The Portland daily press., 1894-12-18

a guise and perhaps not widely hefalaea
| this study strikes us as one of unusual
force and interest Christopher Brand
has in his veins the blood of the aristo-
GRAFT and of the trained legal expert but
his environment is that of the WORKING
classes, whose rights he espouses with
all the sincerity and warmth OF nople
nature. Absolutely honest and I'M
| finching, the experiences of English pc
litical life may be imagined as they
strike upon metal of that order. His
few friends are those to be proud of-his
enemies are many. 1t is a story to be
read, begging for neither let nor him
drance till its last page be reached, and
one destined not to end With the read
ing, but to make a lasting impression
upon thoughtful students of social prob
lens. So far also as construction and
style are concerned, All Agitator shows
an experienced and skillful pen, and is
especially crisp and full of life in CON
versation and dialogue. When Kit" dis
covers his own lack Of tolerance and ten
derness. we feel that his character has
attained it's browning attribute. New
York: Harper & Brothers; Portland:
Loring, Short & Harmon. Price $1.00.)
First in the Field. A Story of New
South Wales, by George Manville Fem,
author of Dick O. the Fens, etc., ETC., is
a stirring story of Australia. full of adj
venture, hardship, tragedy and narrow
int Al, IF tu1I 1,o
tween man and boy or among comrades
in danger is rather stiff and over mat
ter-of-fact, but it's description throughout
is vivid and fine. In the days of early
English ranch life in New So.lth Wales
there was no end of material for fiction
writer's. The convict labor system fur
nished of itself wide field for fact and
for sensation, outrunning tales of the
Imagination. This author has availed
himself Of such material and has made
of it an exciting narrative sure to de-
light the boys, and we may add, their
elders, when we rememb Der in "The Old
Homestead" the absorption of busy
hous smother aud farmers wife in the
thrilling happenings set down in the
Red Rover"-this individuals subtitle
of protracred length escaping our mem
DRY at the moment. Mr.. Fenn's book,
however, does not belong with the dime
novel successes, but in the higher class
of we'll written books of adventure of
good tone and instructive as well as
popular. New York: Dodd, Mead &
Company; Portland: Loring, Short &
Hamon. Price 81. 5U.)
The Blue Ribbon. - What Thomas
Edward Murphy Has Done for the Pro-
motion of Personal Temperance with
some account of the work Of his father,
Francis Murphy, and of his brother,
William j. Murphy, by Arthur Reed
Kimball Dedicated to the wife of
Thomas Edward Murphy. Those persons
who best know and can most fairly
Judge the facts of the case are convinced
beyond any question that the repentance
which followed upon the distressing ex-
periences of Francis Murphy in this
city years ago was genuine and perma-
nent one. The death of his wife at a
time when he was at his lowest ebb, was
the last influence and the most potent
in his reformation. Since then his life
has been spent IN helping others out OF
the hell which he had known in all it's
hideousness. He founded the Blue Rib
bon order. His method is moral suasion.
personal interest and affection and un-
ceasing effort. Somewhat akin to the
ways of the Salvation Army and similar,
too, to the work of evangelists, Mr.. Muir
ply and his sons count their savedn and
their re eruits who were never lost. by
tens of thousands. The present volume
is handsomely bound in light blue, with
the ri bbon" design, and is of excellent
print and paper. Portraits of the three
temperance orators and of Maggie"
Murphy, "Ned's" wife, are bound In the
text and present fine appearance. The
history of this great movement in this
country and abroad especially in Eng
land, is full Of interest. Who but bids
them God speed!
Many Portland people will wish to read
of the Murphys and their work, and
apart from any local interest, the account
is worthy of widespread attention. The
record of meetings and journeys, hard
contests, new light in darkest places,
regeneration after hopeless sutfering-is
here made in well written and spirited
narrative frightened now and then by
droll story or touch of Irish wit.
New York: Dodd, Mead & Company;
Portland: Loring, Short & Harmon.
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