The Portland daily press., 1894-11-08

Cheers be saddened silences
Still glad triumph notes are flung
From the song that Siias sung
Let the howlers howl,
And the scowlers scowl,
And the GROWERS growl,
And the grnff gang go il;
But behind the night
There's plenty of light
And | know it
Boston: Lee & Shepard: Portland:
Loring, Short & Harmon. Price ST. 5O.)
Micah Clarke. His Statement, as
made to his Three Grandchildren Joseph,
Gervas & Reuben, during the Hard win
ter of 1884, wherein is contained full
report of certain Passages in his Early
Life, together with some account of his
Journey from Havant to Taunton with
Decimus Saxon in the summer OF 1885,
Also of the Adventure that Befell them
during the Western Rebellion, & of their
Intercourse with James, Duke of Mon
mouth. Lord Grey & other Persons of
Quality. Compiled Day by Day, from
his Own Narration by Joseph Clarke
& Never Previously set Forth in Print.
Now tor the First Time Collected, Cor
rected & Rearranged from the Original
Manuscripts. By Conan Doyle, author
of Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, The
Refugees. etc. Illustrated by George
Willis Rardwell. AS will be seen by this
title page, DR.. Doyle's recent story is ,of
the Monmouth uprising in England, in
1855. and is supposed to be the descrip-
ton of an eye witness This gives it
great vividness and verisimilitude, and
indeed the tale is as stirring and excit-
ing one. A leading feature is the won
derfully striking way in which that
happy yet unfortunate creature "a soldier
of fortune" is portrayed-never better to
our thinking. Micah himself is the son
of a Cromwelllan zealot. His mother
was churchwoman. He held liberal
views n religion, but was staunch
Protestant, when to be staunch Protes-
tant meant the taking of ones life in
one's hands. Jeffrey's atrocities, Col.
Kinks cruelties-thesa were indeed
bloody times, and the assizes earned
their title. The book is an immense
success. Made up of battle and royal
intrigue, of peril and the sword, it is al
story of adventure and study of charac-
ter. The grand passion enters in but as
an episode, and then is given US by re-
suits, not in analysis. (New York:
Harper & Brothesr; Portland: Loring,
Short & Harmon. Price $175.)
Unguarded Gates and Other Poems,
by Thomas Bailey Aldrich, has hardly
SO pretty cover AS it deserves at this
season of the year, but perhaps it
matches other volumes of Mr.. Aldrich's
or it may be that the author is tired of
fanciful designs. Paper and print are de-
lightful. Of these later poems one can
but repeat familiar words of praise used
heretofore about this writer. He is an
artist; his verses are gems. He is grace
full and fastidious; yet withal he does
not miss delicate humor, deep SYM
pathy, and an inherent vigor-qualities
in poet which are usually difficult to
harmonic. The initial poem rebukes
our neglect Of the Munroe doctrine and
calls to US with the ring of patriotic
warning. Some miscellaneous mum beers,
seven sonnets, and what are called I'm
terludes" and "Footnotes" complete the
contents. The closing stanza of Mr.. AL
drich's parting words to DR.. Holmes
when the latter sailed for England in
1886 will be we'll remembered:
Take him, green Erin, TO thy breast!
Keep him, gray London-for a while;
In him we send thee of our best,
Our wisest word, our blithest smile
Our epigram, alert and pat,
That kills with joy the folly hit
Our Yankee Tsar, our Autocrat
OF all the happy realms of wit!
Take him and keep him-but forbear
TO keep him more than half "a year,.
His presence will be sunshine there,
His absence will be shadow here!
Boston and New York: Houghton,
Miffiin q Company; Portland Loring,
Short & Harmon. Price $1.25.)