The Portland daily press., 1897-01-08
NEW PUBLICATIONS.


inc Prescott Wormley. (Boston:
Roberts Brothers; Portland: Loring,
Short & HARMONY Public indebtedness
to Miss Wormley's taste, learning,
industry and sympathetic understanding
of Balzao is increased this month by the
addition of tho above mentioned volumes
to the American uniform edition of
Balzac's works. Somebody has said that
most large cities are fractions which may
be greatly reduced but that London can
not be simplifed The sam observation
might be applied to Balzac in compare
son with other .novelists. There is no
simplifying him; no short way of arriv
ing ut an understanding Of the man S
power and the work he has done. Each
new volume is revelation. There is no
repetition Of types; no elaboration of
theories, no evident purpose. His air
was simply the faithful representation Of
the realisties Of life. Proposing to him
self nothing less than the complete de-
lineation of every phase CT modern
French society. his works form a series
of reproductions of French life, customs
and manners which will prove CT great
value to posterity. His mind received
Impressions as accurately as the sensitive
plate of a capisra, and, although language
is often slow vehicle for their trans
mission, one is always repaid for what
ever effort ia necessary to an understand
ing. In The Deputy Of Arcis, the ex-
planations and genealogical introduc.
tions are somewhat wearisome, but the
story itself is brilliant tale of the polisi-
cal maneuvres..and intrigues attending
the election of said deputy. The mum Der
of candidates, their wealth and backing
and the mystery surl ounding the two Of
latest prominence, all combine to give
widespread interest and Importance to
the election. The various moves and
counter-inoves form an existing Lchain Of
events, and the readers interest is sus-
tanned throughout by the genuine nobil-
ity and power of the man who finally
wins. We are left in doubb as to other
issues. Balzac left the work unfinished,
and, although it WAS, in accordance with
his wishes and from his notes. prepared
for the press by NJ. Charles Rabou We
cannot help feeling that the master him.
self would have better satisfied us.
Juana is the first In the series and gives
tina title to a volume Of tales which
might almost be said to belong to the
Romantic School though they are class
fed in the Comedy of Human Life as
Philosophical Studies. They cover wide
range Of thought and feeling and the
scene sometimes extends beyond France
one story opening in Spain and another
in Russia. In the latter tue horrors at
tending the French retreat in 1919 are
most wildly and realistically portrayed. |
AS is well known, Balzac, in his
dilineation CT life, never hesitates at
gressness Indeed, to many he seems to
have special faculty for discovering
and bringing it into prominence, To
such, the delioaoy of feeling and treat |
ment, and the exquisite purity Of the
love pictured In "The Hated Son." will
prove welcome surprise. Certainly it
ought to modify in some degree the views
of that critic who declared that Balzao
wilfully dabbled everything in mud. To
the average reader these tales will prove
Of far more interest than many Of
Balzac's more pre- tentious works.
George Washington. By Woodrow Will
son, Phi. d., l.. L. y. The ten chap
tiers of this very Interesting work from
separate sketches OF as many salient peri
DDS of Washiugton's life rather than "a
connected history of the great mans |
achievements. The following appropriate
titles are givon by the author to the ten |
chapters of the book: In Washington S |
Day, Virginia Breeding, Colonel |
Washington, Mount Vernon Days, The |
Heat of Politics, Plotting Revolution, |
General Washington, The Stress Of Vic
tori, First in Peace and The First
President of the United States. The |
first paper gives to the reader vivid
picture of the conditions under which
Washington began life in Virginia and
makes all this interesting and intelligi- |
BILE by comprehensive description of
the events that led up to and established
these conditions. Then follows an admir-
able sketch of WashinRton's youth in
shich we are made to recognize the in
huences that helped to mould the charac-
ter Of the Father of his Country. The
ensuing chapters take up the great mans
experiences rs a soldier, statesman,
patriot, and finally rs the first President
of these United States. A feature of
these papors is tho great amount of
original research that they represent and
the quantity of new and interesting in
formation they afford concerning periods
CT Wnshington's life that have hitherto
not been SO fully dwclt upor. The pages
which make up this volume, when in
magazine form, were perused with muoh
interest by the general reader, and the
criticnl student will doubtless welcome
the additional light thrown upon the life
of Washington. Of all the popular works |
on this subject we do not recall one of
more graphic interest than is this Of Pro- |
fassor Wilson. The illustrations by MIR. |
Howard Pyle, Harry Fem and others |
are notable for the manner in which they |
reflect the life and action OF the period. |
The Athenaeum portrait of Washington |
Inv q bert Smart ia Given as a fl OntIe- |