The morning call., 1892-07-24
RECENT PUBLICATIONS.

JOHN G. WHITTIER-A most pleasing ad-
dition to the series of American Reformers
is the life of John @. Whittier, the poet Of
freedom, written by William Sloane Ken
nedy. Mr.. Kennedy has evidently under
taken his WORK very largely as labor of
love, and no one familiar with the career of
his subject need be surprised at this. In
addition TO giving faithful picture OF the
sweet Quaker poet, Mr.. Kennedy has un-
dertaken to show that Flood lveson was
Justly tarred ard feathered, that John
Brown did stOop TO kiss the slave child. that
Barbara FTietchle did wave tEat historic
flag in the face Of the Confederate troops,
that Whlttier's story Of the wreck
Of the Pslatine is true TO the letter,
and that the romantic story of Harriet
LiVermore Is truth stranger than fiction.
One Of the most interesting incidents Of the
volume is the story related by William
Lloyd Garrison Of his first acquaintance
with Whittier; how be had received poem
written for his paper, the Free Press, which
had pleased him so much that he not only
gave 1t place in his publication, but made
an effort to discover the author. whom he
found 10 be Quaker named Whittier, who
was daily at work OH the shOemaker's bench
with hammer and lapstone al East HaYerhln
Aflerward he found the rustic bard who
came into the room with shrinking diff
dence, almost unable 20 speak and blushinG
like maiden. WhittieTs father told Gar
Tison that the boy had been writing verse
almost as SOOQ as ne COuIQ Wrlte al all, ana
when pen and ink failed him he would re-
sort to chalk and charcoal; but all with so
much secrecy that il was only by removing
some rubbish 10 the garret that his con-
cealed manuscripts had been brought to
light And this was the beginning OF the
poetical career OF one who has shed such
luster on American letters. The volume is
enriched by many touching tales of the anti
slavery contest in which Whittier was
unique figure New York, London and
Toronto: Funk & WaEnells COmpanyl
THE SIsTERs-AIgernon Charles Swim
burne. who, after Tennyson. is beyond
question the greatest of living English
poets, seems. like the Laureate, to fancy the
dramatic form Of verse. 1t is doubtful,
however, whether either Will ever rank
even among the minor playwrights of the
age The apparent success OF The For
esteTs" is evidently due more to the skill of
the actors than to the fine lines of Tenny-
son. In writing ''rhe Sisters" Swinburne
probably never anticipated stage prOduc-
tlen OF his tragedy. And tits extremely un-
likely that its characters will ever be seen
behind the footlights. Considered as a
poem, however, ii is we'll worthy the reputa-
tion Of the acknowledged master of rhythm.
The dedication. which was published for the
first time on this coast in the Sunday
CALL several weeks ago, has all the verbal
beauty and musical SWING OF the matchless
lyrics in Los Nenesis." The same is true
of the songs occurring at intervals through
cut the tragic story. They have the sweet
ness Of pure harmony combined with per-
feet grace of expression. Love and SOr-
row Met 10 May" which introduces the
fourth act, Is a poetic gem, clean-cut as a
cameo. and MabePs melody. There's nae
lark loves the lift my dear" has the Tilt of
lyric by Bobbie Burns. The story itself
Is told in vigorous blank verse, and is cer-
tain to find many appreciatiye readers
The book Is very neatly printed and
bound in uniform style with "LOcrine," an
earlier tragedy by the same author, new
edition OF which has just appeared. Pub
lished by the United States Book Com
pany, New York. For sale by Payot,
Upham & Co. pri 81 25.l
AN AMERICAN SrArEsMAN-Th is a
campaign life of James @. Blaine. written
by Willis Fletcher johnson. who. accord
Ing to the title page, is also the author Of
my Country. IT'S OF Thee" Sitting
Bull" History of the Johust0wn
Flood etc. It is very attractively bound,
but Is printed on poor paper and the Illus
tratl0ns are inferior Photographic repr0duc-
lions. From the first chapter to within tour
pages Of the end the book is eulogy, pure
and simple, Of the man whom Mr. johnson,
In common with many other delnded Ameri-
cans, thought was sure OF the nomination at
Minneapolis Unfortunately for the author
Of My Country, 'Tis OF Thee"
etc. the convention saw fit to make
Benjamin Harrison the Republican stan
dard-beaTer in this campaign. But the
presses were already in labor and the book
had to be born. So Mr. johnson tackled on
three and half pages of matter descriptive
Of his herO's retirement TO private life ap-
DrOpriatey sc aTated it from the preceding
matter by misery" dash, and the result
Is now before the public. Blaine is one of
the greatest Of Americans, and some day
he VIII find worthy biographer In the
meantime Mr.. Johnson, his Life of Sitting
Bull" etc, will be forgotten. Published
by a. x. Keller u Co, Philadelphia
urcronx, TT,do-
this title an American edition of DR.. George
Curry's excellent manual of English His
tory" has been published in this country.
1t is edited by William J. Rolfe. the we'll
known Shakespeareau scholar, who has
taken more or less liberty with every page
of the authors text, besides furnishing a
supplementary chapter, bringing the sub
1ect matter down to the present time.
The original book was written for the use
of young BTitons, and contained many eX-
pressions and illusions which could neither
be appreciated nor understood by the ma
iority OF juvenile readers in America.
These passages. which were little too
English, you know" have been either
skillfuliy changed by Mr.. Roife or else
eliminated altogether, so that the volume
as it now appears may be regarded as de-
cided improvement on the original, which,
IL NAV be worth noting, has had a phenoni-
enally large sale. For school aud home use
this concise yet comprehensive history Will
bs found of rare value. Published by
Chas. (. Merrill & Co., New York.
THE MASTER OF SLENCE-There are
many readers TO whom an improbable
romance is always attractive. So long AS
the logical sequence of events is maintained
they care not for the paIpabIe absurdity of
the plot. To this class Irving Bacheller's
latest novel may be commended without
reserve. If it is less plausible than the tales
of Sylvanus Cobb. it at least possesses the
merit of finer literary finish. The hero, an
English boy. who narrates the story. comes
TO this country in search of long-lost
uncle, and discovers that relative at last.
not in ''moated grange" but in the suburbs
OF Ogdensburg. in a house surrounded on all
sides by wall nearly as high as the caves
of the building. Here the uncle who bore
the commonplace name of Lane, had lived