The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1907-11-28
THE NEW MAINE BOOKS.


Meniiun has been made of a forth
coming book, can Old River Town."
and portrait given of the author, Miss
Ada Douglas Littlefield of Winterport.
James Otis (Kaler), a native Of Winter
port, long a popular writer of boys
stories, presents to his thousands of
readers 'The Minute Boys of South
Carolina" The book is based on a
manuscript narrative written by James
Randolph, a young South Carolinan,
who, with a friend, joined his fortunes
with those of Gen. Francis Morton lust
at the time when the prospects of the
American cause in the south were at
their darkest, and deals with portion
Of our country's history that is full of
interest. George Selwyn Kimball Of
Bangor has published his third book,
THE Lackawannas at Moosehead." 1t
is the story of the adventures of party
of Pennsylvania students in the Moose
head region, and is a u mo. of 32o pages.
with a map of northern Maine and Of
the Allegash trip of the Lackawannas,
and nine full page plates of Maine seem
cry 10y W. II. ID. Koerner
Last year The Camp on Letter K"
by Clarence B. Burleigh of the Kenne-
bee Journal, found Immediate favor
with the reading public, and many were
glad to know that two more volumes
were to follow under the caption of the
Raymond Benson series. These have
now been published The second vol
ume is entitled Raymond Benson at
Hampton, or Two Live Boys at Pre-
paratory School," 1t is said to be, in
part, at least, autobiographcal-the
two live boys the author and his
chum. The third and concluding vol
ume of the series, just issued, is The
kenton Pines, or Raymond Benson at
College, and is dedicated to Hon. Ed
win G. Burleigh, Names representa-
tive TO Congress from the Third Dis
trict We have not seen the two last
named books, but as the author gradu-
ated from Bowdoin in 1887 it is safe to
conclude that for Kenton we may sub.
stitute Bowdoin College. The literary
editor of the Bangor Commercial saws
OF this book: ''1n its pages the former
college man may live over again his
fraternity life, social occasions, and
associations, all parts of life that is
as fixed in its ways as human nature
itself, and is constantly being repeated
as each unsophisticated freshman class
moves on through the succeeding wears.
The multitude of boys who are looking
forward to college can find here A faith
fnl description of much that they will
encounter, while as story it is well
worth any ones time to read. 1t is,
moreover, book that rings true on
every manly question"
Mrs. Laura E. Richards of Gardiner,
although not native of Maine, has
been so long a resident OF this State
that we may we'll claim her, and no
where has she warmer admirers. Her
latest book is Grandmother, the Story
of a Life that was Never Lived" and
it will add TO the laurels she has already
won her previous books having sold by
hundreds of thousands.
Henry Miner Rideout of Calais has
just published new romance entitled
''Admiral's Light" His first book,
''Beached Keels," we have not seen,
but bis second, THE Siamese Cat" APP
peared serially in The Saturday Even
ing Post and was read with interest
1t is very clever and very original story
of excellent literary quality. A critic
in the New York independent said of
Mr.. Rideout's first book: THE bleak,
niggardly hard New England back
ground is there in his pages, and it is
reflected in the taciturnity, the stoi-
cism, the rugged, enduring strength of
his fisher-folk. His pen is sensitive to
effects of nature, to a desolate shore in
midwinter, the smile of sunshine on the
sea in spring, the picturesqueness of
lights glinting in midnight darkness.
His fancy is fertile, and it imagines
large canVases." The scene of his lat
est book is laid on the seacoast borders
of Maine and New Brunswick, and it is
said that: ut is tale one is sure to
read twice-once for the engrossing in
terest of the plot, and once again for
the innumerable subtle touches of char
acter Interpretation and memorable de-
scription"
Although Kate Douglass Wiggin was
born in Philadelphia her mother was a
native of Calais, and her summer home
is in Maine, so that we may include her
in our Maine authors; and this State is
the scene Of many of her stories. This
is true of her latest book, 'The Old Pea
body Pew" Calais is the birthplace of
Harriet Prescott Spofford, of whom
mention was made in a notice of the
anniversary number of The Atlantic
Monthly; of James Sheppard Pike, jour-
nalist and author, and of Mrs. Fred A.
Pike, author of ida May" book
published soon after "Uncle Toms