The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1891-11-23
CONCERNING BOOKS.
BY E. cAvAzzA.

CONCERNING BOOKS:
BY E. CAvAzzA.
The Story of Francis Cludde. BY Stan
ley j. Weyman. This romance Of England
In the sixteenth century, and precisely at
the beginning of the reign of Queen Eliza
beth. Is admirably designed and written
Mr.. Weyman is thoroughly In possession
| of his topic, and is able to give to the story
the atmosphere and color of the time with
no appearance of effort or Of deliberate
archaism. Master Francis Cludde, brave
and honest young Englishman, tells his
own tale Of adventure and love in SYM
pathetic manner, direct. vivacious and
cheered by delicate touch of humor here
and there His chivalrous defence Of two
gentlewomen in the streets of London leads
Master Cludde to prolonged and curious
adventure. The elder of these danes is
discovered to be the Duchess Katharine of
Suffolk; and the younger, Mistress Anne,
is involved in political and family c0mpli-
cations which afford various dramatic
points for the plot of the Narrative. The
refugees visit Holland; and amid his cares
Masaatkssh bymphna Van Tree. the Ya hlloqdss
reader may not take 1t amiss to have so
much foreknowledge of the story-the ad-
venturous gentleman returns, after many
vicissitudes, safe to England and his beau
tiful and loyal cousin Petronilla. The
author of this novel knows how to COM
bine intimately and In just proportion the
historical and the imaginative. never fall
ing to interest and to please. The vol
ume has an unique and effective, if rather
snowy. binding, which suits it for the
holiday trade. New York: Cassell Pub
fishing Co.; Portland: Loring, Short &
Harmon. Price $150l
A Sister of Esau. BY Amelia E. Barr.
The mere announcement of new novel by
Mrs. Barr assures to 1t large circle of
friendly readers. The Sister to Esau is a
| young Scotchw0man, who renounces her
birthright of lands and title for sake Of
love and is rewarded. Admirers of Mrs.
Bars work will easily understand the
attraction which this novel has in common
| with its thoughtful and warm-hearted
4
the heroine's appreciation of dumb ami
mails. Human beings" she says, ''think
a great deal too much Of themselves and
great deal too little of Gods other crea-
lures. Remembering all that
the Bible says about beasts. birds and even
insects. how dare we say that all creation
does not have knowledge of God; and as
Il &c
labor and pain; the Dimals neither pillow
nor sow; tGod feeds them!" New York !:
Dodd. Mead & Co.; Portland: Loring,
Short & Harmony
An Utter Failure. By Miriam Coles
Harris. The titlellof the book contains
complete criticism of its contents. The
causes Of the failure are two: the dreary
and RECONSTRUCTED story is told with the
cheap pathos that, perhaps twenty years
ago made Mrs, Harris's stories SO popular
with the class Of readers now; devoted to
the more highly-spiced dime novel; The
other fault-moral, not literary-is still
more objectionable. It consists In peeY-
ish, ignorant spite against anything foreign
TO her own provincial prejudices. especially
the people and customs of Italy, where the
| scene of the story Is laid. The natural
superstition is that-for reasonsseasily I'M
derstood-the author of An Utter Failure
was unable to obtain admittance into re-
fined circles of society, either italian or of
the English colony in Florence, and there
fore she denounces the acidity of the unat-
tainaOle grapes In shrewish falsehoods.
| Her structures upon the valor of the Italian
army, the character of the public schools,
and even the style in which the women Of
Italy crimp their hair are equally absurd
and vulgar. 1t can have been only by in
| advertence of one of Messrs Appleton's
| professional readers, that these excellent
| publishers have allowed such trash to bear
their imprint. (New York: d. Appleton 6
Co.; Portland: Loring, Short & Harmony
The Abandoned Claim. By Flora Haines
| Loughead. Mrs. Loukhead. one of the
brightest and most refined of the Califor-
| MAN newspaper writers, proves herself apt
as story-teller. The personages and
scenes of her story are those of common
life. but she is able to raise them above the
prosaic by the force of imagination which
recognizes the soul of things. 1t is book
for young people, and will give them en-
| joyment from first to last. Ned, Martin
and Hope, the eldest only fifteen years Of
age. are left upon their own resources when
a stroke OF paralysis disables their father,
skilled and faithful workman in a furni-
ture factory. He is taken to a hospital of
San Francisco, and they, by advice of
1 III dc faIr aIafx. nF -. 4
They have with them deliciously ire
pressible Jersey calf, who-and her daugh-
ter after her-may be relied on for lively
comedy. They find In the deserted hut a
poor dog that later plays dramatic part.
Their experiences In cultivatiDg crops of
fruit, peas and little Hopes famous roses
are related In pleasant detail. There is in
nocent romance, too, in the story; and also
mystery, dark but not unsuited TO young
readers, which is happily solved. The
| only scene of the book which seems un-
natural is the sudden restoration of the
doctor at the point of death, when the rival
practitioner prescribes his favorite emul-
sion. But-such Is the irony of the i'm
probable-that may be the one scene re-
ported directly from facts At all events.
| Mrs. Longhead's beautiful story is cor
daily recommended for the holidays as a
warm hearted, refined, sensible and attrac--
tive book. Boston: Houghton, Miff1in q
Co.; Portland: oring, Short q Harmon.
Price: $1.25.)
Tad; or Getting Even with Him. By E.
5. Ellis. This is story for boys, rather
rude and unrefned in manner, but thor
oughly we'll intended. 1t is meant to con-
vey the lesson that true manliness can af-
ford to remit revenge, and is not abased
When 1t returns good for evil. But Mr..
Ellis need not have put into the mind OF
MS pad Doy-who is reformed in course Of
the story-malignity capable of wishing to
harm dumb animals in order to injure their
owner. Also much of the clownish
| episodes in which the fun consists is what
Is called horse-play. Horse -playl To me,
instead, that word represents movements
swift and graceful. the shy leaps of the
little colts. the superb swing of the main
and free gallop of the horses In an open
meadow, the courtly prancings as the
beautiful animals meet, then swerve away
for another gallop. IL human sports were
always as elegant and as harmless as horse
play
But to return from this little equine ex-