The Sunday herald and weekly national intelligencer., 1891-08-16
WELL WORTH READING.
Books THAT ARE INSTRUCTIVE
AND INTERESTING.

Think of a thing, in this age of infinite news
paper and literary activity thai has never been
written up! To one who has even Il casual
knowledge of the vast numbers of books that
pour annually from the presses of the world, it
seems almost incredible that any subject can
have escaped exhaustive treatment not only in
books, but in the magazines and newspapers.
Yet here is an issue of Putnams "Story of the.
Nations" series, which, for the first time IN any
language, gives anything like a complete and
reliable history OF Portugal. Mr.. H. Morse
Stephens is the author of the work, which is
well illustrated with pictures of Portuguese.
sovereigns and writer's, buildings and places
and accompanied by cearly-printed map
The standing of the writer is guarantee that
the literary work is well done. MIR. Stepheng
gave much original research to sitting the facts
of Portuguese history from the legends, loose
statements and actual falsehoods of the old
chroniclers, and the outcome bears the unmis-
taxable impress of impartiaity and truth.
And persons who have heretofore only glanced
carelessly over hestupid volumes exta Mt about
Portugal, will on taking this up be surprised
to find what an interesting story the Portr-
guese have had and what an import.
ant part they have played in their day in the
history of the world Brentano has 1.-THE Story
of Portugal on sale.
South African life has inspired the writing of
a number of delightful and remarkable books
in the last few years. There is nothing spe-
cially remarkable about the latest South Afri-
can book, Home Life on an Ostrich Farm"
but to people who love nature and pet animals
1t will prove as interesting as any of the South
African books of recent years. The author,
named in the title page as Annie Martin, is q
clever writer. keenly observant of all that
goes on about her, and full OF kindly sympa-
thy, with an especial knack of attaching pet
animals to her. To these she devotes some Of
the most entertaining chapters of the book,
describing their tricks, characters, and ha bits
with great deal of quiet humor. Some of her
South African pets were decidedly queer crea-
lures. The description of the management of
the ostrich farm, the pecularities of the birds,
and how they are cared for is all written in o
gossipy style, interspersed with incident and
anecdote that relieve IL of any suspicion of
dryness. The book is well illustrated with re-.
productions of photographs. It is on sale at
Brentano's.
IL is like draught of pure, cool water after
surfeit of wine to come on one of Heimburgs.
stories amid the sensational and mostly sala-
cious food of foreign fiction which the trans
lators are now pouring out for us. The atmos-
phere of HeimburRs books is always whele-.
some and bracing. There is nothing neurotic.
hysterical or overwrought about them. Yet
they deal with men and women who are real
and of the times, and they tell deeply inter-
estinR stories with force and literary finish.
"Misjudged," the latest Heimburg novel
translated by Mrs. ]. w. Davis and published
by the Worthingtons in the International
series, is rather above than below the standard
of excellence commonly attained by this
author. For sale at Ballantyne's.