The Portland daily press., 1891-04-03
CONCERNING BOOKS
BY e. CAvAzZA.

Rose Brake. Poems by Danske cambridge
This second volume by the writer OF that
volume Of verse which rang like elfn bells,
and was entitled Joy, shows an increase of
power and breadth of treatment. 1t has
more contrasts, and touches life more deeply /;
In Rose Brake are both briers and roses.
Often the verse Of Mrs. cambridge has a
remoteDess that sounds like the poetry of
fairy, or sylph, or other delicate mythical
creature but little concerned with humanity,
1t is then that her fancy appears in the as
cendant, but she does not lack an imagin-
alton more robust In the fantastic mood
she writes such "thin and clear" music as
this:
Run with me, elves, and lay me on that bed
err Bud-strewn beneath my cirque of sister trees
Faint sO0thing-spell in silver tracelies;
Run with me, for t feel the need Of dreams;
Earth pals, and naught is fair but that which
seems
A mystic pallid fame seems to fill the verse
of The Struggle: while nothing is finer in
the volume-because nothing is more human.
ly passionate than Parted. Curiously mid
way between the elin tonality of, for in
stance, the Wood Demon and the natural
and graphic verse of Hope, is the cold and
steel.sharp brilliance of the poem, Fate.
Perhaps the charm and the limits of Mrs.
Dandridge's work are expressed in her lines !:
IT'S my pleasure not to know
Much OF mortal Joy or pain.
And when she chooses such themes. she
is apt to give to them color of fantasy or of
witchcraft. New York: g. P. Putnam's
Sons; Portland: Loring, Short & Harmony
A Brave Woman. By E. Marlitt. Trans
lated by Margaret P. Waterman. The
readers with whom the novels of E. MarIitt
are favorite-and 1t is large and refined
circle-will welcome cordially this faithful
and spirited translation from the German.
1t is story of the courageous and dignifed
action of young bride, second wife of a
man Of the world who by marriage has
placed her in the midst Of strangely assort-
ed household, and in situation requiring
extreme tact and self-command. Plot and
characters are essentially German, and
equally German are the social conditions and
sentiments. For the first time, one NAV
almost say. American readers are permitted
to know the work OFF. Marlitt as 1t really
exists: the popular and clever adaptations
by Mrs. Wister have been variations, para
phrases. anything but the simply loyal rem
behring's which are the ethics of the Just
translator. Miss Waterman succeedsadmir-
ably in repeating the German tone and
manner In good English. Without selfcon-
seriousness or vanity, she has understood her
task' set about 1t In the right way, and COM
pleteo 1t with particular refinement and in
teiligence. The translator's work is ALWAYS
an exercise of abnegatiop. Faitbfnlness
combined with literary aptitude, form his
Miss Waterman is equal to these
requirements. Her work. unambitious but
well done, is in the scholarly line of the best
modern theories of translation; and there is
reason to hope to see her, in future, cccupv.
Ing foremost place among those who intro.
luce German literature to American readers.
Fifty interesting illustrations depict the per-
'onages of this volume. New York: Worth
ngton Co. Price rs cents.
Boris Lensky. By Ossip Schubin. Trans
lated by Elise l.. Lathrop. This novel-not
80 agreeable as powerful-is study of the
latter life Of a violinist, turbulent, stormy
nature ~, but free from the faint of hypocrisy.
Inc irregularities of the life of Boris Lensky
az az tne point where the story begins-have
oo%lsened and rendered uncertain his must
.al art, and have results far more grave in
.ne inoirect but fatal harm which they bring
" niS son and his daughter, while the old
man 10 wounded Inundated and slain By
.ne contemptuou patronage of the audiences
that In other day hung upon his yioIIn-bow.
the performers that formerly were obscured
by his splendor The romance is nowor