The Portland daily press., 1891-08-08
NEW PUBLICATIONS.

| reer. bat all the salient features of 1t are
given clearly and Interestingly. The early
| part of his career is especially dealt with, 1t
being assumed that the events Of his later
| life are within the recollection of the reading
| public The criticism and comments uuon
Mr.. Gladstone's career are for the most part
borrowed from other writers, and the author
has attempted little Of original work in that
direction. The book admirably accompllshes
the purpose aimed at, which was a compact
chronological biography of the Grand Old
Man.
Tales from Scottish History in Prose and
verse Edited by William j. Rolfe. This is
ono oi the English Classics Series for school
reading and the selections have been made
win the same good taste which has charac.
seIized the previous volumes of the series
Inc contents include both prose and poetry.
Ihere are nineteen different selections.
among them Robert, the Prince, by Sir Wal
Ter Scott; The Heart of the Prince, by
Aytoun; Campbelps Lochiel's Warning ;
Inc Burial March of Dundee. by Aytoun /;
hoD Roy, by Scott; The Battle Of Floddep.
by Scott; and Edinburgh After Flodden, by
Aytoun. Mr.. Rolfe's notes, are as always,
exceedingly luminous and valuable. New
York: Harper g. Brothers; Portland Lor-
Ing, Short & Harmony
Harper's School Speaker, by James Bald.
win. Phi. D., is the third book of Mlscellane.
GUS Selections In Harper's Educational Sc
ries. The selections are from such standard
authors AS Keats, Southey. Tennysop, Car
lyle, Wordsworth. Hood, Rev. Newman Hall
OF England; and .among the American au-
thors represented are K. A. Chaplin, William
Cullen Bryant. r. Fl. Dana. John d. Cough,
Alice Cary, John Pierpont. Bayard Taylor,
SAKE, N. P. Willis and Phoebe Cary.
Gustavus Adolphus and the Struggle of
Protestanism for Existence. By q. r. L.
Fletcher. New York: G. P. Putnam's
Sons; Portland: Loring, Short & Harmon. u
Thls Is one OF the popular Heroes of the Ma
lions series issued by the Putnam's Per-
haps the career of none of the great
great leaders whose achievements have
been instrumental in changing the political
and religious condition of Europe have been
more written about than that Of Gustavusl
Adolphus. His character and motives are
in dispute today, and doubtless always will
be, but of his great achievements there Is mo-
question. The book in hand undertakes no:
original research, 1t does not undertake to-
settle or to throw additional light on the
disputed questions of his career, but Is a
comprehensive sketch of his eventful life
based entirely upon the researches OF others.
The story Of the life Of Gustayus Adolphus,
linked as 1t was with some of the most far
reaching events, must necessarily be thrill
ing narrative, even without the aid of liter
| ary skill. But In the case of the present vol
ume literary skill is not wanting, and the
power of clear and picturesque description
appears on every page. The book cont lins
many fine Illustrations, and is supplied with
good index.
Journal of William Maclay, United States
Senator from Pennsylvania, 17s9-1791. Ed
tied by Edgar S. Maclay. A. M. New York:
ID. Appleton& Co.; Portland: Loring, Short
& Harmony This journal. which is of one
who took prominent part In the proceed
ings which he describes and comments upon,
covers the periods of the first, second and
third sessions of the First Congress of the
United States, and gives graphic descrip-
tions OF the Debates ceremonies and social
life Of that important period of the conntry's
history. The jcn-aai was written with no
thought OF publication, aud for this reason
| its criticisms are more finely and strongly
| made than they might have been had the au-
thor supposed they would ever meet the
| public gaze. The journal is Of great value
as throwing light on the character and
motives of the early statesmen Of the country.
The human nature Of that day appears to
have closely resembled the human nature of
today and the tendency to .barshly critcise
the leading politicians of the time and impute
| to them unworthy motive was quite as strong
as 1t is now. Maclay was Democrat and his
comments upon the Federaiists are frequent
ly very bitter undoubtedly frequently nm
just. They seem to show, however, that
party spirit ragged just as fercely then as
now and caused men ito go to great lengths
| in the way of criticism and denunciation,
| Harper's Sixth Reader. By James Bald
| win Phi. ID. Harper's Educational Series.]
| (New York: Harper & Brothers; Portland:
Loring, Short d HarmonJ This reader
contains selections from British authors
only. There are eighty-four different selec-
| tions, all from the standard authors of Great
Britain. There are some excellent notes for
the use OF teachers and an index to the notes
| The book is an admirable one for the purpose
| for which 1t is designed and INTRODUCES the
| reader to some of the .best things In prose
and verse that the English language affords.
Donnahue, aennebury & Co. of Chicago
issue In paper covers The American Girl In
Paris by Alexander Dumas, fils; Was 1t the
Norman's Fault by Saville, Micheline by
Hector Malot Qllustrated), Jonah Fortunat,
A Roumania Romance by Marco Brociuer,
translated from the German by HELEN E.
Miller. The Madonna of Pass Christian, a
Tale OF the Resurrection, by George F.
Ormsby.
The latest volume In Appleton's Town and
Country Library is A Matter of Skill by
Beatrice Whitney, author of the Awakening
of Mary Fenwick. Price 80 cents.
Cy Ros by Milton Cole is a late volume of
the Sunnyside Series, j. S. Ogilvie of New
York, publisher.
Letters of Marie Bashkirtseff, translated
by Mary }. Serrano. New York: Cassell
Publishing Co; Portland: Loring, Short &
Harmon. Marie Bashkirtseff, young IRas-
sian girl, dying at the early age of twenty
| four, and unknown outside of small circle
| of personal friends until her death, when
| she suddenly became an object of world wide
interestsis presented to MS In this volume Of
letters in new aspect. Her journal, pro-
nounced by no less critic than Gladstone,
to be "a book without parallel" has been
read by everybody, discussed and criticised
from every conceivable standpoint and this
volume of letters is likely to find host as
numerous raady to recriticize and redissect
a character which they do not and never can
comprehend. Need 1t be asked what are the
qualities that are inseparably linked with
the name and personality of Marie Bashkirt.
self, qualities which have given the journal
she has bequeathed to the world, celebrity
unexampled In the literature Of recent years?
Do they not breathe and burn in her every
utterance, are they not manifest in every
stroke made by her artistic hand; power and
| Sincerity-p0wer not always well directed.