-
perienced novel reader, opening the book to
find the scene laid among the cliffs of Mt.
Desert, will hardly be prepared to find that
instead OF the frivolities of summer resort,
the conversations of the young men and
maidens are upon theology, ethics, sociology,
economies, and Christian science. Mr..
Wood is evidently an earnest and thought
full spectator of modern civilization and its
rreSAsssNe- and fpliv infn-r,aa ~ tho i.4.e.
speculations and beliefs; an individual and
careful thinker and writer. But the reader of
fiction will find the story and its personages
somewh at conventional, at least, In their
names and conversation. 1t will be those
persons that enjoy discussion of abstract
themes who will read with interest the ro-
nance of Edward Burton, and find in it mat
ter for agreem ent or dissent. Iee g. Shep-
ard; Boston. Price $1.25).
Marion Graham. by Meta Lander. APP
parently this story, of the type of semi-re-
ligious romance so popular decade since,
has received reinforcement in order to bring
it up from the gentle orthodoxy of the school
OF Qseechy and The Wide, Wide World to
the more controversial and agitating polem-
les liked by the contemporaries of-one
apologies for reiterating the name-Robert
Elsmere. So Marion Graham is made to dis
cuss the dreadful doctrines Of Jonathan Ed
wards, Calvin, the Westminster Catechism,
beside Carlyle, Corinne, and other literary
topics more or less relevant. These ambi-
tious excursions do not add to the value of
the book; one fancies it would have been
more readable in its unrevised state. The
style of the book itself may be imagined
from the expression of the belief of its hero
that heaven is place fitted up" with most
exquisite beauty. In reply to this the hero
inc quotes "a gorgeous poem," descriptive
of the next world, of which few lines may
be cited:
Pendulous and brown bananas
Ripen In the warm savannas
TOlling refiuent hosannas
On the sleepy scented air
Over there.
The verse seriously commented upon by
the hero as glowing as the sunset and affiu-
ent as an India ship freighted with spices.
Commend me to a woman for gathering up
and hiving the genuine Hymettus honey of
poesy."
Yet Notwithstanding this extraordinary
nonsense. which is its own burlesque, the
novel is well meant. lively-where it is not
severely polemic-and will give pleasure
harmlessly to a certain group of readers.
(Bost0n: Lee d Shepard; Portland: Stevens
& Jones. Price $1.5O)
Harper's School Speaker. First Book.
Messrs. Harper's Educational Series has
already won much and merited praise for its
selection of juvenile reading which combines
interest with literary worth and with the in
fuences that make the future good citizen.
The present volume contains selections
suited to the occasions of Arb0r Day and
Memorial Day, poetry and prose In which,
among many other eminent names are rep
resented Whittier, Longfellow, Bryant, Ten
nyson, Shelley, Lowell, Keats, Leigh Hunt,
Wordsworth, Scott, Milton, Shakespeare,
Abraham Lincoln.
Such text books as these refresh the schol-
ar's interest and enlarge his literary senti-
ment together with that of the heart. New
York. Harper e. Brothers; Portland: Lcr-
ing, Short 81 Harmony