The Portland daily press., 1895-12-21

Shapleigh Boston: Lee & Shenard
Portland: Stevens & Jones.) Tbi.
dainty volume of verse from the ren o
Mary Yale Shapleigh consists of fascinat
ing bits of poetic fancy-passing imnres
sions cleaned from sojourns in many
chimes. Although this is Miss Shan
leigh's first publication in book form,
she has written from time to time MANY
charming verses, which reveal the true
poetic instinct of this young authoress.
The illustrations in half tone are eonally
dainty and attractive, and delightfully."-
in harmony with the thought expressed.
lending an added charm to the enrire
volume.
A Lieutenant at Eighteen. BY Oliver
Optic. This Blue and The Gray. (Bos-
ton: Lee & Shepard; Portland: Stevens
& JONES' In A Lieutenant at Eighteen
the reader not only continues his ao-
quaintance with Dick Lyon and the other
principal characters of The Blue and
The Gray On Land, but is introduced
to many new ones. Our hero has been
promoted to the rank OF second lieutep-
ant and assigned to the first company
under Captain Gordon. In command of
the second platoon of this company,
while scouting in the advance of the ar
my, then concentrating, he has several
encounters with both partisan bands and
regular Confederate cavalry and shows
the same bravery and good strategy as
he exhibited in the preceding volumes.
Stirring events follow each other in quick
succession during the advance of Gen.
Thomas army against Gen. Zolliooffer;
and the battle of Mill Spring, defeat Of
the Confederate army. with the loss of
their leader. and their final retreat. are
fully described.
4 Harper's Round Table for 1895 is the
successor of HRrper's Young People,
changed in name only. The annual is
too well known to need any commenda-
ton. 1t is the ideal book for young
people. No boy OF girl can fail to find
abundance to his OF her taste in this
volume, for any sort of subject is treated
within its covers Among its oontribu
tors are all the best writer's for young
people. The Illustrations are as good az
the text The boy or girl who gets the
volume for Christmas present has an
inexhaustible fund of enjoyment for the
year to come.
Idyllists Of the Country Side: Being
Six Commentaries concerning some Of
those who have apostrophized the Joys Of
the Open Air, by George II. Ellwanger
author of In Gold and Silver, The Story
of My House, The Gardens Story, etc
The outward seeming of this little vol
ume is delightful; it has an air of dis
tinction which book lovers will recognize
at once For it's subject matter, prais,
also is to be awarded, but not praise in
discriminatory bestowed. There is ne
excitement to be extracted from thes,
modest sketches; not evon the thrill
and stir to the circulation which Ger
tain out-of-doors studies produce in thu
reading. Rather are these quiet talks
these literary rambles, along paths in
dicated by others, sober in tone ant
gently picturesque The author show
throughout that he loves learning ant
wide reading and is devoted to his theme
We had forgotten Dou bleday's lyric OF
fly-fshing, hers quoted, with its pith,
saying, "For fate is ever better than de
sign" Mr.. Ellwanger ransacks oil
sources and brings to light both classi
and semi-modern statistics. He ais,
connects his essays on Walton, Gilber
White. Thomas Hardy, Jeffries, Thorea,
and Burroughs, one with another, by in
dicating contrasts and resemblances
Had the reader reoollected that Mr.. Bur
rough's only poem { in rhyme) is tn
beautiful one beginning
'Serene fold my hands and wait.
Nor care for wind, or tide or sea - ?
Here is bit of candor anent rod an,
hook. "For it must surely have beef
noticed by the most unobservant reade
that all reference to the innumerabl
evils attendant on angling have beeI
carefully excluded by its expounder-in
chief; as, for instance, the abnormall
early hours it's Practice calls for, tn
neglect Of family obligations and bust
ness duties it necessarily incites, the ir
regularity of the luncheon hour, tn
constant danger and exposure to rain
and fogs, the abnormal appetite an,
thirst it engendsrs, and, finally, tn
gross prevarication the sport inevitabl,
leads to- New York: Dodd, Mead &
Company. Price 1880
Whiffs from Wild Meadows by San
Walter Foss, author of Back Country
Poems. Illustrated. MIR. Foss is quit,
right, there should be singers of oTbt
Common Lott for the average man, to th
universal heart. There should be oil,
customs preserved In verse; and line
that sing them selves. Lullabyes ami
home coInings and ThanskgiviDgs ar
not yet passed, thank heaven and thi
author puts into his breezy rhymes
hatred of can't, a love of manliness anf