The Portland daily press., 1893-11-06


as she places before us the results of her
research. The good old fashion of begin
ming at the beginning describes for us the
poor little puritan baby, baptised at four
for six days of age, in water of an lev
temperature if so be that he OF she were
born in winter. And where from 16 to 26
children were considered a good large
family, but not extraordinary in size,
certain of the unfortunate wights were
predestined as it were for that Indictment
season of the year. If the luckless infant
escaped his immersion unframed the
remedies applied to later ailments were
such as would only leave intact very
tough specimen of the race. "Daffy's
Elixir,n snail water brewed with beer,
SIENNA and rhubard in appailingly large
doses were much commended. At three
years, six and ten being especially re-
sponsive ages also; equally strong and
and dreadful doses of catechism and
pious teaching were offered the tender
mind of the child and thoughts of death
and fears of hell were considered whole
some and improving. We must admit
that those who lived through this sort of
thing showed in after life great staying
powers and tremendous grip of any
task they set themselves to accomplish.
Great statesmen were evolved from this
stern fetching up. II often fancy" SAYS
the author, I should have enjoyed liv-
ing in the good old times, but am glad
never was child in colonial New Eng
land-to have been. baptised in ice water,
fed on brown bread and weak beer, to
have had to learn the Assembly's Cate
chism and to explain all the Questions
with comforting Texts, to have been con-
stantly threatened with fear of death and
terror of God, to have been forced to
commit Wigglesworth' Day of Doom
to memory, and after all to have been
whipped with a tattling stick
Courtship and marriage customs, do
nestle service, home, table and larder
furnishings, drinks and drinkers, travel,
holidays, sports, books and book-makers,
dress, doctors, funeral and burial Gus
toms are all we'll handled and set forth.
and to the lover of old times, and indeed
to all bright moderns with minds of
their own we commend this volume as
most interesting and curious reading.
New York: Charles Scribner,s Sons;
Portland: Loring, Short & Harmon.
Price $1.25)
Rather distinguished and stylish lit
tie affair is Elizabethan Songs in Honour
of Love and Beautie, collected and illus
tated by Edmund H. Garrett, with
clever introduction by Andrew Lang.
Here are the old favorites, "a Sweet
Disorder in the Dress, drink to Me
Only With Thine Eyes," @Hark, harkl
the lark" "He that Loves a Rosy
Cheek" and many more, with less ia
miliar lyrics equally fresh and win
ming. We always turn with a smile to our
Phillises and Daphnes, Chlorises, Rosa
linds and Celias and sigh in sympathy
with the heigh-hos and heys of Shakes
peare's lovely songs. Graceful drawings
adorn these sunny verses and the dress
OF the women shows us how very much
has been reproduced in this direction in
our XIXth Century. Thick, uncut
leaves and delicate head and tail pieces
make the volume additionally attrac-
tive, and it may be spoken of as particu-
larly dainty for holiday gift (Little,
Brown & Company, 234 Washington st.
Boston; Price So. 90.
The last of the Distaff Series, of which
we have noticed five preceding volumes,
is edited by Constance Cary Harrison,
and made up of the following short
stories: My Own Story" by Mrs. Stod-
dard; SIN Honor Bound" by Miss
Cheesebro; IAN Islander. by Miss Mar
garet Crosby; "a Speakin' Ghost,n by
Mrs. Slosson, and Monsieur Alcibiade, %
by the editor of the, present collection.
All these sketches have merit, though of
very varying kinds. "My Own Storyn
is curiously gloomy and almost brutal.in
directness of speech, yet reminds one of
a power not unlike that of the Brontes
SIN Honor Bound" shows keen insight
into New England character, which may
also be said of Miss Crosby's story, while
IA DpCdAlA 0uOSb' Is scarcely SO VIGIL
done but has it's strong points. "Mon-
sieur Alcibiade" is delicious and has the
artists touch. New York: Harper &
Brothers; Portland: Loring, Short &
Harmon. Price 81. co.
The Hanging of the Crane and Other
Poems of the Home, by Henry Wads-
worth Longfellow, illustrated, is a holt
day book: land the dainty and harmonious
companion of recent volumes of Whit
tiers Snowbound and At Shutdown. The
pictures are photographers, delicate lit
tile reproductions. that illustrating the
Golden Milestone being especially pretty.
Longfellow grows dearer with the
years and none ever wrote more appeal
ingly of childhood and youth. To the
homes where little folks beguile the
hours this will be fitting Christmas
token, though charming, too, in any
library. Boston and New York; Hough-
ton, Mif1in & Company; Portland: Lor-
ing, Short & Harmon. Price S1.5O.l