The Portland daily press., 1896-10-27

The cow turned her head and began to
lick her mistress's hand.
'Ay, an she were to dee tn morn she's
no awin (owing) ye onything.'
An ye never said a truer word. Twal
pints ilka day a. through the summer
replied the mistress Of Thanpknowe, with
an air of pride and triumph"
The wooings of the various lads here
set forth are certainly unique, especially
that of Jims Buohan of Rashiehills
while "Grannie's' death holds world
of tender feeling (New York. Dodd.
Mead & Company; Portland: Loring,
Short & Harmon. Price S1.a5.)
The Murder of Delioia by Marie Corelli,
author Of Barabbas, "Cameos,'' etc.
II Marie Corel1i would quietly write her
stories from the constructive side, teaoh-
ing her lessons and letting them do their
own work, she would do well; for she
IL fluent, even brilliant az a writer and
produces effects with no m can talent.
But when she rails and rants as in the
volume before us at men and their in
j
degenerates into extreme wrath and takes
on violence which at times becomes
positively vulgar and ooarse. Women
who gossip, society tattlers of the femi-
nine sex, also are exooriated, while the
good woman distinguished in literature
is made god and defended from the
critics as well as from newspaper talk in
the chronicles of fashionable society.
Moreover while Miss Corelli storms fat
the immoral most vehemently, she lays
herself open to the charge of employing
sensational methods herself, In the
course Of an exciting story written she
would have US believe in the interests of
reform. The heart of her teaching is
sound. But she certainly knows how.
in addition, to weave into her stories or
into such novel as "The Murder of
Delie1a" material more or less meret, TO-
ious. as ''la Marina, and the doubtful
love affairs Of Lord Carlyon and his set.
One prom inent grievance is this jealousy
Of the world, directed against women who
enter its ranks as successful competitors
in literary composition and the Islander
aimed at them and their efforts in ac-
quirinR fame and wealth. This certainly
she greatly exaggerates. As an example
of woman who gave her message
through her books, nbiassed by what this
world said or thoughts it is pleasant, by
contrast, to cite that marvellous analyst
of character-George Eliot. (Philadel-
phia: J. B. Lippincott Company; Por-
land. Loring, Short & Harmon. Price
$1.26.)
Abraham Lincoln. A Poem. by
Lyman Whitney Alien, contains fine
passages and is marked by stirring
patriotism of tone. Here is fine pressn-
tation of Lincoln's discipline In early
life. OF Nature, life's great parent this
uthor writes,
"She taught him the songs of birds.
The sympathy lila bled words
Of water aud earth and air,
And pointed the winding stair
That leads to Heaven, where climb
The higher forces of time.
She bound him, that he might feel
The weight of Opression's heel;
The hunger of souls that yearn;
She bruised him, that he mightsknow
| Somewhat of the worlds great VICE.
Shs helmed him with faith; she laced
| The girdle of strength at his waist:
And over his breast she laid
| The buckler of right; the blade
| Of truth she set in his hand
And bade BIN unwayering stand,
AS Moses stood with his rod
For Freedom and God"
| The poem is divided into numerous
short numbers of different metres. which
deal with the Mayflower, Slavery.
Sumter, Our Volunteers. the Nations
Prophet, Martyrdom and The Land
of Promise. Abraham Lincoln, we
should add, is the New York Herald g
$1,000 Prize Poem, revised and published
in book form. New York and London
G. P. Putnam's Sons; Portland: Lor-
ing, Short & Harmony
Judith and Holofernes. A Poem. bv
Thomas Bailey Aldrioh. Mr.. Aldrich
points ont the fact that the apoorypbal
story here set anew in song, differs from
the Greek and Syriao versions. Treating
his theme as fable and not history. he
gives us a more womanly conception of
its heroine than those we are accustomed
to. A little material is woven in from
an earlier poem of Aldrich's nut the
work in the main is now first printed
In this form, it is noble, thrilling and
beautiful, and the pen stops at many d
| fine rendering of this tragedy of the
Macoabees, longing to quote, but the re
viewer realizes the necessity of an enioy-
ment of this little volume, uncut ana
complete. (New York and Boston
| HOuehtOD Miffiin & Cnmnsnv. D..