The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1890-11-04
CONCERNING BOOKS.
BY e. CAvAZZA.

The Inverted Torch. By Edith NJ. Thomas
This volume of memorial verse Is dictated
by temperament, exceptionally delicate and
profound. Meditation succeeds meditation,
emotions linked together by thought, to form
tender philosophy of bereavement. Pa
thetic as the poems are, they are not morbid :;
and they keep fine reserve in their truth
fuiness. They will appeal to an elect audi
ence, to those readers who appreciate the
idiom, rather remote and colOrless but sig
ni6cant, the ethereal feeling, the serious
cheerfulness and not hopeless resignation
which characterize them. Miss Thomas has
purely poetic and individual nature, apart
little from the highways of common life,
but reckoning like some half-perceived wood
nymph, into cool depths of shadow. the
abode of delicate and holy dreams. Boston:
Houghton, Mifiin & Co.; Portland; Loring,
Short& Harmony Price $l.OO.
Modern Ghosts. This is century of
practical research. If ghost rises, instead
of calling him, with Hamlet, sid mole;"
we ourselves begin to WORK in the ground,
burrowing amid the darkness to get any
supernatural facts that may be under the
mould. A ghost who returns merely to be-
wall his own private grievances is of small
account. We have use only for spirits who
will speak to the interviewer, and give points
for behoof OF the society of Psychical Re
search. To interest modernity, 1t is neces-
sary to connect with its life, present or
future, to offer some semblance of a clue to
its problems. Tellers of unearthly tales per.
ceive this requirement; they understand that
the shadows Of nature must be cast by its
facts. Hence such stories as are collected
from various countries. to form this volume.
Foremost of these is the wonderful fancy of
M. Guy deMaupassant, The Horld; the mar
rative of man under the suggestion of
creature who is the pioneer of race that
will in future possess the earth, dominate
and prey upon man as he does upon dumb ami
mails. The wildly fantastic and yet semi
philosophical motive, the superb use of
simple and objective llteracy means to pro-
duce supernatural effect, are new proofs of
the sureness and finish Of the art Of M. de
Maupassant, He contributes to the volume
also grim sketch of a night upon river.
Second to his work, may be placed the story
Of Foraccio: told In mastery fashion by the
Elorentine signOr Maeherini- Graziani. The
Tall Woman, by senior de Alarcon, has a
quality entirely Spanish, with its gr0tesque,
half trivial and wholly awful apparition.
Other stories from the Spanish and from the
German complete an unique volume, well
translated by various hands. The intro
duction Is by Mr.. George William Curtis. 1t
l. published In particularly tasteful style.
New York: Harper and Brothers Portland:
Loring, Short & Harmon. Price $1.00.
Galganos's Wooing. and Other Poems.
By Sarah Bridges Stebbins. This volume
belongs to the rank of mediocrity which re-
quires neither serious attention as literature
nor subtitle definitions to distinguish it from
the rest Of its class. Mrs. Stebbins has evil
dent practice in writing verse. and degree
OF impulse and imagination. She usually
mas something definite to say, and says 1t
clearly, though not always gracefully. Her
verse Detrays want of technical ease; inver-
sions OF phrase and omission of particles
sh9w lack OF artistic fuency and the effort to
nv ~ Dy commonplace devices. Galgano's
Wv moolnR, OF which the plot is suggested by
gro sn ique ncvena-substitutes for the frank
e aoss6 Of an earlier century the sugar
coasea lalse sentiment Of modern "afinities."
aainIoInoI poem OF considerable length. The
Olo Love, Is dramatic and written with
verdct nn nT1ce ian ana Srginality The general
diocrity. New York: G. w. Dillinehsm e
Co.; Portland; Loring, Short & Harmony
Three Millions. BY William T. Adams
This time Oliver Optic, the recognized storv.
teller for boys, has preferred to write for
their elders. The present novel combines
the topics most likely to please the general
reader. love, mystery, rivalry, all mixed with
plenty of money. 1t cannot be reckoned
among works of the art OF fiction; frankly.
It is sensational and unrefned story. writ.
Ten, however, with good intentions and with
the energy Characteristic of Mr.. Adams's
work. Boston: Lee & Shepard; Portland:
stevens d Jones. Price 80 dents.l
Messrs. Houghton, Miff1in & Co. reprint
.or the coming holiday season two poems by
MT. Lowell the exquisite Vision of Sir Laun-
ial with choice Illustrations and portrait of
Inc author, in .photogravure, and bound in
S ~. ite, goid ard red; and in sober oliv.-gray
oress appears the Fable for Critics. that IRE
pIesslDie Yankee AIRS Poetica, in which the
eInger ana eSsaylst assumed to cover his
wis, the cap and bells of Jester at the court
q Musagetes portland: Loring, Short &
harmon Prices $50 and 81 respectively