The herald., 1896-11-22


lhtely true to life, and are vital in their
nature. They are pictures painted with
complete fidelity to TRUTH and these
never pail upon the senses, in whatever
domain of art they may be produced.
From the moment the single passenger
was put off at the Landing, and became
domiciled for the summer in the tiny
house of Almira Todd, till the end of the
season and the end of these sketches,
| there is no lack of interest in anything
that happened: and so there is no weari-
| some page in the volume, which we pro-
nounce equal to anything Miss Jewett
! has ever done.
One of the best things in the volume
is the description of the Bowden family
reunion, an August out-of-doors cele-
bration.
1T is very rare in country life. where
! high days and holidays are few, that
any occasion of general interest proves
to be less than great. Such is the hid
den fire of enthusiasm in the New Eng
land nature that. once given an outlet,
il shines forth with almost volcanic
| light and heat. In quiet neighorhoods
such inward force does not waste itself
upon those petty excitements of every
day that belong to cities but when. at
long intervals, the altars to patriotism,
to friendship. to the ties of kindred, are
reared in our familiar fields, then the
fires glow, the flames come up as if from
the ineXhaustible burning heart of the
earth; the primal fires break through
the granite dust in which our souls are
set. Each heart is warm and every face
shines with the ancient light. Such day
as this has transfiguring powers and
easily makes friends of those who have
been cold-hearted, and gives to those
who are dumb their chance to speak, and
lends some beauty to the plainest face.
There was never a more generous
ID "a
the Bowden family set forth that day.
TO call it picnic would make 1t seem
trivial The great tables were edged
with pretty oak-leaf trimming, which
the boys and girls made. We brought
flowers from the fence thickets of the
great field: and out of the disorder of
flowers and provisions suddenly ap-
peared as orderly scheme for the feast
as the marshal had shaped for the pro-
cession. / began to respect the Bewdens
for their inheritance of good taste and
skill and a certain plea sing gift of for
mality. Something made them do all
these things in finer way than most
country people would have done them.
There was an elegant ingenuity dis
played in the form of pies which de-
lighted my heart. Once acknowledge
that an American pie is far to be prefer
red to its humble ancestor, the English
tart, and it is joyful to be reassured at
Bowden reunion that invention has
not yet failed Beside a delightful va
rety of material the decorations went
beyond all my former experience: dates
and names were wrought in lines Of
pastry and frosting on the tops. There
was even more elaborate reading mat
ter on an excellent early apple pie which
we began to share and eat precept upon
precept. Mrs. Todd helped me gener-
ously to the whole word Bowden, and
consumed Reunion herself, save an un-
q n irNt t1av hi f-,rr
renowned essay in cookery on the tables
was model of the old Bowden house
made of durable gingerbread, with all
the windows and doors in the right
places. and sprigs of genuine lilac set at
the front"
ters in the region, history. poem and
music. That this was open to criticism
is shown by the following:
7 was pretty when they sang the
hymn, wasn't it?" asked Mrs. Blackett
at supper time, with real enthusiasm
There was such plenty O. mems
voices; where l sat it did sound beauti-
full. l had to stop and listen when they
came to the last verse.
l saw that Mrs. Todd's broad shoul-
ders began to shake. There was good
singers there; yes, there was excellent
singers" she agreed heartily, putting
down her teacup, "but I chanced to
drift alongside Mis- Peter Bowden o.
Great Bay. an couldn't help thinkin'
If she was as far out O. town as she was
out O tune, she wouldn't get back in a
day"
TO read this book is to live portions of
ones New England life over again.
HAPPY CHILDREN. BY Mrs Ella Far
man Platt. One volume, to. with full
page illustrations in color and many
text cuts. &C pages; $1.50. T. Y.
Crowell & Co., New York.
No woman in the land Is better known
TO young people than Mrs. Pratt, so long
editor of Wideawake and now of Baby
land. This fine, large pictorial publica-
ton will prove a precious gift to the
young members of any household. It is
not only bright and beautiful In mate
rial, but it is peculiarly hospitable in
makeup, being of the old-fashioned
shape of the school atlas, that a child
may place upon the floor and feast upon
it, as if it were a landscape.
FOOTBALL. By Walter Camp and
Lorin F. Deland. Houghton, Mifflin &
Co.. Boston.
This large volume, abounding in rules
and hints concerning this great game,
a pastime now common to all countries,
is claimed to be the most complete work
on the subject ever published. 1t con-
tains what may safely be said to be all
the permanent literature on the theme
up to date. 1t is beautifully printed and
pertinently illustrated. AT present there
is no other work which can be said to Sc
riously compare with it for favor among
the promoters and patrons Of the great
game.
THE ROMANCE OF COMMERCE. By
j. Macdonald Oxley, LII. B. One vol
ume. 25S pages, 16 illustrations 8vo,
cloth; SIPS. T. Y. Crowell & Co., New
York
Not only has commerce been the great
civilizer of mankind, broadening men
| and nations. SO as to make progress pos
| sible, but it has been the promoter of the
Gruest spirit of adventure and romance.
| In this volume, for young people main
| ly, is told the story of many adventures
| on sea and, incidentally, upon land, and
| told in popular and engaging style
| The author by the way, will be remem-
| bered for his The Boy Tramps, or Across
Canada.
| 1t is happy blending Of business and
| adventure that the reader will find here,
and a story of facts will be. gathered, as
the harvest. Amongst the most romantic
| commercial episodes treated Of are the
John Law and the Mississippi bubble,
| the South Sea bubble, the Tulip mania
| in Holland, the noble but unfortunate
| Darien expedition of William Patterson
in 1886 brakes chase of the Spanish
| pa1laOnS the of q