The Portland daily press., 1892-12-13

London, by Fergus Hume. the author Of
The Mystery of Hanson Cab, depends
entirely upon intricate plot and chain
of impossibilities for its audience. That
it will have large audience is altogeth-
1er probab e; for a tale of magic and mys-
terry always appeals-and legitimately
enough-to story-loving man. Boston:
Houghton, Mifflin & Co.; Portland: Lor-
ing, Short & Harmon. Price $1.25.)
Edward H. Houses collection of sto-
ries, taking it's title from the first, The
Midnight Warning, makes pleasant read
ing, though none of the tales are of strik-
ing merit or originality. They leave no
after-taste, either good or bad. Perhaps
the best is the last (not because of that.
but because it gives an interesting
sketch of Louis Gottschalk, the pianist,
entitled A Friend in Need. New York:
Harper & Brothers; Portland: Loring,
Short & Harmon. Price $1.25.)
AlO ldOCSU tOluIAC Ill GLO lldl PClo aOW
and revised edition of William Blacks
works is Lady Silverdale's Sweetheart
and Others being The Pupils of Azure
lius, The Man who was Like Shakes
peare. The Strange House of Loeb
Suainabhal, and the Highlands of the
City. (New York: Harper 6 Brothers;
Portland: Loring, Short & Harmon.
Price 80 cents.)
Miss Mary Wilkinss novel, Jane Field,
has been followed with deepening inter
est as the story developed in the pages
of Harper's Magazine; and the denoue-
ment comes as veritable surprise. In
stead of killing Jane Field, as everybody
supposed she would, and as is the Or
thodox way of disposing of people of
that kind, the author permits the stern
willed old woman to live, dem ented, and
continually repeating the confession of
her imposture to all who will give ear.
In SO doing, Miss Wilkins not only es-
capes the pitfall of the conventional, but
exhibits good art and dramatic fitness.
The mad-house is more natural refuge
than the grave for woman Of the tenn
permanent and makeup of her gloomy
minded her oine.
The story is strong and sombre; the
tragedy relieved, as is the custom in our
tongue, by comedy parts. The delinea-
ton of these comedians and their humor
affords Miss Wilkins scope for the intro
duction of certain New England women
so very real that we can almost hear
them talk-Mrs. Babcock, for example,
to whom it ''seems sometimes, as if the
whole creation was like kitchen with
out any pump in it, specially contrived
to make women folks extra work"
Looks to me-" she said, ''as if peas
without pods could have been contrived
prettyleasy, and it does seem as if there
wasn't any peed of havin' strings on the
BEANS" The men are not so happily
done; but as they are few in number and
play subordinate parts, 1t doesn't much
matter.
Jane Field is published by Harper
Brothers, New York, and is for sale in
Portland by Loring, Short & Harmon.
Price SIPS.
Along the Florida Reef, by DR.. Charles
Frederick Holden, recounts, as the au-
thor explains in his preface. the actual
happenings in the daily life of several
boys, one of whom resided for five or six
years upon small key of the great
coral-reef that stretches away into the
Gulf of Mexico from the Florida PENN
sula. They made frequent excursions,
under the guidance of a naturalist, to the
coral gardens, and hunted or fished for the
strange animals which there have their
home. The recital of these adventures,
though primarily intended for boys, will
be found interesting to older people who
care. for the pursuits of the naturalist.
The book is profusely illustrated. New
York: D. Appleton & Company; Port
land: Loring, Short & Harmony
Richard Kendall Munkittrick, who has
made his way into the 'front.' rank of
American humorists, holds it by his lat
est book, The Moon Prince and Other
Nabobs, containing besides the title
piece, the Doom Prince, A Day in Wax
land, the Hurrishoffer. Opoponax. This
time he appeals to an exacting public,
that of the little people, and exercises
his gift for their amusement. The ex-
pertinent of relating humorous fairy
story is novel. and Its reception by the
audience upon whom it is tried will be
awaited with some curiosity. However,
the stories have charm besides the fun,
good as that is, for they are told with
grace and fancy and then, too, there is
always the chance that the children will
take the fun riously. New York:
Harper & Brothers; Portland: Loring,
Short & Harmon. Price, $1.25.)
The great apostle of realism in the role
of writer of fairy tails is curious
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