The Sunday herald and weekly national intelligencer., 1890-10-19
BOOKS 1ND AUTHORS.

William Morris. In this book of the English
poet we have what has been Justly called by an
eminent English authority new form of literary
art This uewness consists of blending of prose
and verse that has been done with an artistic
touch, although it must be acknowledged that
the strangeness of the form no less than the
archaic language employed falls with disturb
ing effect on the mind of the reader. The
changes from prose to the measured cadence of
the verse are deftly managed, and occur in pas
sages where the spirit has been fittingly aroused
by the interest of the tale. "The House of the
Wolfings" is a story of Britain at the period of
the Roman INVASION told in as near an approach
to the language of the earliest chronicles as is
consistent with current understanding. The
author has put into his work an immense amount
OF knowledge of the customs of those dim ages,
and has sought to recreate the proper atmosphere
by an artistic imitation of the quantity turned
sentences, the bold simplicity of statement. the
frequent use of imagery, and the employment of
old English words and phrases. But, as before
said, he has carried none of these to an excess
that obscures the sense, but has sought only to
engender in the mind of the reader proper feel
ing of sympathy with the spirit of the period of
his story, and to bring back as far as may be by
those archaic touches the racial, social, and re-
lgious conditions of the early Britons. The
prose is strong clear, and masterfu; the verse at
times epic in its simple power and beauty.
Ihe story itself is not involved nor oyeraden
with incident The London Athen9un has
hailed THE House of the Wolfings" as one of the
greatest works of pure literature of the time-a
work whose very excellence will prevent its
being popular. Roberts Brothers, publishers,
Boston. For sale in Washington by Robert
Beall.
LIFE WITH THE EFORTY-NINTH MASSA-
CHUSETTS VOLUNTEERS. By Henry 4.
JohnS This is a volume of 40 pages, handsomely
bound in cloth, and embellshed with fine steel
engraving of Col. (afterward Maj GEM Bartlett,
of whose military life it presents the fullest his
tory yet published. The memorable campaign
terminating in the surrender of Port Hudson is
here for the first time given it's full significance.
Our victories at Vicksburg and Gettysburg, oc-
curing at the same time as that surrender drew
the public attention away from campaign
marked by the most romantic incidents of the
war. There the valor of the colored troops on
the field where under the inspiration of freedom
they first grappled in arms with their former
masters triumphantly answered the question,
will the negro fight?" The "forlorn hopes" Or
ganized May 27 and June 15, 1868, stand out as
something terribly unique in the art of war; The
desperateness of the struggle is manifested by
the fact that while Grant at Vicksburg lost in
killed and wounded ID per cent. of his force
Banks at Port Hudson lost 10 per cent The au-
thor says: EARLY in my military service, believ-
ing that the true inwardness of war could only
write history of my regiment. Most of it was
written in our respective camps and in resting
intervals during marches, and much Of it on the
edge OF battle-helds, on loose slips of paper sent
to the rear to be forwarded to my wife in case
higher power had selected me to fall"
STATESMEN'S DISHES is an artistically
made volume for which we are indebted to the
publishers of the National Tribune, of this city.
lt Is beautifully gotten together, printed on fine
paper, with uncut edges, and Its very appearance
Is suggestive of the good things the secrets of
whose concoction are revealed within. Each
recipe has an entire page devoted to it, and bears
fac-simile of the signature of some lady well
known in Washington society, who vouches for
its excellence. Altogether there are over two
hundred and twenty pages in the volume, and
this gives an idea of the number of recipes to be
found in it and the distinguished women who
contributed. Among the latter are Mrs. Harri-
son, Mrs. Window, Mrs Wanamaker, Mrs. Mil
Ter, wife of the Attorney General; Mrs. Noble
Mrs. Rusk, Mrs. Fuller, Mrs. Samuel f. Miller,
Mrs. Stephen j. Field, Mrs. Ingalls,, Mrs. John
Sherman, Mrs. Reagan, Mrs. Quay, Mrs. NJ c.
Butler, Mrs. Reed. Mrs. Carlisle, Mrs. Waite, Mrs.
Logan, Mrs. Sheridan, Phoebe W. Cousins Mrs.
Blackburn, Mrs. Mills Mrs. Campbell, wife of
the Governor of Ohio; Mrs. A. c. Harmer Mrs.
Upton, and Mrs Roswell P. Flower In fact
hardly lady who is herself well known or
whose husband is we'll known in Washington
public or social life but is among the contribu-
tors to this beautiful and valuable cook book
In addition, the Hon. Thomas +. Bayard. ex-
Secretary of State, who has national reputa-
tion as terrapin cook, furnishes the recipe by
which he prepares that toothsome Wand.
GALGANO'S WOOING AND OTHER
POEMS. By Sarah Bridges Sttbbens. This neat
volume of verse, bound in blue and gold. comes
from the presses of G. w. Dillingham;, New
York and may be found on sale in this city at
Brentano's. The author has considerable facility
at verse making and is by no means wanting in
poetic feeling and imagination. There is gen.
uine poetic swing and fervor about portions of
the narrative poem which gives name to the
volume, although it was plainly written without
sufficient knowledge of the scene and the epoch
In which the action is supposed to have taken
place-ltaly in the middle ages. This, of course,
hampered the freedom of the writer robbed the
work of color, and o1rends the critical sense OF
the reader Even more serious lack of knowl-
edge OF the nicetes of the English language and
of poetic form detachable in this poem and
more frequently in the shorter poems many of
which are quite deficient in rhythm and wonder
fully obscure in meaning. But on the whole the
author reveals the possession of so much real
poetic talent that the faults of her verse as
shown in this volume may be overlooked in the
expectation that her devotion to the muse will
inspire her to bring larger and finer knowledge
OF the technique of her art to the fashionlng OF
future offerings.
THE TEMPTING OF PESCARA. By Con-
Tdd F. Meyer. This story, translated by Mrs.
Clara Bell deals with the tangled politics and
olack intrigue of Italy, France, and Spain dur