The Portland daily press., 1890-03-12

| Va AOou' InO uUOh 10 CIdulliicu Will gUUu
things in infinite variety.
The Picturesque Geographical Readers
BY Charles F. King. First Book, Home and
School. Boston Lee & Shepard; Portland ::
Stevens g. Jones,) 1t must be dull child
who would not be charmed with such a
reading book as this. Mr.. King agrees with
MI Herbert Spencer that 'Sight takes the
lead as channel of perception" and that
children can be best taught by Illustrations
and simple descriptions in tory form. In
this book of accurate and beautiful pictures
the child reads an account of bay, and
there before his eyes is pretty view of one !;
and the same with glens, gorges, volcanoes,
valleys, and all the other things described
The maps and pictures are of the best, and
are from photographs or by noted American
| artists.
Conversation in the Studio BY William
| Wetmore Story, 2 Vols. Boston: Houghton,
Miffiin & co., Mr.. Story is a sculptor. AS
an artist he ranks high and is a scholar as
well, and has received the honorary degree
| OF ID. G. @. from Oxford. In these imaginary
conversations his literary culture is no less
| apparent than his artistic taste. The Con-
yersations often remind US of Walter Savage
Lander, but the imitation, if it be such was
| probably unconscious, while the temper is
| far more genial. The range of topics is SINH
lar and includes ancient and modern art and
artists. literature in general, and poetry in
particular. In discussing these and kindred
topics, Lander affects wit, and Story bumor.
| vein OF pleasantly runs through the Con-
versations which are often clever, but not
strictly original Absolute originality is i'm
possible In an author or critic at this late
day. We mean to say that these Converse
tions are not racy of the soil anc fail to re-
veal the idi0syncrasies of the authors mind.
Compare them in this respect only, with
LowelPs Hours with Authors. and the differ
ence is both obvious and great. LowelPs re-
! Elections are his own, and are very suggestive
and fruitful. fixing the readers attention,
kindling enthusiasm. and inspiring an inter-
est in the authors and their works. There is
no novelty in Story's Conversations. They
are the current thoughts and opinions of cul-
| tivated, well-bred man, the general conclu-
sons to which they have come and which
they hold in common. But if there is an alb
sence of novelty, or even freshness, and
scarcely spark of originality, there is good
sense in abundance, and healthy tone
The range OF topics Is wide and the sympa-
thies OF the author are by no means narrow.
Mr.. Story's work as an artist has been more
recognized and honored in England than
America. This may account for the partial
ity and even preference shown to things En-
glish, which may often be better than our
own; but that is not sufficient reason for
not keeping touch with ones native land.
Coal and Coal Mines. By Homer Greene.
With illustrations by the author. Boston:
Houghton, Mifiin & Co.; Portland: Lor-
ing, Short & Harmony The title volume is
delightfully."- written and treats of a subject
the literature of which has been very meagre.
1t is intended especially for young people.
and tells of the composition of coal, when it
was formed, how the coal beds lie, the
way into the mines. the boy workers there.
and the wages of the miners. Plans are
given OF the various sections of coal mine,
and the author describes the miners at work.
the falling of the roof of mine, the effects
produced by dangerous gases, and various
other things of great interest connected with
this subject. The illustrations from draw
ings by the author are very helpful and sug-
gestive.
The Shop. By Albert e. Winship. (Bos-
ton: d. Lothrop & Co.; Portland: Loring,
Short &c Harmony In this little volume the
author says his ''aim is simply to call atten-
ton to the possibilities and probabilities of
social, home. church or political reform,
through keener appreciation of the labor
life of the people," He treats of the shop,
at work. at play, at home, at school and at
chu CHI. His idea is to study the people, and
to cognize the distinctive influence, the
inherent rights of the laboring man and see
that these receive the fullest con sideration.
There are five essays of ten pages each,
treating of these topics, and they are wise
and sound and full of clear thinking
Mito Yashiki. A Tale of Old Japan. By
Arthur Collins Maclay, A. NJ, LII b. New
York: G. P. Putnam's Sons; Portland: Lcr-
ing, Short & Harmony Mr.. Maclay's earlier
volume of Letters from Japan proved very
attractive and successful, and this time he
gives US "a feudal romance descriptive of
the Shogunate and of the downfall of the
power of the Yokugarra family" Mr.. Mac.
lay in the year 1875 was in the service Of the
Japanese government at Toxic. Hating
with friend one day on the bridge that
crosses the Moat before the Sakurada gate
way, mention was made of thrilling cpl
sede in modern Japanese history. About
fourteen years before the de fdcto ruler of
the Japanese empire was attacked at the
head of this bridge by band of Mito ronins,
and was ANONYMOUSLY beheaded. Later
Mr.. Maclay wove the affair into the warp
and wool of romance, in which he also de-
picts the workings of wonderful system of
espionage that formerly covered the empire
with net; the official corruption peculiar to
the regime Of the later Shoguns; aud the
arrangement and bewilderment of pagan in
tellects when brought in contact with the
mighty realities of the Christian civilization
of the nineteenth century. No one could be
better equipped than Mr.. Maclay for just
such work as this, and it is something
more than an agreeable romance, for it has
value as history.
The Tartufian Age. BY Paul Manta-
gazza. Translated by W. A. Nettleton;
assisted by Prof. l.. d. Ventura. Boston:
Lee q Shepard; Portland: Stevens & Jones.)
1t is question whether 1t was worth
while to translate into English Mr.. Manta-
gazza's little volume which in its own
language and among the people of the same
nationality as Its author may have answered
good purpose. To us it seems in some re-
spects coarse and unnecessary. The first
thirty pages, which treat of the animal
world and nature are quite charming;
whether we shall assent to the authors con-
clusions in his last chapter is doubtful. He
declares nothing but truth endures, and we
are false. No sentiment is lasting if is not
sincere, and we are Tartuffian in sentiment
as we are in thought" The whole is an
essay on hypocrisy, and Mantagazza pro-
nounces this 'the age Of Tartuffe"- dedicat-
ing his volume ITO the Profound Thinker,
Pietro Ellero, icltom I envy the sublime ,orong
Of being born a century before his proper
time"
The Garden, as Considered in Literature
by Certain Polite Writers. Edited by Wal
ter Howe. (Knickerbocker Nuggets) These
cfrriouc and inf nonarc bov hoap