The Portland daily press., 1896-06-06
NEW PUBLICATIONS.

An unusually large proportion of read
able and interesting hooks has come this
spring from tho various publishing
houses, and the more leisure season SO far
as definite working engagements 60, is a
favorable time for the enjoyment of the
destinations of modern illustration, the
choicest of paper and print and subject
| matter varied and attractive. So much
so, that wero we enabled to exactly par
allel our current literature and that of
| fifty years ago, we should be surprised
at the advance made in maturing both of
thought and expression, and the vast
gain in concentration and depth.
Essays on Nature and Culture by Ham
ilton Wright Mabie, is dedicated to John
Burroughs. The thirty chapters of the
book are SO brief they would perhaps
make dozen essays of ordinary length.
The author, a master Of smooth diotion
and quiet elegance of style, never tliscon-
meets his thought, though he here ar
ranges its expression in groups of half
dozen pages. His theme is the supreme
art, the art of arts, which is the art of
living. What do we owe to the race
memory; how are we to deyelope most
harmoniously the senses, the magma
ton, the moral perception, the spiritual
forces. Mr.. Mnbie does not attempt to
ask or to answer questions: he is never
dogmatic. He outlines his philosophy
very delicately; he indicates and sug-
gests. But the thinking mind, if Of
sensitive mold will feel the impress of
his elevated tone. Mr.. Mabie insists that
success means no material slavery but
the realization Of the fact that "life
ought not to be succession of happen
ings, matter Of outward fortunes, but
cumulative inward growth and oumu-
lative power of productivity. And that
We should seek out the places, expert
ences and moods which will enrich and
inspire us and having discovered them,
pursue and possess them. The opening
crudity of haste" quotes from Alexan-
DIRE Dumas. How do you grow old SO
graoefully?' Madame, give all lev
| time to it.'
"To enter into the life of the race
through it's history, its arts, its science.
and it's religion Is to como into such vital
relations with it that it's experience be-
comes ours as truly us if one had passed
through it. In this way Shakespeare
possessed himself of the experience of the
Greek, the Roman, tho italian, and the
Englishman of an earlier age; in this
way Dante mastered the secret Of mediae
valism; in this way Hawthorne disoernsd
the spirit of Pnritanism in its personal
struggle with temptation and SIM" The
latter portion of these papers treats Re-
pose, the Universal. the Unconscious
life, Rhythmic Movement and HARMONY.
Essays on Nature and Culture is delight
fully free from overriding of any kind
and from any strainiEg after effect or
sensation. We cheerfully place it we'll
portrait of Mr.. Mabio faces the title
page. New York: Dodd. Mead G. Com.
pany; Portland Loring, Short & Har.
mon. Price 81. 25.)
BY Oak ana Thorn. A Record of Enp.
lish Days by Alice Brown. This author
has been winning a name for herself &c
an accomplished student of New Enc.
land character in her recent publication
"Meadow Grass" and has been likened +o
Miss wilkins i'll her conception Of an
American Crawford. The present volume
is of quite another ilk. 1t is a pleasant
chat about travel wherein places and
people are dealt with in about 90 al pro-
portions. Plymouth means Sir Francis