The Portland daily press., 1898-12-05
CONCERNING BOOKS.

/
fine volume, The Life of Our Lord in
| Art With some account of the artistic
treatment of the Life Of st. John the
Baptist 49,
| Miss Hrrll will be remembered as editor
of Mrs Jamesons Sacred aud Legendary
Art. and no one could be better fitted for
the task which she has sat herself In the
present work and most successfully &C.
complished, OF all the lovely and inter
esting books published at this season. !
know of none more perfect of its Kind,
or mora desirable than this descriptive
history of the art illustrating the mol
dents in the historic life of Christ
In a book of this sort the illustrations
form an important part, and these have
been provided with careful thought, ana
thorough research and knowledge. Among
the great masters represented are Raphael
Titan, Giotto, Corregio, Tintoretto and
Bonifazio The principal northern en-.
gravers also appear: Rembrandt, Folbein,
Durer and Schurgatier. For the Modern
school there are Holman Hunt, Millais,
Sir Edward Burne-Jones and Lord Mad
dox Brown, Of the pre- Raphaelltes. the
German Mystic realist, Fritg Won Uhde /;
lille Easstlake, Hoffman, Dore Vedder
and others are included. The pen and ink
drawings IN the book were made by John
Huybers and Pietro Valerie, and altogeth-
or there are more than one hundred Illus
trations. The selling price of the vol
ume is so .ery reasonable that i5 is really
ncomprehensible. 1t is from the press of
Messrs. Houghton, Mifiin s. Co.
They have too, new volume of stories
by Bret Harte. These are seven in mum
Der and full of the unique charm in which
this writer never fails One may occas-
ionally criticise him, but we return
finally to the enchantmept of his pages
and whether it be Enriquez with his
jingling spurs and whirling RATA, or See
Yup and See Yin the "yellow.skinned"
heather, his art is all his own and in his
special line we are all ready to affirm that
there is nobody like him.
The Hampers have many delightful
books, fresh and new for the holidays,
and SO tempting indeed that they beguile
our purses from our pockets though after
all that is but figure of speech, for alas
women have no pockets nowadays, which
/ take to be one of the marked signs OF
modern degeneraoy. A man would give
up wife, children and home before he
would do away with bis pockets, and /,
for one, honor him for It'll But am not
writing an essay upon the misguided
female who goes about the streets holding
up her skirt with one hand. and wildly
grasping purse, parcel and parasol with
the other. She is to be pitied rather than
despised.
Among the books of the Harpers have
recently noticed The Adventures, by b.
B. Marriott Watson; Old Chester Tales,
bv Margaret Deland; Dumb Foxglove and
Other Stories, BY Annie Trumbuil Slos-
son; Social Life In the British Army,
by British officer; and The Copper
Princess by Kirk Munroe
The first of these The Adventures, is
stirring tale of astounding adventures,
wonderful discoveries, not to say recover
les, for at the last vast treasure is found
1t is the story of a young London harris.
ter, Edward Greatorex by name, who
pays visit to an o d gentleman in a
neighboring castle. At this junoture the
old man conveniently dies and leaves his
fine castle to his young friend. 1t turns
out that there is great mystery connect
ed with the place, and this has to do with
the before mentioned hidden treasure,
which is not found without much violence
and bloodshed and many thrilling scenes.
However, it all ends we'll, as the propsr
sort OF story should, and is very enter
tanning. Mr.. Watson is the autorn OF
Galloping Dick and other popular stories.
OF all that Mrs. Deland writes one can
say nothing but good. Her work has the
Quaint charm Of Crawford, the sweet.
natural, wholesome simplicity that com
bined with her genius for storytelling
and descriptions of scenes and places
makes her always most acceptable and
engaging. Her Old Chester Tales are not
new to most readers, as they have been
among the chief attractions In Harper g
Magazine for some time past; but it Is
delightful to have them all together in
book form, and beautifully illustrated by
Mr.. Howard Pyle, whose familiar work
needs no praise. There are eight stories,
each with It's own special charm.
Whatever may be said Of American writ
ers in other directions IL will be admitted
that in the short story they are quite
unexcelled. Another proof of this is to
be found in Mrs Slosson's pretty vol
umes, which contains series of semi
pathetic tales of Connecticut village
life, set off and frightened by sympa-
thetic descriptive ones of flowers and
landscapes. golden October days among
the Green mountains and pictures of
Windmill Point. the Road Meeting House
or of Roderick Nathan's store. The
sketches of country folk are drawn with
a free and skillfu1 hand, and we readily
transfer Apple Jonathan. Colossy Bragg.
little Claus and Aunt Leafy from Mrs.
Slosson's pages to our hearts,
"Another book from Kirk Munroe," SO
cry all the boys, and delighted indeed they