The Portland daily press., 1899-02-07

verses written for "Ihe Trumpet Major.
and "The woodianders. These have the
true ring and serve their purpose right
royalty, but several Of the more serious
and elaborate poems have about them the
sensual faint which has been 80 marring
In Hardy's more recent novels.
Nevertheless the lover and collector OF
his works win be glad 10 acquire this
volume. and many will nnd IL interest
ing. though unsatisfactory. After all Il
said 1t seems pity for master of prose
fiction to drop into poetry" which real-
ly is not his affair. The opening verses
of the book 1.-THE Temporary the An, -
are almost grotesaue as specimens of lit
erary style. or rather. lack of style.
Portland, Loring, Short Il Harmon.)
Messrs. Little, Brown * Company, ,
have recently published delightful vol
ume by Lafcadio Hearn, which will be
notable addition to his series of clever
books about Japan and the japanese.
1t seems, by the way, that MIR. Hearn
is at present lecturer on English lhera-
tufu III tht hlfhth ~ AC"f
All the papers comprising his new vol
ume now appear in print for the hrst
time. and they make deleotable rading
The little essays, or rather fantasies,
forming the second part of the book deal
with experiences In two hemispheres. OF
an earlier volume by this author 1t was
said that 1t conta ined the most acute and
profound appreciation of the japanese OF
today that has appeared in the English
language
The book opens with thrilling 40.
count of Mr.. Hearn's excursion to the
summit OF the sacred mountain of Full
no. Yama: and al / OF his readers will be
grateful to him for enduring that perilous
climb. which has en- abled him to give us
q series of unrivalled word pictures l
have read various accounts Of this diff
cult ascent which is accomplished by
crowds of men, (pilgrims to the sacred
thron,, and by few women, and have
heard from the lips of one descrip ton
Of his experience; but Mr.. Hearn's ae-
count is Incompatible and at his last
word we feel as If 1t had been our own
fortune TO scale with him the 1850 feet
OF this sacred emineDce. called the "Di-
vine-the Supreme Altar of the sun. ="
and to offer our reverence to tho Ancient
Gods.
OF the view-"the view for hundred
leagues-and the light OF the far-fAint
dreamy world. and the fairy vapors of
morning--and the marvellous wreathings
of cloud" and its effect upon the gazer,
Mr.. Hearn writes;
1.-THE immense poetry of the moment
entered into me with u thrill. l know
that the colossal vision before me has al
re-Iy become u memory inetfaoeable, "a
memory Of which no luminous detail can
fade till the hours when thought itself
must fade, and the dust of these eyes be
mingled with the dust of tho myriad
million eyes that also have looked in ages
forgotten before my birth, from the sum-
NIT supreme of Fugi, to the Rising of the
sun.
There is an interesting chapter upon
the singing insects of Japan. They hold
a place in the aesthetic life Of most re-
uueu HcbPApf NAAeh ~ NNNA
pied in our civilization by the tbrushes,
linnets, nightingales, eanaries. The lit
erature of n thousand years ago, MIR.
Hearn tells us, contains much upon the
subject Of these insect pets, and especially
those called matsumushi and luzumushi.
Parting Is sorrowful always-eyen the
parting with autumn;
~ Id hi add NOT then
TO my pain.
ALWAYS more clear and shrill as the
hush of the night grows deeper
The waiting insects voice; and | that
wait in the garden,
Feel enter into my heart the voice ana the
~ moon together.
These verses are by the court poet
Tourayuki. And from another and olde-
poem is this:
'Hark 10 those tinkling tones, the chant
of the suzuwushil
If a Jewel of dew could sing, it would
tinkle with such voice.
These little creatures are artihcially
bred and sold in cafes. and In the month
of June prices are high.
Among the exotics there is "A chapter on
1.-The Literature If the Dead, and anoth-
er about Frogs.
The retrospectives are charming fanta.
sizes of youth. memory, beauty and vari-
GUS other themes. portland: Lorin &,
Short 81 Harmon.)
Mildred Marvel is story-or novelty
Eaorna Hnv Incker nuhlished BY George