The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1896-12-05

PORTLAND DAILY Pr
English than American and is Scarcely
one to bespeak discriminating endorse
ment. But Clarissa Furiosa has move
ment and variety. and is altog ether
readable. (New York: Harper & Broth
ers: Portland: Loring, Short & Harmon.
Price $780,
Love in the Backwoods, Two Nor.
mons from Muddlety, Alfred's Wife, by
Laugdon Elwyn Mitchell. Illustrated
nv Gilbert Gaul. West Virginia stories
two in number, distinguished by print
tive force In reproducing the human ma
ture indigenous to untrammelled deyel-
onment in a semi-Southern wilderness.
These studies originally came out in
Harpers and Century. Their vitality
and yiQor no reader will question. The
real woe inflicted by an inability to cook
is something not to be treated lightly;
while the tragedy in Alfred g Wife. on
the other side of humanity's needs, Is
more poignant than If Glad in rich robes
and educated TO expression. New York:
Harper & Brothers. Portland: Loring,
Short & Harmon. Price $l25
Houghton & Miffiin have issued some
especially satisfactory books this au-
tump. and it is with pleasure that we
turn to group of their publications.
This house has many standard authors
upon its lists and it's endorsement carries
weight with the reading world; its taste
in binding is quiet, but eleg ant, and It's
volumes Hospitality open wide to the
readers hand wit bout fear of broken
backs or cracking seams.
Victor Hugo's Letters will be issued
in two s vo. volumes, of which one Is
at hand, plainly and handsomely bound,
with large print and wide margins, COW
ering letters before marriage to his moth
er and father; later, to his young wife;
| to various friends end public officials,
and here and there crowned heads; to-
his babies also, which last are full OF
light badtnage and tenderest endear-
ment. Everything from the pen of this
giant in letters Is sought and valued,
and so virile and universal is he In his
endowment and expression that it seems
hardly possible to believe that he was
born almost century ago. At sixtsen
years of age he was carrying of SUCCESS
sive prizes for his poems and prose COM
position, and at twenty-one founding LIE
Conservative Litteraire. These Letters
are arranged by M. Paul Meurice his
literary executor. They have by no
means the fullness that a Life and Let
tiers combined contain, such as Motley's
or Macaulay's memoirs, but they cannot
fail to draw those who know the history
of the times in which Victor Marie HUI
20 lived and wrote, and who can read
between the lines. Saint Beuva. for ex
ample, the great critic. had romantic
fondness for Madame Hugo, which will
explain certain illusions in the CORE.
spondence between him and the great
creator of o school Of dramatic literature.
| This genius who wrote Notre Dame de
Paris used his powers in the midst of
troublous days conferred in political
|
censors, the press and the government.
The reflection of these excitements is
ought in this series of Letters. Volume
II. will be eagerly expected. Price 3d. 90
each volume.
| Chapters From Life, by Eliza beth
Stuart Phelps; illustrated with portraits
of the author and some of her forbears;
views at Andover, Gloucester and New
ton; likenesses of Whittier, Mrs. Stowe,
Lucy Larcom, Lydia Maria Child, Phil
| lips Brooks and other distinguished men
and women, is a book made up Of mate
rial most interesting to New England
people. Not only this, but Mrs. Ward
| ia incapable of dull page, and shows
as plainly here as in her works Of fiction
or studies from life, the great dramatic
powers which have given her books, big
and little, from the Gypsy or the Susie
Books to Gates Ajar, and A Singular
Life, such wide distribution and such
strong hold in unnumbered directions.
Mrs. Fields Authors and Friends takes
up number of the same celebrities with
which Mrs. Wards book deals, SO that
these appropriations supplement one
the other, the lineaments in drawing
being omitted the former grouping.
Both books make delightful reading.
| Sister Jane, Her Friends and Ac-
qualntances. A Narrative of Certain
Events and Episodes Transcribed from
The Papers of the late William Woenum,
| by Joel Chandler Harris. Mr.. Harris
gives us in this his latest story mere
fresh and unique cuts in the way of
Southern silhouettes. His new volume
is announced as novel. Somehow it
does not seem just that to us. 1t still
seems more collection of impressions,
though the weaving is more compact
than is usual with him. At all events
Sister Jane pictures in leisurely and
quaint fashion middle class life as it