The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1898-12-17
CONCERNING BOOKS.

A remarkably interesting book mas
been written by Mr.. j. A. Hobson (Dana
Estes 81 Co.. which treats of John Rus-
kin as Social Reformer, this. indeed
being the title given to the volume. We
are all too familiar with the fascinating
brilliancy of Mr.. Ruskin's writings to
need to dwell upon their quality or their
style, for he beguiles us into believing
what he believes and into seeing what he
sees.
Some one says of Mr.. Ruskin as an art
critic that "no one else finds in a picture
just what he discovers therefore we
must take his view for our own, in the
full faith that he is inspired and sees
mu CHI that is quite beyond our earthly
view, but which really exists.
MIR. Hobson believes that the thoughts
which fit self-poised and with scintillat-
ing responsibility among the pages OF
Mr.. Ruskin's brilliantly discursiye hooks,
have diverted the minds of his readers
from the more serious intent which his
wonderful rhetorical gifts and respIend
emf word painting conceal; and that
while we all appreciate him as valuable
art-oritic and model literateur, we do
not fully realize his power as Political
Economist, and thinker upon Social
Reform. "This, says Mr. Hobson, lis
the common price paid by literary genius
to the dull-witted multitude, who have
always been easily persuaded that man
who writes we'll cannot think clearly or
deeply.'' That MIR. Ruskin's friends and
admirers may more fully appreciate his
logic. that they may seek Wilderness
and harm ony in his art of life, and vim
dictate his claim to have placed Political
ECONOMY upon sounder scientific and
ethical foundation than 1T had hitherto
possessed, and to have built upon thai
foundation an ideal of a prosperous HUI
man society. is what the author in his
present work has endeavored to do. That
he has succeeded in making delightful
volume which will be warmly welcomed
and of great service to the Ruskin stu
dent, no reader of his book will hesitate
to admit. There is also much new and val
liable information given in regard to the
Society and Guild of st. George, and of
the industrial and educational expert
ments either directly associated with the
guild or animated by the spirit of Mr..
Ruskin's social teaching. Portland:
Loring. Short g. Harmon
Messrs. Little, Brown & Company
have issued what will be to the book
lovers fascinating edition of The Com
pIete Angler. or The Contemplative
Mans Recreation of Izaak Walton and
Charles Cotton, with an introduction by
James Russell Lowell
The preface of thirty pages by Mr..
Lowell is delightfully."- characteristic and
sympathetic, and adds greatly to thu val
US OF the work. Following this is very
interesting fac-simile of the title page of
the first edition, published in st. Dun
STAINS Church yard Fleet Street, by T..
Maxey, in 1853; and a dedicatory epistle
to tie Right Worshipful John Of1ey,
ESQ with word To All Readers of this
Discourse, by LEAK Walton. In the latter
he writes: "But I think that all who
love this game (of angling) may here
learn something that may be worth their
money, if they be not poor or needy men;
and in case they be, then wish them to
forbear to buy it; (his book, for l wrote
not to get money. but for plesure, and
this discourse boasts of no more; for
hate to promise much and deceive the
reader The naivete of this is delicious,
and the modesty of it The quaint old
woodcuts which adorn the pages of the
volume, the lovely etching of Ware on the
Lea which forms the frontispiece. and the
tasteful binding, ali render this new edi-
ton of Walton's masterpiece most attrao-
tive and desirable. portland: Loring,
Short & Harmon.)
Many and interesting are the autumn
publications from the house of Messrs.
L. G. Page & Co. The latest are Omar
the Tentmaker, by Nathan Haskell Dole;
The Road to Paris, by r. N. Stephens;
Three Little Crackers from Down in Dix
lie, and The Fortunes of the Fellow, by
Will Allen Dromgoole, and The Gate OF
the Giant Scissors, by Annie E. John
ston.
Mr., Dole's book is Romance of Cid
Persia, and it's author, as is we'll known,
has been deep and sympathetic student
of Persian literature and history. SO that
he is admirably equipped for writing
such book as, Omar, the Tentmaker,
which, by the way, he dedioates to the
"Omar Khayyam Club of London, and to