The Portland daily press., 1891-11-09
NEW PUBLICATIONS


Life OF General Houston. I793.1s53, By
Henry Bruce. Makers of America. (New
York Dodd. Mead & Co. Portland Loring.
Short d Harmony Gen. Sam Houston was
SO unique and picturesque character. and
his career was so full of romantic events
that biography of him ought to he the
most readable of books. The volume befora
us does not come up to anticipation. As
record OF the important events in Cen
Houston's life it is we'll enough. but it
lacks vivacity and picturesqueness. tits
rather compilation from the works of
other authors than an original history bv
this author. Indeed the author himself
confesses that he WAS unable or unwilling
to undertake the six months journeying
through Tennessee and Texas which would
have constituted the ideal preliminary to
the life of Houston; but relied cn iefiy on
the resources of the British Museum" How
ever, in spite of its faults, the book will
prove interesting to the general reader and
valuable in many ways.
The Haunted Pool LA Mare au Diable).
From the French of George Sand. By
Frank Hunter Potter. Illustrated with
fourteen etchings by Rudaux. New York !:
Dodd, Mead & Co.; Portland Loring,
Short & Harmony Messrs. Dodd, Mead &
Co. have brought out Madame Dudevant's
Haunted Pool, which is a series of rustic
tales. In very attractive form. The pa
per Is of the best quality, the printing of
the finest and the etchings with which the
work Is adorned are exceedingly arti site.
Mr. Potter, the translator, has done his
work exceedingly we'll.
Little Smoke. A Tale of the Sioux. By
William o. Stoddard, author of Crowded
Out O. Crofeld, etc. Mingled with his in
teresting story Of the Sioux Indians are
the adventures of Uncle Jake Raynor and
Bert Adams. two very amusing characters
who are on prospecting expedition In the
Black Hills. Bert Raynor. bright active
boy Of fourteen, comes West to visit his
gold mining un;le. and while alone in the
camp, is captured and taken prisoner by
the Sioux. To every Indian he offers his
hand, with friendly smile, and his brave
and winning manner saves him from be-
ing put to death. His endurance of suffer-
ing and trials of strength with the young
Indians. learning to ride Indian ponies,
hunting buffaloes, etc; his friendship for
Little Smoke, and all the exciting scenes
through which he passed until his escape.
will be read with interest by all boys.
The volume contains twelve full-page Illus
Sitting Bull, Red Cloud and other chiefs.
and seventy-two. head and tail pieces, rep
senting the various implements and sur
roundings Of Indian life. New York: ID.
Appleton d Co.; Portland: Loring, Short
d Harmony
Under somewhat forbidding title "The
Smugglers of Chestnut" Mr.. G. B. Bur-
leigh, son of the governor of Maine and
editor ofthe Kennebec Journal. has con-
structed book which cannot fail to be of
interest to beys of all ages. Mr.. Burleigh
says In his preface that his desire to break
away from the conventional Sunday school
boy was second only to his desire to tell
good story and he has succeeded remarka-
bly, well. His boys are essentially human
exceptthat they use language little more
exalted than that usually employed by boys
of the writer's acquaintance, and their ad-
ventures are extremely life-like. The book
is the first of promised series which bids
fair to place Mr. Burleigh in line as a sue
cessor to Rev. Elijah Kellogg whose stirr-
ing books Of adventure have entranced
thousands of boys in days gone by. Mr..
prominently to the front as Mr. Kellogg's
did his and with the assistance of modern
''stage settings" The "Smugglers of
Chestnuts" is the spirited story of the
pursuit and final capture of a gang of
smugglers on the Aroost0ok border by two
plucky and determined boys who finally
land them behind bars and break up their
nefarious traffic.
Betty Alden. BY Jane G. Austin. author
OF Standish of Standish, etc, This novel
Is full of the history and picturesque Incl
dents of the life of the early Pilgrims.
Betty Alden, a sweet Puritan maiden, is
the daughter of John Alden and Priscilla.
the first-born daughter Of the Pilgrims.
The works of Mrs. Austen show careful
study and accuracy, and she is wonderfully
successful In picturing the life and times
of the Old Plymouth Colony. The dignity
and simplicity Of their character, and the
spirit which animated the people of those
early times, their quaintness and beauty,
are clearly shown, and give an added charm
to Miles Standish, j ohm Alden and Priscilla,
and to many other familiar characters, who
are represented In this story. Betty Alden
promises to be one Of the most popular of
old plymouth colony. Boston and New
York: Houghton. Mifflin & Co.. Portland:
Loring, Short & Harmony
The Land of the Lingering Snow.
Chronicles of Stroller In New England,
from January to June. By Frank Bolles.
The author of this charming volume shows
genuine love Of nature, and marked OBJ
servation Of its beauties. The homes,
haunts and habits of birds and of all the
interesting little inhabitants of forests.
brook and shore, are described in an at
tractive way. He sees every bit of beauty
and of lovely color, from the russell brown
on the willow stems. pale yellow grasses
rustling in the wind, the absolute white
ness of the snow on every rock, bush, tree
and leaf-bud, and miles Of velvety grass
and sprouting grain; the beauty of spring
flowers and the red of the naples, to the
glorious colors Of the sky repeated In the
river We can almost hear the syren
voices OF the birds as we read, and espec-
tally the forest anthem of the hermit
thrush. as he'thrilled the author one May.
day evening, at the foot of Chocorua,
while snow still cleaned on the mountain
SUBMITS. The book is written In a simple,
easy and graceful style, which children
can understand, and both old and young
who enjoy nature, will find 1t very enter
tanning and instructive. Boston and New
York: Houghton, Mifflin & Co.; Portland