The Portland daily press., 1898-05-18

sketches Economically treated. For, whlie
the author has given series or picUures
of Ghetto conditions at various perlons III
different countries, not only orowolng
the m with diverse forms but also express
ing the spirit he has at tho same 0iIhe
taken pains to accurately reproduce che
characteristics, principles, and utterances
of the prominent personages. oolhe Vi
these are such well-known characters vs.
Spinoza, the philosopher and maker OF
lenses; Aoosta, the champion OK h'gno
reason and the law of Nature;' the poeu
Heine, and Sabbath levi, the turkish
Messiah; and into their mouths ne has
placed language taken from their WIFI
ings. Thus the sketches, besides being
brilliantly picturesque, bear the imprint
of authority
But although his characters are SO
diverse, he links them together by COM
mon title of dreamer" He seems to
regard this tendency to idealize as
racial trait, which is at once great yir-
tue and great danger. 1t is product
of centuries of isolation, and Of q prepon-
derating study of the Talmud. The in
tense energy of the race has been driven
in upon itself; and the idealist is very
often visionary. Even when the spirit
of an individual has emancipated itself,
the dreamer has found himself ahead
OF contemporary thought, and Is regarded
by Jew and Christian alike as pernicious.
Yet. according to Mr.. Zangwill. the
Jewish dreamer is by no m cans always a
visionary. Often, on the contrary, she
faces the fact that flowers are grown in
dung. % IA Shelley beats in the air his
luminous wings in vain,' our Jewish
dreamer dreams along the Ii mes of life -
The book Is study Of the race and
a help to the understanding of it's present,
and it's probable development.
Wonder Tales From Wagner. BY Ann
Alice Chaplin, author of The Story of the
Rhinegold. New York: Harper & Bros !;
Portland Loring Short g Harmony.
This book is continuation of the work
begun in "The Story of the Rhinegold. "
Miss Chaplin has told in story form the
legends upon which five of Wagner's
operas are based; the doom of Wander
decken who defed the elements; the cap
Venus, and his exposition; Lohengrin's
championship Of Elsa and her lack of
faith the fatal love of Tristan and Isolde;
and the kindly humor of Hans Sachs,
the Mastersinger of Nuremberg, and the
triumph Of inspiration over petiantry.
These are related in simple language,
which preserves the quaint flavor of the
old folklore, while revealing the univer-
sal truths which underlie them. The
scenes and action of the dramas are sug.
gested. Primarily, they may have been
intonded for children, but they will also
be appreciated by older readers
A boy I Knew and Four Dogs. By
Laurence Hutton, Author of Portraits in
Plaster, Literary Landmarks, of Florence.
Edinburgh, Rome, London, Etc. New
York: Harper & Brothers; Portland:
Loring Short & Harmon These two
sketches were originally published in st.
Nicholas, and, as the writer says, are
true histories, which he hopes will in
terest boys and girls. The reader soon
discovers that ''the boy" is the writer
himself. "He was not very good boy,
or very bad boy, or a very bright boy,
or an unusual boy in any way. He was
just boy" Every boy reader who
makes the acquaintance of this boy will
recognize flesh and blood companion,
pretty much just such boy as himself
and the other fellows. But he could not
have described him, for he is still In the
picture, and the writer, like camera,
must be little way off SO as to get the
proper focus. But not too far off. This
boy Every often forgets he is not boy
now" One can tell it from the writing
He still has the boys heart, though he
looks back on the old scenes with the
eyes Of the man.
1.-THE Boy" says the writer, "has been
the friend and oonfidant Of four dogs. who
have helped to humanize him for quar-
ter Of century and more, and who have
souls to be saved, he is sure" 1t is be.
cause he is still so much of q boy, that
he and his friends have loved and un.
derstood one another so thoroughly and
H., rfrLL h IL