The Portland daily press., 1892-11-17
NEW PUBLICATIONS.

One March morning not many years
ago Clinton Scotland stood at Cairo
bazaar and bought a prayer-carpet in red,
orange, purple and consecrated green,
on which was figured the holy mosque
of the prophet and the sacred palm-tree
that stands at its side. Doubtless it has
served no devotional purpose since COM
ing into his possession, but he makes it,
for his readers, as usefnl as the magic
tapestry of the Arabian Nights; and
seated upon it they are carried over
many strange lands with no exertion of
their own. Not only the city of the
Caliphs comes within the ken of their
vision, but the sultry brown delta of the
Jordan, the blue, italian sky that smiles
over Bologna and Fiesole, the red roofs
and white walls of Chamouni, and in the
west the now unvexed Bermoothes.
With the aid of his publishers Mr..
Scotland has given us delightful book,
under Summer Skies New York:
Charles L. Webster & Company fasei-
mating in style and as novel in matter as
records of journeys over much-travelled
roads can be. There are few new sights
to see but he views the old ones, which
will always enchain the attention of the
world, with fresh, an unwearied eye;
and describes them in charming man
ner all his own. The bits of verse
scattered through the book are the
pastime of poet, and the illustrations,
by Margaret Landors Randolph, fasci-
mating in theme and finished in execu-
ton.
A Book Of Famous Verse, selected by
Agnes Repplier, is almost an ideal collec-
ton. Made for children, it does not miss
the mature mind. 1t is deep gratifica-
ton to meet compiler who recognizes,
as Miss Repplier does, that Fin the mat
ter of poetry, child's Imagination out
strips his understanding; his emotions
carry him far beyond the narrow reach
of his intelligence. He has but one les
son to learn-the lesson of enjoyment, -
and that it hardly lies in our power to
teach. We can but show him the fair
fields of song, and let him CLEAN where
he will. All the harvest is ripened to his
hand, and he knows where his own store
lies" Thus far Miss Repplier. This re-
viewer has in mind boy who was fed
on standard English poetry. 1t was not
forced upon him. His attention was not
even called to it. The books were left in
his way and he read them with delight.
Though no poet-nor of kin to poets
for to this day, though bearded man,
he could not write copy of verses to
save his neck-he read with as hearty en-
joyment as ever any street urchin ex-
hibits at listening to the strains of Annie
Rooney. The case is not singular; it is
not infrequent. All children love good
poetry, though certainly not all poetry
that is good. Even the least popular are
not always above their reach. The boy
does not breathe who will not listen with
delight to ''How They Brought the
Good News to AK or to ''Childe Rol-
and to the Dark Tower Came"
The only difficulty Miss Repplier finds
and it is considerable-is in selection.
"The pleasant part of editing little
book like this" she says, lis the gather
ing together of many .well-loved poems;
the heart-breaking part is the exclusion
of quite as many more.' However, she
has done her work with rare judgement
In addition to many of the old favorites
we have. among others, Holiness Cham
bered Nautilus and Last Leaf, Hoods
Ballad, "She's Up and Gone, the Grace
less Girl Lowelps Shepherd of King
Admetus, Leigh Hunts .Jennie Kissed
Me-" and sympathetic translation
Gustave Nadauds 'tCarcassonne." Dos
ton: Houghton, Mifflin & Co; Portland:
Loring, Short & Harmon. Price $1.25.)