The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1894-12-24
NEW PUBLICATIONS.

Maclaren. The author of this group OF
short stories is new to us but 1t Is
quite evident that ne
ranks among those who stand
very high in the art of transferring an
episode, an emotion, an influence. from
real life to true art, as in much simplici-
ty he records Scotch characters, and tells
us Of umtochty, and its folk and fash
IONS
How delightful this picture after
thinking of children in city streets; MY
thoughts DRIFT to the auld schule-house
and Domsie. Some one with the love
of God in his heart had built it long ago,
and chose site for the BARNS in the
sweet pine-woods at the foot OF the
cart road to Winnie Knowe and the
upland farms. 1t stood in clearing
with the tall Scotch frs round three
sides. and on the fourth a brake OF
gorse and bramble bushes. through
which there was an opening to the road.
The clearing was the playground, and IN
summer the bairnies annexed as much
wood as they liked, playing tag among
the trees, or sitting down at dinner time
on the soft, dry spines that made an
elastic carpet everywhere" "Domsie"
himself is fine. Now and then class
came up and did some task, and at
times boy got the tawse Tor his negll-
gence, but never a girl. He kept the
girls in as their punishment, with
brother to take them home, and both
had tea in Domsie's house, with a bit
of his best honey, departing much torn
between an honest wish to please Dom
sic and pardonable longing for another
tea.n We need not say that Domsle was
the schoolmaster, otherwise, Mr.. Parick
Jameson, M. A" Such friend he was
to those who longed to learn, that his
best pupil, dying, prayed Lord Jesus,
remembe my dear master, for he's
been a kind freend to me, and mony a
puir laddie in Drumtochty. Bind up his
salr heart and give HIM LIGHT at eyentide,
and may the master and his scholars
meet some moInin' where the schulz
never skails in the kingdom O. DOR
Father"
A Highland Mystic, His Mothers Ser
mon, The Transformation of Lachlan
Campbell, The Cunning Speech OF
Drumtochty, A Wise Woman and A
Doctor of the Old School are the remain
ing titles. If the pathos of this writer
is unusually deep in its tenderness, he
has also quaint, quick sense of humor
as genuine as it is rare. We heartily
recommend the volume. (New York:
Dodd, Mead & Company; Portland:
Children OF Circumstance. A Novel,
by Iota, author of A Yellow Aster.
Whatever objection might be taken to the
choice of su bject and treatment of the
same in A Yellow Aster, the thought
tention, and not without ability and
force OF the present volume, perhaps
the same conclusion may be reached, but
must be coupled with the statement
that there is coarse, ugly, even vulgar
tone, much more pronounced than in the
case of its predecessor. 1t entirely lacks
restraint. A phrase for instance, like
this, anent woman's voice, "soft, rush
ing, maddeningly enchanting gutterais"
might be pruned to good effect Many
liberties are taken with final consonaIts.
The story has certain strong points. :"
The slums-and most realistic, repul-
siye and unvarnished slums-fgure very
largely in the narrative, which is un-
pleasant and painfully high strung it
must be owned. The mature mind might
get suggestions from it; the immature
mind would suffer shock without any com
pensating gain; for any reader the story
is barbarous. New York: D. Appleton
& Company; Portland: Loring, Short &
Harmon. Price ST.. 00.)
At the Gate of Samaria, A Novel, by
William John Locke, gives us the history
of a young soul in revolt against prim
conventionality hedged about by what
is monotonous and excessively narrow.
Her breaking of these bonds frees her
for happy wanderjahre and Bohemia
and art find her charming disciple.
though she occasionally goes into the
world of society also. Here she meets
the man who turns life into suffering
through his brutality. Her final victory