The Portland daily press., 1895-10-23
Harper & Brothers Portland; Loring,
Short & Harmony


The Trial of Sir John Falstaff, where
in the fat Knight is permitted to answer
for himself concerning the charges laid
against him; and to attorney his own
case." by A. NJ f. Randolph. Mr.,
Randolph says in his preface that OF the
writing up of Falstaff there has been no
end and confirms this in his earlier pages
by quotations. side by side with his OWE
comments. from DR.. johnson, Maurice
Morgaun, Schlegel, Verplanck, Richard
Grant White. Hazlitt and other critics.
But we venture to say the present method
of presenting him anew to this Lublio is
original and amusing. Students of
Shakespeare, which include all students
of English literature, will like to follow
here the interwindings and Interviewing
by means of which "Sir John Sack and
Sugar plays his pranks and outs his not
too sensitive oapers over again for our
behoof, together with his confreres Bar
dolph, Nym, Poins. Peto, Pistol, Mrs.
Quickly and Justice Shallow. The book
is both scholarly and lively; and since
Falstaff has an unfailing fascination by
means of his wit and his utter irresponsi-
bility, for students of human nature, who
must needs laugh whilst they condemn,
this presentation of him will find wide
reading. New York and London, G.
P. Putnam's Sons; Portland: Loring,
Short & Harmony
| Last Poems of James Russell Lowell is
edited by Charles Eliot Norton. An
etched portrait of Mr.. Lowell, from pho
tograph taken in England in 1889, faces
the title page. The contents include
The Oraolo of the Goldffshes;' Turner's
Old Temeraire;'' "St Michael the
Weigher'' ga Valentine; San April
Birthday at Sea- )" Love and Thoughts; -
The Nobler Lover; "On hearing a
Sonata of Beethoven's Played in the Next
Room" '.Verses''; and son Bust of
General Grant -
These poems will be treasured as the
authors last contributions to literature as
well as for their innate beauty. The
| volume is bound in red canvas and will
make pretty holiday gift. (Boston and
New York: Houghton, Miffiin & Com
pany; Portland: Stevens & Jones.
Price ST. 25.
In a littl: volume entitled "From
Dreamland Sent,'' we have group OF
poems from the pen of Lillian Whitney,
we'll known in New England as journal
ist and author The verses are meant to
cluster about thoughts of love and tender
ness, death and separation and tender
spiritual influences. They are dedicated
to Miss Kate Field. "The Last Words
of the Romance" have passionate
utterance which yet refuses to sunder its
optimism 'sTonight'' would set itself
very easily to music and become song.
While Sometime is pathetic in Its
note Of warning not to procrasuinate In
Affection Some of these verses far excel
others: but all are refined and touched by
exaltation. Two of the poems have as
their subject Phillips Brooks (Boston:
Roberts Brothers; Portland: Loring,
Short & Harmon. Price $1.25).
The Walters Mou' by Brown Stoker,
is story of village folk on the east coast
of Scotland. Smuggler, and conniving
at the breaking of the laws, these sturdy
subjects still have an objection to publicly
withstanding an officer; SO that though
illegitimate trade is carried on with Ger
many and Holland it is beset with even
unusual peril and adventure The ro-
nance turns upon the loyalty of lover.
~ + he 81 nd
faithfulness of his love to her own people.
New York: D. Appleton & Company;
Portland Loring. Short & Harmon.
Price rs cents.)
/ The Red Badge Of Courage. An
Episode Of the American Civil War, by
Stephen Crane consists not so much Of a
story as of q study of entirly raw material
under the test of the battle field. A
young fellow, living in the country, q
home boy. enlists in our army. His old
mother gives him good advice and all the
tenderness of strong nature repressedsby
hard conditions. The youth, alert for &C.
ton, once In the midst of preparations
for war, has an opportunity for cooling
!; delay. During this period. much self in
spection goes on in his consciousness. as
to whether he shall rum when the crisis
: comes or be equal to the fate confronting
him, some vivid descriptions are given
of skirmishes and of engagements; and
} pictures of blood and carnage which
must come from knowledge of the subject.
In all stories of the war, drinking and
pro family occur if the stories are true to
life. 1t has never seemed to us wise to
accustom young people to this atlnos-
phere; otherwise incidents relating to
war are instructive to young readers, as
they are most certainly exciting and full
of interest for them.
The present volume is altogether COM
posed of the terrible and revolving side of
the dreadful struggle of 1851 to '65, with
no general history of the time, and for