Daily Kennebec journal., 1894-07-14
Edisor,s Table.

Up and Down the Nile, OF Young Ad-
venturers in Africa, cloth; illustrated; PIP.
352, price SLIPS: Lee and Shepard publish
ers, Boston, Mass. For sale by j. F.
Pierce.
This is the third volume of the second Sc
ries of the" All-Over-the-W World Library" in
which the voyage Of The Guardian Mother"
is temporarily suspended at Alexandris,
while the boy-excursionists make their trip
up and down the great river of Egypt in
another steamer, more suitable for inland
navigation. Mr.. Adams (Oiiver Optic
loses none of the vigor of style and
intense interest Of narrative that have al
ways been characteristic of his work,
with the advance of age. His latest works
will bear excellent comparison with those
of his young manhood. No writer has ever
excelled him in the art OF gaining juvenile
attention. holding the juvenile attention
and winning the juvenile heart.
The exploration Of such country as
Egypt, with its delicious climate, its rain
less skies, its extraordinary testimonials of
ancient grandeur, revealing the artistic
taste, the astonishing mechanical skill, and
the wonderful patience, perseverance, and
persistency in overcoming almost incredi-
BILE difficulties that existed thousands of
years ago, would seem to furnish abundant
interest ever for young readers without the
stimulant of the story. But to make the
voyage with Oliver Optic and his hero is in
deed treat.
The pyramids, the rock tombs, and the
ruins of the temples, more or less decayed
by the stroke of 5000 years or more of time,
have been described so far as space would
permit Cairo and Alexandra have not
been neglected, and the manners and Gus
toms of the medley of people in Egypt have
received attention in such a manner as to
enlist and hold the interest of the youthful
reader to the end.
"A Modern Magdalene, by Virna
Woods, PIP. 34G. Lee & Shepard, pub
fishers, Boston. Price, Sl.25. For sale
by j. F. Pierce.
There can be little doubt but what
there is growing appreciation in the social
world of the injustice of having one moral
standard for men and another for women.
The chief object of the author in writing
this story is to show the great injustice of
society toward women the social ostracism
really noble qualities, to life of hopeless
degradation. One cannot but feel that the
characters portrayed and scenes depicted
herein are from life. This is es-
pecially true OF that portion relating
to California. The author in her
choice Of subjects has done very
daring thing, and thing no woman at
least has yet attempted, but the result in
,It ha IN iah hat IT
must handle such subjects, the artist might
always be woman of as much feeling
and good judgment as Miss Woods. The
author speaks very plainly in her descrip-
tions of some Of the wrongs noted, and
betrays an intimacy with the shadier facts
of life that is not less remarkable than her
appreciation of the good and bad elements
of the human heart which determine the
specific form Of sin which is so corrupting
to society. The moral is not left to be
guessed, however. or even to intellectually
appreciated. 1t is sure to be felt. And it
is therefore one of the few books of the
kind which may be read with profit. 1t is
very strongly written story, and will as
suredly take an enviable place among sue
cessful works Of fiction.
The Fairest of the Fair, by Hildegarde
Hawthorne. PIP 293. Henry Altemus, Phila-
delphia, publisher. Price Si25.
Any book from the pen of daughter of
the gifted Julian Hawthorne and the grand
daughter of Nathaniel Hawthorne the great
est writer of fiction this country ever pro-
duced, with an English style of marvellous
grace and purity, would be certain to at
tract public attention. This work, how
ever, will do more, it will awaken the pub
lie interest and win popular favor. AL
though Miss Hawthorne is a new conner
to the fraternity of letters she
has no occasion to feel ashamed of her
debut. She has an individuality of her
own and writes in clear, concise, and en-
tertaining style that gives peculiar charm
to her work. She certainly has future in
the field of literary effort, if she chooses to
devote her talents to authorship. The
charming little volume before us. re-
cords Miss Hawthorne's impressions of
the Columbian Exposition, and the read
er will bear cheerful testimony that she
was not only close and thoughtful observ-
er, but one who possessed, in a marked de-
gree, the happy faculty of making others
see with her own eyes. The work is finely
illustrated. II is printed in clear type upon
good quality of paper and neatly bound
in ornamental cloth.