The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1898-07-02

and picturesque and true to the fashion
OF the period that they represent. The
nrst story is a stirring picture of the
Tragic Deerfeld Massacre, and ono's heart
aHnes for Silence Hot whose lover is
taken captive by the Indians. Evening
a1ter evening she stands upon hillock
overlooking the meadow and cries
Davidl David Davidv" ("A man
should have 10 sweetheart in these times,
unless he would her heart be broke" says a
neighbor, and when David comes Silence
no longer knows him, but looks past him
as II he were shadow, and still cries,
David David David!' "Evelina's
Garden" and ''1he Buckley Ladies. "are
charming idyls of New England village
life. "AssNew England Prophet is of the
Second Advent" and "The Little Maid
at tie Door, is the story of child who
lived in the tins of the witchcraft
mania.
Lydia Hersey, of East Bridgewater "is
a tale of rural courtship which has in it
more of the humorous element than most
OF Miss Wilkinss stories. If this writer
has fault it is that she is inclined to be-
too tragic, too sad. AS one grows older
the sorrows of earth surround and press
upon one more and more painfully, and
one likes to take ones literature cheer.
fully. remember that clever writer,
who had, by the way. no children of her
own once published o volume of "Bed-
time Stories.'' Sweet and charming they
were, but SO full of pathos that they
caused the infants to whom they were
read to weep and wall and mammas
were careful to avoid them at the
children's sleeping time.
Still another new book from the
Harpers is Mr.. John Kendrick Bangs's
amusing skit, "Ghosts 1 Have Met, and
Some" Others, with very funny illustra-
tions by Newell, Frost and Richards.
MIR. Bangs tells his stories as seriousely
as il he had absolute faith in them, which
Gated ''to Choice Spirits Every where"
which reminds me of attending a tenn
perance lecture, in the days when such
were the fashion. AS was the custom
then, the meeting opened with prayer,
and the invocation beginning with
Father of Spirits,'' caused a smile
among those of the audience who had
sense of hunaor. This quality should be
extant in Mr.. Bangs's readers who will
find themselves vastly entertai ned with
the mysteries of the Hair Sofa and of
Barney Rourke; 1.-The Exorcism That
Failed;'' "Thurlow's Christmas Story
and Carleton Barker. First and
Second
Carleton Barker and the Christmas
story are of serious intent and the author
sums up his attitude of mind in regard to
ghosts in Coleridge's reply to lady who
asked him if he believed in them. "No.
Madam, have seen too many of them"
Bobby McDuff" is a pretty story of
adventure and love written by Clinton
Ross, illustrated by B. West Clinedeinst,
and published by L. G. Page and Com
pany. The dedication is 40 S. c. M"
and the author says to her, 81 went far
away into the land of dreams, when the
world had turned sorrowful; and there
in the dim, fantastic place, ! met Bobbie
ner days tale and the world turned fair
again. So you, with charming consider
alton. have made the world more thar
once fair for me and mine. And to you
/ would offer this same BobbIe, though,
fear, you may prefer bunch of violets''
With so dainty a forewerd, and SO gem
tie an inspiration the author must needs
write pleasing story, and this he has
done.
From the same publishing house comes
romance Of Queen Elizabeths time,
entitled "Sons of Adversely" and writ
ten by L. Cope Cornford whose s'Master-
Beggars' and Captain Jacobus'' will be
favorably rsnemb ered. The volume is
remarkably well illustrated by J. W.
Kennedy, and is good specimen of the
modern historical novel now so popular,
and which is certainly preferable to the
"erotic, neurotio, and tommy rotic sert'
which to cur shame be it said, holds its
own with the best.
The scene of the narrative is on lard
and sea, where the navies of Englanu
and Spain were struggling for supremacy;
and there is a love story gliuting through
the fighting and carnage; for even Mr..
Brice Maxwell's play could not get on
phin shone in the part of Hazard.
On the whols Mr.. Cornford's tale is
readable and interesting. and one may
safely recommend it to young and old.