The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1895-12-06
NEW PUBLICATIONS.

Fables and Essays, by John Bryan, of
Ohio. Vol. I Complete in itself). We
have here a volume of fine large print,
and rich paper, handsomely bound in the
new buckram covers, so we'll liked, and
colored in light and dark green. The
thought and substance of the book can
hardly be so easily catalogued. The au
thor bespeaks sincere criticism, whether
favorable or unfavorable. He proclaims
himself free from all self-regarding mo-
tive and losses challenge to the reading
world.
This reviewers summary includes both
praise and suggestion. The fables here
contained are excellent; and fable, COM
plete in a page or two, is piece of writ
ing which would seem to be easy of ac-
oomplishment, but is in reality very
difficult. One often thinks the best way
to treat involved social questions is to
tell a little story about it all and trust to
it's getting in its work Certainly it is
no new method. Nothing SO impressed
the world as the parallels that came from
the Masters lips. But to return to our
book. We will give the shortest of these
fables entire
"a MAN AND HIS TROUSERS.
ga poor man once had two pairs of
trowsers; but each pair was full Of holes.
Happily, it happened that the holes in
one pair were not in the same places the
holes in the other pair were, SO that by
wearing both pairs at once, he declared
himself as we'll protected from the cold
as any body.
''Morals-1. The makeshifts of the poor
often counterbalance the providence of
the rich.
''2. Two hurts in one place wound Gus
deeply indeed"
We commend these fables as richly en-
lowed with common sense and whole
some sarcasm. They are good reading
and ought to prick the conventional and
the manoeuyering folk into plain dealing
and larger love. So also the final W ord
of protest against preaching at the poor
and theorizing things into tatters; it is
called for and it wakens q sympathetic
chord in the heart, albeit it Is a trife
ungentle.and impatient. Better not use
personal protest even amidst Ignorance
and misdirected zeal. And now for a
bit of fault finding. A cablegram ending
son earth and in heaven I am yours
| belongs neither to the realm otfact mol
Of imagination; at least rightfully it be-
longs to neither And again in the au
thor's talk to street waits, part of it j:
capital and hits the mark, but portion
| is sensational and unnecessary. Mr.
Bryan's poems are none of them mort
than pleasant amateur verse, and do no
make much impression in the reading.
The sandwiched prefaces of the bool
would also be improved by brief omis
sions and little change of tone. How
ever our dissent is not extensive. Ad
vice to Woman on how to open out
career in kindness and good will is of tn
finest and So is the graceful and swee
tribute to woman's special intuitions
(The Arts and Letters Company, 81
Broadway, New York City,
The Mystery of Witch Face Mountain
and Other Stories, by Charles Egbe1
Craddook The initial number, Takin
the Blue Ribbon at the County Fair, an
The Casting Vote, make up the content
of this volume of Miss Murfree's Tonne.
, see Mountain stories. They are stampe
with her unmistakable endowment i
art Their very simplicity come
through the authors mastery of her sui
ject. She knows the country and the pee
pie to the life and gives them to us fu
of color and vital power. With her late
writing has come wonderful reading In
to the nature of the passion of the huma
heart, she makes fire and flood, moo
light and shadow instinct with feelin