The Portland daily press., 1895-11-15

PORTLAND ]
towards Jerusalem and by absorbing the
spirit of Persia and the East can one ap-
preciate the nobleness of the conception
as bit of history and as contribution
to poetic art in prose form. New York:
Harper Brothers; Portland: Lorlng,
Short & Harmon
A Cumberland Vendetta and Other
Stories by John Fox, Jr., illustrated.
Readers of the magazines have noted
new star in short story literature when
they have perused'' "A Mountain Europa"
ga Cumberland Vendetta" "The Last
Stetson" and sHell Fer Sartain.''
These sketches seem to us to equal Miss
Murphree's best stories, free from GER
tain diffuseness which Egbert Craddock
has of late been somewhat prone to. 1t
is pity to make these comparisons o
one author with another, yet it is inevita-
BILE when different writers deal with so
striking and individual an environment
as the Cumberland Mountains and the
-barbaric tribes if one may use the
term, of Kentucky and Tennessee. MIR.
Fox's stories however judged on their
merit alone are graphic full of color and
passion; virlle and bracing. If they are
tragic in tone, this is relieved by quiet
sense of humor and by beautiful descrip-
items of the region he describes. New
York: Harper & Brothers.
In the Young World by Edith M.
Thomas. We have here poems Sometimes
about children, to be priced by their
elders; sometimes on ohild-themes to be
loved by children themselves We should
think, for instance that tSylvia" could
be used as a Flower Play enacted by
little folks, at festivals OF entertain
ments, to great advantage and certainly
GA Little Quaker recited in costume is
lovely for we have seen and heard that
ourselves. care your grapes ripe, Miss
Thomas ?' is very quaint and cunning.
So is "Madeline's Happy Thought " In
short if the author is sometimes little too
classic for human natures daily food,
judicious cleaning will gather delightful
harvest of thought and poesy. (Boston
and New York: Houghton Mi film q
Company: Portland: Stevens & Jones.
Price $l.50)
Mr.. Rabbit at Home. A Sequel to Lit
tie Mr.. Thimblefinger and His Queer
Country, by Joel Chandler Harris, author
of "Uncle Remus" etc.
This is fine piece of book making In
print, paper binding, and illustration
and will rejoice the Juvenile possessors
of Christmas stockings or those wider
receptacles that hold holiday volumes.
Buster John, Sweetest Susan and
Drusilla go again through the spring to
the queer country and are very droll and
interesting on their journey and hear and
see no end of fascinating things after
they get there Such good stories as are
told by Mr.. Thimblefnger and the others
about "Mr. Thunder" "The Blue Hens
Chickens" "The Cow with the Golden
Hornsn and ever SO many more extraor-
binary and comical happenings.
Mrs Meadows, Mr.. Rabbit, Chickamy
Granny Grow and Tickle Toes are just
as enchanting in this sequel as they were
last year at their first appearance. hos
ton and New York: Houghton, Mlfll n
q
Jones' Price So. co.,
Frowzle the Runaway. A Fable Tor
Children, by Lily f. Wesselhoeft, author
of fsSparrow the Tramp" ETC., with
illustrations by Jessie McDermott
Frowzle is lovable little dog and
Jessie McDermott has made most sue
cessful picture of him, on his hind legs,
with a little contribution basket in his
mouth. He had very bad fault. that
of running away. Of course he saw and
heard good many unusual things in
both city and woods during these jour
neys of his
Margetta is fins little mistress and
Willie thinks "the little gorgy" partly
his puppy, too.
Sometimes there is a suspicion that too
many tears are likely to be called forth
by possible bad treatment Of the hand-or-
gan mans little girl (who wasn't his
little girl at alD and of the pets this
rough man has in hand. But the ending
is thoroughly happy all round and the
story is full of pretty imaginings and
bright notions (Boston: Roberts Broth
ers; Portland: Loring, Short Harmon.
Price S1.25.
Dead Mans Court, by Maurice H.
Hervey. Illustrated by Frank M. Gregory.
A murder introduces us at once into the
detective quality of this story and also
into very fast set in London life The
reason given for the continuance in this
cirol of the murdered mans heir is that
he proposes to discover the assassin OF his
young cousin and is controlled by fate
which leads him with subtle will power
into the paths which shall finally serve
to furnish the needed clue The story is
ingenious and lively despite it's sensation
al character; and will attract people who
want intrigue and demi-mondism and
crime generally as their reading portion.
The leading characters Of the story, to be