The Portland daily press., 1894-05-15
NEW PUBLICATIONS.

The Wee Ones of Japan by Mae St.
John Bramhall, with illustrations by G.
S. Weldon sis very comely little volume
The drawings are interesting and par
ticularly pretty and the dear little Japs
are made as winning by means of the
| artists pencil as by the authors pictures.
While there is nothing especially new
here or that may not be readily gathered
from other writings on Japan there is
an original grouping of facts and pre-
sentation of them. The little folks of
this part of the Orient have never had
SO cordial an historian.
The writer's style is good save for the
too frequent employment of French
words. for which she evidently has a
penchant. She shows us the babies in
many beguiling attitudes, fit to win
the hearts of all child lovers. At school,
on the street, at play, going to tableau,
the Imperial baby, and so on, and evil
IDENTIFY from knowledge at first hand
and CLEANED from experience. Some
thing of the customs which surround
japanese women are also introduced, and
the American woman in perusing this
portion OF the text may we'll feel that
her own emancipation is no idle boast.
We doubt whether children would care
very much to read the book, which liz
true OF many charming stories about
children, but they would like the pic
lures, and skillful mamma could read
it to them IN a way that would awaken
their eager interest at once. New
York: Harper & Brothers; Portland:
Loring, Short & Harmon. Price S1.Oo)
The Expert Waitress is a little hand
book, "a manual for the pantry, kitchen
and dining -room," prepared by Anne
Frances Springstead and dedicated to
theaColumbia Club of Working Girls.
1t is inte- ded the author says, for
working model rather than set OF
rules, and recognizes wide differences in
taste and opinion. Breakfast, luncheon,
dinner, tea, with various other functions
are given menu, followed by list of
requisite articles for setting the table.
A little diagram is made in each case.
silver, etc. for each course. Then the
writer gives sample and clear directions
as to the waitress's duties and the cor
rect way of performing them. These are
accurate to the smallest detail, yet brief
and to the point. being repeated in such
a way as to enable an intelligent maid,
who wished to be dainty and expert in
her profession, to soon acquire the incest
way of doing her tasks. (New York
Harper & Brothers; Portland: Loring
Short & Harmon. Price 1.0O)
The Story of Margredel, being Fire
side History of a Fifeshire family. The
American edition of this story is pub
lished by the Putnams in mo, cloth
uniform with Ships that Pass in the
Night, the price of the book being
S1.oo. The authors name is not given,
but the experienced reader will detect
strong hand, whether or not it be one
that often yields pen A simpe story
is here told with force and originality:
the narrative is tragic and sad, but
the gloom is relieve by huomorus touch
es, sometimes as keen as Barrels. Given
the old idea of an entailed curse, and
you see the workings of fate in the
Oliphant family.
The author does not need to tell us
that he writes of a countryside he loves;
the fact is patent in every condensed
description of people and environment.
The story is distinguished by certain
personal power in the method of recital, |
80 that it holds not a tagging word. On |
sale at Loring, Short & Harmon's.)
Bayou Folk, by Kate Chopin, contains |
more than twenty short stories, some of |
them but three or four pages in length: |
yet is 1t safe to say that there is not one |
in the collection, but has marked qualities |
of sufficient merit to produce distinct |
effect upon the sympathetic readers |
mind. Here is undoubted talent; more, |
the touch of genius without which no |
writer can make deeply real to us the |
pathos, laughter, tragedy and comedy |
of the Creole nature, that alluring. |
evasive, Notwithstanding study, which |
few modern masters have immortalized. |
This author is one of them In love
stories of the arstocratic and lovely;
in scenes from childlife, in the story of |
1.-THE very fine fiddle" of priceless value |
and sold for a song Gan appropriate fate |
one might think for viol:n;) in the |
melodrama of the strain of negro blood |
attributed to "Armand's". wife upon the |
birth OF the child, and, unknown to him. |
running not in her veins but in his ,wn
i'm these and other sketches, life, inter-
preted for US truly, brings the smile to
the lip or the tears to the eye. Boston
and New York: Houghton, Miff1in &
Company Portland: Lorlng, Short &
Harmon. Price .$1.25.
The Story of Dan, by M. E. Francis,
author of In Noble Country Village, |
Whittier, etc.. The Irish dialect of this