The Portland daily press., 1891-03-20
CONCERNING BOOKS
BY E. cAvAzzA.

bf Ne CAfAZZA,
Life of w. M. Thackeray. BY Herman
Merivale and Frank L. Marzials. This COM
pact and refined biography of Thackeray
comes very opportunely-let 1t be said frank
ly-to remove the impression, confused and
not wholly pleasant, left by the volume of
letters In which he is seen through a rather
dense atmosphere Of the vanity and senti-
mentality of Mrs. Brookfield. 1t was the
hlial obedience, perhaps too. literal, but at
all events sensitive and dutiful, of Thack-
eray's daughter. Mrs. Richie, that prevent
ed more complete chronicling of his life.
But the gentle error has been quite retrieved
by placing the material for biography in
the hands OF Mr.. Merlvale, from whom they
passed into those Of Mr.. Frank Marzials.
The traits OF the book which mainly impress
the reader are its good taste, delicacy and
freedom from snobbishness-traits which
Thackeray himself would have liked. The
authors aim to show him as he was; and
hence the portrait has a lifelike and sympa
thetic quality. Thackeray's unaffected and
simple goodness, his spontaneous style. his
keen and kindly observation, are apprecla-
lively noted In this volume. The literary
arrangement Is excellent; and In every re-
spect the work merits its place In the Great
Writers Series edited by Professor Eric
Robinson. London and New York: Walter
Scott; Portland: Noring. Short & Harmony
Price 40 cents
Women Poets of the Victoria Era. Edit
ed by Mrs. William Sharp. One may con-
fess to lack of liking for aggressive femi-
ninity, for that form of womanish egotism
which includes the entire sisterhood. and
find rather amusing the continual protests
against men and affirmations of the apothe-
sis of women that form the eloQuence In
these days. of the supposable gentler sex.
So when Mrs. William Sharp, in her very
well written Introduction, notes the lack of
an anthology exclusively of poetesses and
complains that these have not had yet fair
representation-one is perforce resigned to
another dose Of the eternal womanly."
But, barring the little flourish of the femi-
nine banner, Mrs. Sharp's collection Of speci-
mems Of verse by Englishwomen Of thevicto-
iian reign, is an interesting and really liter
airy work. It begins with poem, Onward,
by the unlovely and unhappy Harriet Mar
tineau, the truly poetic lyrics of Sara
Coleridge, and the genteel raptures of Mrs.
Norton, and including examples of the work
of Mrs. Browning, Emily Bronte, Jean In
gelow. Christina Rossetti and others less
famous, ends with the modern verse repre-
scented by A. Mary r. Robinson, Mrs. Gra-
ham Tomson, Amy Levy and their contem-
poraries On the whole, the procession Of
poetesses seems to have walked rather meek.
ly on the track of their brothers; few of
them with any great soprano cry to lead the
chorus; but many expressing themselves
with sentiment and fiuency. Mrs. Augusta
Webster and Mrs. Hamilton King have, in
their different ways, dignity and force, both
mental and lyric. Miss Robinson's poetic
temperament. Miss Mulholland's Celtic lit,
Mrs. Tomson's artistic perception and man
ner, may be especially noted. Mrs. Sharp
has acquitted therself of her graceful task
with much skill and literary judgment
london and New York: Walter Scott
Price. 40 cents.)
Dramatic Sketches and Poems. BY Louis
j. Block. The poetry Of Mr. Block has
qualities and degree of accomplishment
that set 1t quite apart from the ordinary
verse that offers little or nothing of salient to
criticize. His talent does not appear
strongly dramatic, passion is not Its MAIN
spring, nor action its development; but
rather his verse repeats the imaginations
and the problems of distinctly literary
mind, refined and well equipped. The long
poem, Exile. fails to interest the reader, even
while one recognizes in 1t much sincere
Tan o1r fr
and has some fine classic cadences; it is
nobly conceived and competently expressed
poem. Mr.. Block relates very well the story
OF the murderous roses of the feast of Hello
gabalus. with a rich idiom that shows his
affectionate study Of Keats, and an effective
use Of repetition. Ithaca, ballad of the
crew Of Ulysses, shows a simple measure
buoyantly handled and picturesque revival
OF the antique story. In Ad Poetam, the
New Midas, and some other verses, the clas-
sic and modern ideas are well harmonized.
Several of the minor poems would merit
individual mention. Finally, it may be said
that Mr.. Block is poet from whom very
good work will be expected. He has laid
the foundations of his style in the study of
the great models, appears to understand the
poetic office, and-except for slight ten
dency to seek for unusual words is digni-
fed, tasteful and sympathetic in manner,
philadelphia: ]. B. Lippincott c.; Port.
land: Loring, Short & Harmony Price
$500
A Lost Jewel By Harriet Prescott Spof.
ford. Not even in story for children. can
Mrs. Spofford refrain from the description of
jewels, which CLEAN In all her writings: and
here splendid solitaire diamond is lost and
found. The heroine of the story is little
Lucia, Scilian girl stolen from her parents
and brought to America by cruel padrone.
Neither is this lost jewel left unbound, and
everything ends happily. The construction
.. tne narrative is somewhat confused, be-
ginning with the loss Of the diamond. return
Ing to previous time, then the loss of the
jewel is asserted again. followed immediately
by Its recovery. But the story ia told
brightly and entertainingly, and will be
found much to the taste of young readers,
As to the Italian part Of the delineation'
Mrs. Spofford succeeds only in conveying az
much as she might have learned by observa.
tion OF hand. organists the Sicilian ladv
with her flowing curls. appears to have
stepped from an illustrated annual. AZ
Palermo or Messina the fashions of gowns
and coiffures arrive fresh from Par,s