Life is perhaps eternal, and work in consequence eternal. If so, let us finish our march bravely. If otherwise, if the individual perish utterly, let us have the honor of having done our task. That is duty, for our only obvious duties are to ourselves and our fellow-creatures. What we destroy in ourselves we destroy in them. Our abasement abases them; our falls drag them down; we owe to them to stand fast, to save them from falling. The desire to die early is a weakness, as is the desire to live long.
Life is perhaps eternal, and work in consequence eternal. If so, let us finish our march bravely. If otherwise, if the individual perish utterly, let us have the honor of having done our task. That is duty, for our only obvious duties are to ourselves and our fellow-creatures. What we destroy in ourselves we destroy in them. Our abasement abases them; our falls drag them down; we owe to them to stand fast, to save them from falling. The desire to die early is a weakness, as is the desire to live long.
George Sand, like most persons of an exceptional constitution, had little faith in the efficacy for herself of medical science. She was persuaded that the prescribed remedies did her more harm than good, and on more than one occasion, when her health had caused her children uneasiness, they had had to resort to an affectionateruseto induce her to take advice. Her habit of disregarding physical ailments, fighting against them as a weakness, and working on in their despite, led her to neglect for too long failing health that should have been attended to. During the whole of May, 1876, Madame Sand, though suffering from real illness, continued to join in the household routine and to proceed with her literary work as usual. Not till the last days of the month did she, unable any longer to make light of her danger, at length consent to send for professional advice. It was then too late. She was suffering from internal paralysis. The medical attention which, sought earlier, might, in the opinion of the doctors, have prolonged her life for years, could now do nothing to avert the imminent fatal consequences of her illness. "It is death," she said; "I did not ask for it, but neither do I regret it." For beyond the sorrow of parting it had no particular terrors for her; she had viewed and could meet it in another spirit. "Death is no more," she had written; "it is life renewed and purified."
She lingered for a week, in great suffering, but bearing all with fortitude and an unflinching determination not to distress those around her by painful complaining. Up to her last hour she preserved consciousness and lucidity. The words, "Ne touchez pas à la verdure," among the last that fell from her lips, were understood by her children, who knew her wish that the trees should be undisturbed under which, in the village cemetery, she was soon to find a resting-place—a wish that had been sacredly respected.
Her suffering ceased a short while before death, which came to her so quietly that the transition was almost imperceptible to the watchers by her side. It was on the morning of the 8th of June. She was within a month of completing her seventy-second year. Although her life's work had long since been mainly accomplished, yet the extinction of that great intelligence was felt by many—as fitly expressed by M. Renan—"like a diminution of humanity."
Two days later she was buried in the little cemetery of Nohant, that adjoins her own garden wall. The funeral was conducted with extreme simplicity, in accordance with her taste and spirit. The scene was none the less a memorable one. The rain fell in torrents, but no one seemed to regard it; the country-people flocking in from miles around, old men standing bare-headed for hours, heedless of the deluge. The peasant and the prince, Parisian leaders of the world of thought and letters, and the humblest and most unlearned of her poorer neighbors, stood together over her grave.
Six peasants carried the bier from the house to the church, a few paces distant. The village priest came, preceded by three chorister-boys and the venerable singing-clerk of the parish, to perform the ceremony. A portion of the little churchyard, railed off from the rest and planted with evergreen-trees, contains the graves of her grandmother, her father, and the two little grandchildren she had lost. A plain granite tomb in their midst now marks the spot where George Sand was laid, literally buried in flowers.
A great spirit was gone from the world; and a good spirit, it will be generally acknowledged: an artist in whose work the genuine desire to leave those she worked for better than she found them, is one inspiring motive. Such endeavor may seem to fail, and she affirmed: "A hundred times it does fail in its immediate results. But it helps, notwithstanding, to preserve that tradition of good desires and of good deeds, without which all would perish."
Famous Women.
GEORGE SAND.
The next volumes in the Famous Women Series will be:
SOME NOTICES OF "MAUPRAT."
"An admirable translation. As to 'Mauprat,' with which novel Roberts Brothers introduce the first of French novelists to the American public, if there were any doubts as to George Sand's power, it would for ever set them at rest.... The object of the story is to show how, by her (Edmée's) noble nature, he (Mauprat) is subsequently transformed from a brute to a man; his sensual passion to a pure and holy love."—Harper's Monthly."The excellence of George Sand, as we understand it, lies in her comprehension of the primitive elements of mankind. She has conquered her way into the human heart, and whether it is at peace or at war, is the same to her; for she is mistress of all its moods. No woman before ever painted the passions and the emotions with such force and fidelity, and with such consummate art. Whatever else she may be, she is always an artist.... Love is the key-note of 'Mauprat,'—love, and what it can accomplish in taming an otherwise untamable spirit. The hero, Bernard Mauprat, grows up with his uncles, who are practically bandits, as was not uncommon with men of their class, in the provinces, before the breaking out of the French Revolution. He is a young savage, of whom the best that can be said is, that he is only less wicked than his relatives, because he has somewhere within him a sense of generosity and honor, to which they are entire strangers. To sting this sense into activity, to detect the makings of a man in this brute, to make this brute into a man, is the difficult problem, which is worked out by love,—the love of Bernard for his cousin Edmée, and hers for him,—the love of two strong, passionate, noble natures, locked in a life-and-death struggle, in which the man is finally overcome by the unconquerable strength of womanhood. Only a great writer could have described such a struggle, and only a great artist could have kept it within allowable limits. This George Sand has done, we think; for her portrait of Bernard is vigorous without being coarse, and her situations are strong without being dangerous. Such, at least, is the impression we have received from reading 'Mauprat,' which, besides being an admirable study of character, is also a fine picture of French provincial life and manners."—Putnam's Monthly."Roberts Brothers propose to publish a series of translations of George Sand's better novels. We can hardly say that all are worth appearing in English; but it is certain that the 'better' list will comprise a good many which are worth translating, and among these is 'Mauprat,'—though by no means the best of them. Written to show the possibility of constancy in man, a love inspired before and continuing through marriage, it is itself a contradiction to a good many of the popular notions respecting the author,—who is generally supposed to be as indifferent to the sanctities of the marriage relation as was her celebrated ancestor, Augustus of Saxony.... The translation is admirable. It is seldom that one reads such good English in a work translated from any language. The new series is inaugurated in the best possible way, under the hands of Miss Vaughan, and we trust that she may have a great deal to do with its continuance. It is not every one who can read French who can write English so well."—Old and New.Sold everywhere. Mailed, postpaid, on receipt of the advertised price, by the Publishers,
"An admirable translation. As to 'Mauprat,' with which novel Roberts Brothers introduce the first of French novelists to the American public, if there were any doubts as to George Sand's power, it would for ever set them at rest.... The object of the story is to show how, by her (Edmée's) noble nature, he (Mauprat) is subsequently transformed from a brute to a man; his sensual passion to a pure and holy love."—Harper's Monthly.
"The excellence of George Sand, as we understand it, lies in her comprehension of the primitive elements of mankind. She has conquered her way into the human heart, and whether it is at peace or at war, is the same to her; for she is mistress of all its moods. No woman before ever painted the passions and the emotions with such force and fidelity, and with such consummate art. Whatever else she may be, she is always an artist.... Love is the key-note of 'Mauprat,'—love, and what it can accomplish in taming an otherwise untamable spirit. The hero, Bernard Mauprat, grows up with his uncles, who are practically bandits, as was not uncommon with men of their class, in the provinces, before the breaking out of the French Revolution. He is a young savage, of whom the best that can be said is, that he is only less wicked than his relatives, because he has somewhere within him a sense of generosity and honor, to which they are entire strangers. To sting this sense into activity, to detect the makings of a man in this brute, to make this brute into a man, is the difficult problem, which is worked out by love,—the love of Bernard for his cousin Edmée, and hers for him,—the love of two strong, passionate, noble natures, locked in a life-and-death struggle, in which the man is finally overcome by the unconquerable strength of womanhood. Only a great writer could have described such a struggle, and only a great artist could have kept it within allowable limits. This George Sand has done, we think; for her portrait of Bernard is vigorous without being coarse, and her situations are strong without being dangerous. Such, at least, is the impression we have received from reading 'Mauprat,' which, besides being an admirable study of character, is also a fine picture of French provincial life and manners."—Putnam's Monthly.
"Roberts Brothers propose to publish a series of translations of George Sand's better novels. We can hardly say that all are worth appearing in English; but it is certain that the 'better' list will comprise a good many which are worth translating, and among these is 'Mauprat,'—though by no means the best of them. Written to show the possibility of constancy in man, a love inspired before and continuing through marriage, it is itself a contradiction to a good many of the popular notions respecting the author,—who is generally supposed to be as indifferent to the sanctities of the marriage relation as was her celebrated ancestor, Augustus of Saxony.... The translation is admirable. It is seldom that one reads such good English in a work translated from any language. The new series is inaugurated in the best possible way, under the hands of Miss Vaughan, and we trust that she may have a great deal to do with its continuance. It is not every one who can read French who can write English so well."—Old and New.
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FAMOUS WOMEN SERIES.
EMILY BRONTË.
By A. MARY F. ROBINSON.
One vol. 16mo. Cloth. Price, $1.00.
"Miss Robinson has written a fascinating biography.... Emily Brontë is interesting, not because she wrote 'Wuthering Heights,' but because of her brave, baffled, human life, so lonely, so full of pain, but with a great hope shining beyond all the darkness, and a passionate defiance in bearing more than the burdens that were laid upon her. The story of the three sisters is infinitely sad, but it is the ennobling sadness that belongs to large natures cramped and striving for freedom to heroic, almost desperate, work, with little or no result. The author of this intensely interesting, sympathetic, and eloquent biography, is a young lady and a poet, to whom a place is given in a recent anthology of living English poets, which is supposed to contain only the best poems of the best writers."—Boston Daily Advertiser."Miss Robinson had many excellent qualifications for the task she has performed in this little volume, among which may be named, an enthusiastic interest in her subject and a real sympathy with Emily Brontë's sad and heroic life. 'To represent her as she was,' says Miss Robinson, 'would be her noblest and most fitting monument.' ... Emily Brontë here becomes well known to us and, in one sense, this should be praise enough for any biography."—New York Times."The biographer who finds such material before him as the lives and characters of the Brontë family need have no anxiety as to the interest of his work. Characters not only strong but so uniquely strong, genius so supreme, misfortunes so overwhelming, set in its scenery so forlornly picturesque, could not fail to attract all readers, if told even in the most prosaic language. When we add to this, that Miss Robinson has told their storynotin prosaic language, but with a literary style exhibiting all the qualities essential to good biography, our readers will understand that this life of Emily Brontë is not only as interesting as a novel, but a great deal more interesting than most novels. As it presents most vividly a general picture of the family, there seems hardly a reason for giving it Emily's name alone, except perhaps for the masterly chapters on 'Wuthering Heights,' which the reader will find a grateful condensation of the best in that powerful but somewhat forbidding story. We know of no point in the Brontë history—their genius, their surroundings, their faults, their happiness, their misery, their love and friendships, their peculiarities, their power, their gentleness, their patience, their pride,—which Miss Robinson has not touched upon with conscientiousness and sympathy."—The Critic."'Emily Brontë' is the second of the 'Famous Women Series,' which Roberts Brothers, Boston, propose to publish, and of which 'George Eliot' was the initial volume. Not the least remarkable of a very remarkable family, the personage whose life is here written, possesses a peculiar interest to all who are at all familiar with the sad and singular history of herself and her sister Charlotte. That the author, Miss A. Mary F. Robinson, has done her work with minute fidelity to facts as well as affectionate devotion to the subject of her sketch, is plainly to be seen all through the book."—Washington Post.
"Miss Robinson has written a fascinating biography.... Emily Brontë is interesting, not because she wrote 'Wuthering Heights,' but because of her brave, baffled, human life, so lonely, so full of pain, but with a great hope shining beyond all the darkness, and a passionate defiance in bearing more than the burdens that were laid upon her. The story of the three sisters is infinitely sad, but it is the ennobling sadness that belongs to large natures cramped and striving for freedom to heroic, almost desperate, work, with little or no result. The author of this intensely interesting, sympathetic, and eloquent biography, is a young lady and a poet, to whom a place is given in a recent anthology of living English poets, which is supposed to contain only the best poems of the best writers."—Boston Daily Advertiser.
"Miss Robinson had many excellent qualifications for the task she has performed in this little volume, among which may be named, an enthusiastic interest in her subject and a real sympathy with Emily Brontë's sad and heroic life. 'To represent her as she was,' says Miss Robinson, 'would be her noblest and most fitting monument.' ... Emily Brontë here becomes well known to us and, in one sense, this should be praise enough for any biography."—New York Times.
"The biographer who finds such material before him as the lives and characters of the Brontë family need have no anxiety as to the interest of his work. Characters not only strong but so uniquely strong, genius so supreme, misfortunes so overwhelming, set in its scenery so forlornly picturesque, could not fail to attract all readers, if told even in the most prosaic language. When we add to this, that Miss Robinson has told their storynotin prosaic language, but with a literary style exhibiting all the qualities essential to good biography, our readers will understand that this life of Emily Brontë is not only as interesting as a novel, but a great deal more interesting than most novels. As it presents most vividly a general picture of the family, there seems hardly a reason for giving it Emily's name alone, except perhaps for the masterly chapters on 'Wuthering Heights,' which the reader will find a grateful condensation of the best in that powerful but somewhat forbidding story. We know of no point in the Brontë history—their genius, their surroundings, their faults, their happiness, their misery, their love and friendships, their peculiarities, their power, their gentleness, their patience, their pride,—which Miss Robinson has not touched upon with conscientiousness and sympathy."—The Critic.
"'Emily Brontë' is the second of the 'Famous Women Series,' which Roberts Brothers, Boston, propose to publish, and of which 'George Eliot' was the initial volume. Not the least remarkable of a very remarkable family, the personage whose life is here written, possesses a peculiar interest to all who are at all familiar with the sad and singular history of herself and her sister Charlotte. That the author, Miss A. Mary F. Robinson, has done her work with minute fidelity to facts as well as affectionate devotion to the subject of her sketch, is plainly to be seen all through the book."—Washington Post.
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MESSRS. ROBERTS BROTHERS'
Classic Series.
A collection of world-renowned works selected from the literatures of all nations, printed from new type in the best manner, and neatly and durably bound. Handy books, convenient to hold, and an ornament to the library shelves.
READY AND IN PREPARATION.
Sir Walter Scott's"Lay of the Last Minstrel," "Marmion," and "The Lady of the Lake." The three poems in one volume.
Sir Walter Scott's"Lay of the Last Minstrel," "Marmion," and "The Lady of the Lake." The three poems in one volume.
"There are no books for boys like these poems by Sir Walter Scott. Every boy likes them, if they are not put into his hands too late.They surpass everything for boy reading."—Ralph Waldo Emerson.
Oliver Goldsmith's"The Vicar of Wakefield." With Illustrations by Mulready.Defoe's"Robinson Crusoe." With Illustrations by Stothard.Bernardin de Saint-Pierre's"Paul and Virginia." With Illustrations by Lalauze.Southey's"Life of Nelson." With Illustrations by Birket Foster.Voltaire's"Life of Charles the Twelfth." With Maps and Portraits.Maria Edgeworth's"Classic Tales." With a biographical Sketch by Grace A. Oliver.Lord Macaulay's"Lays of Ancient Rome." With a Biographical Sketch and Illustrations.Bunyan's"Pilgrim's Progress." With all of the original Illustrations in fac-simile.Classic Heroic Ballads.Edited by the Editor of "Quiet Hours."Classic Tales.By Anna Letitia Barbauld. With a Biographical Sketch by Grace A. Oliver.Classic Tales.By Ann and Jane Taylor. With a Biographical Sketch by Grace A. Oliver.
Oliver Goldsmith's"The Vicar of Wakefield." With Illustrations by Mulready.
Defoe's"Robinson Crusoe." With Illustrations by Stothard.
Bernardin de Saint-Pierre's"Paul and Virginia." With Illustrations by Lalauze.
Southey's"Life of Nelson." With Illustrations by Birket Foster.
Voltaire's"Life of Charles the Twelfth." With Maps and Portraits.
Maria Edgeworth's"Classic Tales." With a biographical Sketch by Grace A. Oliver.
Lord Macaulay's"Lays of Ancient Rome." With a Biographical Sketch and Illustrations.
Bunyan's"Pilgrim's Progress." With all of the original Illustrations in fac-simile.
Classic Heroic Ballads.Edited by the Editor of "Quiet Hours."
Classic Tales.By Anna Letitia Barbauld. With a Biographical Sketch by Grace A. Oliver.
Classic Tales.By Ann and Jane Taylor. With a Biographical Sketch by Grace A. Oliver.
AND OTHERS.
MESSRS. ROBERTS BROTHERS' PUBLICATIONS.
Famous Women Series.
GEORGE ELIOT.
By MATHILDE BLIND.
One vol. 16mo. Cloth. Price, $1.00.
"Messrs. Roberts Brothers begin a series of Biographies of Famous Women with a life of George Eliot, by Mathilde Blind. The idea of the series is an excellent one, and the reputation of its publishers is a guarantee for its adequate execution. This book contains about three hundred pages in open type, and not only collects and condenses the main facts that are known in regard to the history of George Eliot, but supplies other material from personal research. It is agreeably written, and with a good idea of proportion in a memoir of its size. The critical study of its subject's works, which is made in the order of their appearance, is particularly well done. In fact, good taste and good judgment pervade the memoir throughout."—Saturday Evening Gazette."Miss Blind's little book is written with admirable good taste and judgment, and with notable self-restraint. It does not weary the reader with critical discursiveness, nor with attempts to search out high-flown meanings and recondite oracles in the plain 'yea' and 'nay' of life. It is a graceful and unpretentious little biography, and tells all that need be told concerning one of the greatest writers of the time. It is a deeply interesting if not fascinating woman whom Miss Blind presents," says the New YorkTribune."Miss Blind's little biographical study of George Eliot is written with sympathy and good taste, and is very welcome. It gives us a graphic if not elaborate sketch of the personality and development of the great novelist, is particularly full and authentic concerning her earlier years, tells enough of the leading motives in her work to give the general reader a lucid idea of the true drift and purpose of her art, and analyzes carefully her various writings, with no attempt at profound criticism or fine writing, but with appreciation, insight, and a clear grasp of those underlying psychological principles which are so closely interwoven in every production that came from her pen."—Traveller."The lives of few great writers have attracted more curiosity and speculation than that of George Eliot. Had she only lived earlier in the century she might easily have become the centre of a mythos. As it is, many of the anecdotes commonly repeated about her are made up largely of fable. It is, therefore, well, before it is too late, to reduce the true story of her career to the lowest terms, and this service has been well done by the author of the present volume."—Philadelphia Press.
"Messrs. Roberts Brothers begin a series of Biographies of Famous Women with a life of George Eliot, by Mathilde Blind. The idea of the series is an excellent one, and the reputation of its publishers is a guarantee for its adequate execution. This book contains about three hundred pages in open type, and not only collects and condenses the main facts that are known in regard to the history of George Eliot, but supplies other material from personal research. It is agreeably written, and with a good idea of proportion in a memoir of its size. The critical study of its subject's works, which is made in the order of their appearance, is particularly well done. In fact, good taste and good judgment pervade the memoir throughout."—Saturday Evening Gazette.
"Miss Blind's little book is written with admirable good taste and judgment, and with notable self-restraint. It does not weary the reader with critical discursiveness, nor with attempts to search out high-flown meanings and recondite oracles in the plain 'yea' and 'nay' of life. It is a graceful and unpretentious little biography, and tells all that need be told concerning one of the greatest writers of the time. It is a deeply interesting if not fascinating woman whom Miss Blind presents," says the New YorkTribune.
"Miss Blind's little biographical study of George Eliot is written with sympathy and good taste, and is very welcome. It gives us a graphic if not elaborate sketch of the personality and development of the great novelist, is particularly full and authentic concerning her earlier years, tells enough of the leading motives in her work to give the general reader a lucid idea of the true drift and purpose of her art, and analyzes carefully her various writings, with no attempt at profound criticism or fine writing, but with appreciation, insight, and a clear grasp of those underlying psychological principles which are so closely interwoven in every production that came from her pen."—Traveller.
"The lives of few great writers have attracted more curiosity and speculation than that of George Eliot. Had she only lived earlier in the century she might easily have become the centre of a mythos. As it is, many of the anecdotes commonly repeated about her are made up largely of fable. It is, therefore, well, before it is too late, to reduce the true story of her career to the lowest terms, and this service has been well done by the author of the present volume."—Philadelphia Press.
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FIGURES OF THE PAST. From the Leaves of Old Journals. By Josiah Quincy (Class of 1821, Harvard College). 16mo. Price, $1.50
"There are chapters on life in the Academy at Andover, on Harvard Sixty Years Ago, on Commencement Day in 1821, the year of the author's graduation, and on visits to and talks with John Adams, with reminiscences of Lafayette, Judge Story, John Randolph, Jackson and other eminent persons, and sketches of old Washington and old Boston society. The kindly pen of the author is never dipped in gall—he remembers the pleasing aspects of character, and his stories and anecdotes are told in the best of humor and leave no sting. The book is of a kind which we are not likely to have again, for the men of Mr. Quincy's generation, those at least who had his social opportunities, are nearly all gone. These pictures of old social and political conditions are especially suggestive as reminding us that a single life, only lately closed, linked us with days, events and men that were a part of our early history and appear remote because of the multitude of changes that have transformed society in the interval."—Boston Journal.
"There are chapters on life in the Academy at Andover, on Harvard Sixty Years Ago, on Commencement Day in 1821, the year of the author's graduation, and on visits to and talks with John Adams, with reminiscences of Lafayette, Judge Story, John Randolph, Jackson and other eminent persons, and sketches of old Washington and old Boston society. The kindly pen of the author is never dipped in gall—he remembers the pleasing aspects of character, and his stories and anecdotes are told in the best of humor and leave no sting. The book is of a kind which we are not likely to have again, for the men of Mr. Quincy's generation, those at least who had his social opportunities, are nearly all gone. These pictures of old social and political conditions are especially suggestive as reminding us that a single life, only lately closed, linked us with days, events and men that were a part of our early history and appear remote because of the multitude of changes that have transformed society in the interval."—Boston Journal.
WHIST, OR BUMBLEPUPPY? By Pembridge.
From the Second London Edition. 16mo. Cloth. Price, .50
Definition of Bumblepuppy—Bumblepuppy is persisting to play whist, either in utter ignorance of all its known principles, or in defiance of them, or both."'Whist, or Bumblepuppy?' is one of the most entertaining, and at the same time one of the soundest books on whist ever written. Its drollery may blind some readers to the value of its advice; no man who knows anything about whist, however, will fail to read it with interest, and few will fail to read it with advantage. Upon the ordinary rules of whist, Pembridge supplies much sensible and thoroughly amusing comment. The best player in the world may gain from his observations, and a mediocre player can scarcely find a better counsellor. There is scarcely an opinion expressed with which we do not coincide."—London Sunday Times.
Definition of Bumblepuppy—Bumblepuppy is persisting to play whist, either in utter ignorance of all its known principles, or in defiance of them, or both.
"'Whist, or Bumblepuppy?' is one of the most entertaining, and at the same time one of the soundest books on whist ever written. Its drollery may blind some readers to the value of its advice; no man who knows anything about whist, however, will fail to read it with interest, and few will fail to read it with advantage. Upon the ordinary rules of whist, Pembridge supplies much sensible and thoroughly amusing comment. The best player in the world may gain from his observations, and a mediocre player can scarcely find a better counsellor. There is scarcely an opinion expressed with which we do not coincide."—London Sunday Times.
RECOLLECTIONS OF DANTE GABRIEL ROSSETTI. By T. Hall Caine. With Portrait. One vol. 8vo. Cloth, gilt. Price, $3.00
"Mr. Caine's 'Recollections of Rossetti' throws light upon many events in Rossetti's life over which there hung a veil of mystery.... A book that must survive."—London Athenæum.
"Mr. Caine's 'Recollections of Rossetti' throws light upon many events in Rossetti's life over which there hung a veil of mystery.... A book that must survive."—London Athenæum.
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PHYLLIS BROWNE. A Story. By Flora L. Shaw. Author of "Castle Blair" and "Hector." 16mo. Cloth. Illustrated. Price, $1.00
"'Castle Blair' and 'Hector' are such good stories that a third, by the same author, Flora L. Shaw, will be equally welcomed. 'Hector' was one of the most charming books ever written about a boy. 'Phyllis Browne' is the new story. She is evidently the author's ideal girl, as Hector was her ideal boy, and a noble, splendid girl she is. Yet the book is not a child's book; it isaboutchildren, but not for them. The story is far more interesting than most novels are, and far more exciting. The rash generosity of the children is beautiful; their free, trustful lives are noble and sweet; but when they undertake to right social wrongs, and gallantly set their brave hearts and childish inexperience against the established wrongs of society, they come to grief, but in no common-place way. Their dangers are as unusual and on as large a scale as their characters and courage are. The book is full of tender and loving things; it makes the heart larger, and brings back the splendid dreams of one's own youth," says the Boston correspondent of theWorcester Spy.
"'Castle Blair' and 'Hector' are such good stories that a third, by the same author, Flora L. Shaw, will be equally welcomed. 'Hector' was one of the most charming books ever written about a boy. 'Phyllis Browne' is the new story. She is evidently the author's ideal girl, as Hector was her ideal boy, and a noble, splendid girl she is. Yet the book is not a child's book; it isaboutchildren, but not for them. The story is far more interesting than most novels are, and far more exciting. The rash generosity of the children is beautiful; their free, trustful lives are noble and sweet; but when they undertake to right social wrongs, and gallantly set their brave hearts and childish inexperience against the established wrongs of society, they come to grief, but in no common-place way. Their dangers are as unusual and on as large a scale as their characters and courage are. The book is full of tender and loving things; it makes the heart larger, and brings back the splendid dreams of one's own youth," says the Boston correspondent of theWorcester Spy.
THE MARQUIS OF CARABAS. A Romance. By Harriet Prescott Spofford, author of "The Amber Gods," "The Thief in the Night," etc. 16mo. Cloth. Price, $1.00
"This is the latest offering of the author of 'The Amber Gods,' and it is as odd as striking, and as impressive in its shadowy implication as anything she has ever written. Handled differently, the incidents would seem theatrical; as told by Mrs. Spofford, the story is like the vivid passages of a drama from which, once seen, you cannot escape. Pleasant or unpleasant they force themselves upon the consideration and lay hold of the imagination. So it is with 'The Marquis of Carabas.'"—Chicago Inter-Ocean."'The Marquis of Carabas,' by Harriet Prescott Spofford, is a work of unique quality, being really a poem in the guise of a prose novel. The thought is tense and sublimated, and the style glowing, musical and polished. There is abundant invention in the story, and nothing of common-place and indolent imitation which in the case of ordinary raconteurs contributes so largely to swell the bulk of results. The narrative fascinates one, but the fascination is not of a stream flowing largely and naturally through the landscape; it is rather that of silver bells, whose clear, finely modulated chimes touch the finer issues of feeling, but not without some obtrusive sense of study and premeditation."—Home Journal.
"This is the latest offering of the author of 'The Amber Gods,' and it is as odd as striking, and as impressive in its shadowy implication as anything she has ever written. Handled differently, the incidents would seem theatrical; as told by Mrs. Spofford, the story is like the vivid passages of a drama from which, once seen, you cannot escape. Pleasant or unpleasant they force themselves upon the consideration and lay hold of the imagination. So it is with 'The Marquis of Carabas.'"—Chicago Inter-Ocean.
"'The Marquis of Carabas,' by Harriet Prescott Spofford, is a work of unique quality, being really a poem in the guise of a prose novel. The thought is tense and sublimated, and the style glowing, musical and polished. There is abundant invention in the story, and nothing of common-place and indolent imitation which in the case of ordinary raconteurs contributes so largely to swell the bulk of results. The narrative fascinates one, but the fascination is not of a stream flowing largely and naturally through the landscape; it is rather that of silver bells, whose clear, finely modulated chimes touch the finer issues of feeling, but not without some obtrusive sense of study and premeditation."—Home Journal.
LANDOR'S IMAGINARY CONVERSATIONS. With a portrait. A new edition. 5 volumes. 16mo.
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PEARLS OF THE FAITH; or, Islam's Rosary; being the "Ninety-nine Beautiful Names of Allah." By Edwin Arnold. 16mo. Cloth. Uniform with "The Light of Asia." Price, $1.00
"Mr. Edwin Arnold has finished his Oriental trilogy. The first part is 'The Light of Asia.' The second part is 'The Indian Song of Songs,' The trilogy is completed by 'Pearls of the Faith,' in which the poet tells the beads of a pious Moslem. The Mohammedan has a chaplet of three strings, each string containing 33 beads, each bead representing one of the 'Ninety-nine beautiful names of Allah. These short poems have no connection; they vary in measure, but are all simple and without a touch of obscurity. All the legends and instructions inculcate the gentle virtues that make life lovely—courtesy, humility, hospitality, care for the poor and the ill, kindness to dumb animals, perfect manners in social intercourse. Many of the poems are suitable for Christian Sunday-schools.... The view of Mohammedanism given by these poems is very pleasant; the precepts for life here are sweet and noble; the promises for heaven are definite; they appeal directly to the love of what is known as pleasure in this life, and that must be renounced in this life, but in the next it may be enjoyed to the uttermost without evil consequences."—Boston Daily Advertiser.
"Mr. Edwin Arnold has finished his Oriental trilogy. The first part is 'The Light of Asia.' The second part is 'The Indian Song of Songs,' The trilogy is completed by 'Pearls of the Faith,' in which the poet tells the beads of a pious Moslem. The Mohammedan has a chaplet of three strings, each string containing 33 beads, each bead representing one of the 'Ninety-nine beautiful names of Allah. These short poems have no connection; they vary in measure, but are all simple and without a touch of obscurity. All the legends and instructions inculcate the gentle virtues that make life lovely—courtesy, humility, hospitality, care for the poor and the ill, kindness to dumb animals, perfect manners in social intercourse. Many of the poems are suitable for Christian Sunday-schools.... The view of Mohammedanism given by these poems is very pleasant; the precepts for life here are sweet and noble; the promises for heaven are definite; they appeal directly to the love of what is known as pleasure in this life, and that must be renounced in this life, but in the next it may be enjoyed to the uttermost without evil consequences."—Boston Daily Advertiser.
ART AND NATURE IN ITALY. By Eugene Benson. 16mo. Cloth. Price, $1.00
"Mr. Benson's long residence in that country has operated to imbue his mind with the spirit of the region. He treatscon amoreof its art in its historical and in its modern aspects, and he presents its scenes of nature in their most fascinating form. Mr. Benson is not only one of the most appreciative of students and observers, but he has a rare grace of manner as well. He writes little of late, but his productions are always acceptable to cultivated people."—Saturday Evening Gazette."This book is a record of impressions and reflections on art and nature in Italy. The great beauty and the historic associations of the country are set forth in very pleasing language by one who fully appreciates them. He particularly describes those portions of that beautiful land in which its most distinguished artists have lived, showing how its natural features, its enchanting scenery, must have had a molding influence upon their tastes and their works. His estimates of art and artists and his criticisms are, in the main, just and satisfactory."—Western Christian Advocate.
"Mr. Benson's long residence in that country has operated to imbue his mind with the spirit of the region. He treatscon amoreof its art in its historical and in its modern aspects, and he presents its scenes of nature in their most fascinating form. Mr. Benson is not only one of the most appreciative of students and observers, but he has a rare grace of manner as well. He writes little of late, but his productions are always acceptable to cultivated people."—Saturday Evening Gazette.
"This book is a record of impressions and reflections on art and nature in Italy. The great beauty and the historic associations of the country are set forth in very pleasing language by one who fully appreciates them. He particularly describes those portions of that beautiful land in which its most distinguished artists have lived, showing how its natural features, its enchanting scenery, must have had a molding influence upon their tastes and their works. His estimates of art and artists and his criticisms are, in the main, just and satisfactory."—Western Christian Advocate.
NORSE STORIES, RETOLD FROM THE EDDAS. By Hamilton W. Mabie. 16mo. Cloth. Price, $1.00
"Is one of the most charming little books for children I have ever seen. The myths are splendidly told, and every household in America ought to have a copy of the book."—Prof. R. B. Anderson."The old Norse stories bear being told again and again. Mr. Mabie keeps their freshness, fascination and simplicity in his new version of them, and one reads with unabated pleasure of Odin's search for wisdom, of the wooing of Gerd, and of all the strange adventures of Thor, of the beautiful Balder, of the wicked Loke, and, best of all, of the new earth that was created after long years of darkness, in which there was no sun, no moon, no stars, no Asgard, no Hel, no Jotunheim; in which gods, giants, monsters and men were all dead—the earth upon which the gods look lovingly, upon which men are industrious and obedient, and know that the All-Father helps them."—Boston Daily Advertiser.
"Is one of the most charming little books for children I have ever seen. The myths are splendidly told, and every household in America ought to have a copy of the book."—Prof. R. B. Anderson.
"The old Norse stories bear being told again and again. Mr. Mabie keeps their freshness, fascination and simplicity in his new version of them, and one reads with unabated pleasure of Odin's search for wisdom, of the wooing of Gerd, and of all the strange adventures of Thor, of the beautiful Balder, of the wicked Loke, and, best of all, of the new earth that was created after long years of darkness, in which there was no sun, no moon, no stars, no Asgard, no Hel, no Jotunheim; in which gods, giants, monsters and men were all dead—the earth upon which the gods look lovingly, upon which men are industrious and obedient, and know that the All-Father helps them."—Boston Daily Advertiser.
***Our publications are for sale by all booksellers, or will be sent post-paid on receipt of advertised price.
THE WISDOM OF THE BRAHMIN. A Didactic Poem. Translated from the German of Friedrich Rückert. By Chas. T. Brooks. Six cantos. 16mo. Cloth. Price, $1.25
"The Brahmin," says the translator, "is a poem of vast range, expressing the world-wisdom which the author had been for years storing up in his large heart, and evolving out of his creative soul." Says Dr. Beyer, in his Life of Rückert: "'The Wisdom of the Brahmin' is a poetic house-treasure of which our nation may justly be proud. So much has been said and sung of late years of 'The Light of Asia,' the 'Sympathy of Religions,' and the like, that the present seemed to be an auspicious moment to venture a volume of Rückert's greatest work.""'These twenty books are a sea of thoughts and contemplations full of Brahminic tranquility and German depth and fullness, in simple gnomes, sentences, epigrams, parables, fables and tales.' Gottsschall declares the work to be 'a poetic treasure of which the German nation may justly be proud.' The translator, speaking of his own experiences, says the poem has affected him as 'a sparkling flood of heart-searching and soul-lifting thought and sentiment, such as no other work within our knowledge has ever presented.'"—Home Journal.
"The Brahmin," says the translator, "is a poem of vast range, expressing the world-wisdom which the author had been for years storing up in his large heart, and evolving out of his creative soul." Says Dr. Beyer, in his Life of Rückert: "'The Wisdom of the Brahmin' is a poetic house-treasure of which our nation may justly be proud. So much has been said and sung of late years of 'The Light of Asia,' the 'Sympathy of Religions,' and the like, that the present seemed to be an auspicious moment to venture a volume of Rückert's greatest work."
"'These twenty books are a sea of thoughts and contemplations full of Brahminic tranquility and German depth and fullness, in simple gnomes, sentences, epigrams, parables, fables and tales.' Gottsschall declares the work to be 'a poetic treasure of which the German nation may justly be proud.' The translator, speaking of his own experiences, says the poem has affected him as 'a sparkling flood of heart-searching and soul-lifting thought and sentiment, such as no other work within our knowledge has ever presented.'"—Home Journal.
SOCRATES. The Apology and Crito of Plato, and the Phædo of Plato. Uniform with "Marcus Aurelius," "Imitation of Christ," etc. 18mo. Flexible cloth, red edges. Price, 50 cents each. Two series in one volume. Cloth, red edges. Price, 75 cents.
"If, as is strongly asserted, there may be found in the writings of Plato all the wisdom and learning of the ancients, as well as the treasure-house from which all succeeding writers have borrowed their best ideas, then are these little books worth their weight in gold, for they contain some of the choicest gems to be found in the collected works of the famous Greek philosopher. They are companion volumes, the text being taken unabridged from Professor Jewett's revised translation of Plato. They tell the whole story of the trial, imprisonment and death of Socrates. The Apology gives the defense, the Crito relates the offer of escape, the Phædo describes the last hours. The more studiously and the more frequently these books are read the more keen will be the appreciation of their intellectual and moral excellence."—Providence Journal.
"If, as is strongly asserted, there may be found in the writings of Plato all the wisdom and learning of the ancients, as well as the treasure-house from which all succeeding writers have borrowed their best ideas, then are these little books worth their weight in gold, for they contain some of the choicest gems to be found in the collected works of the famous Greek philosopher. They are companion volumes, the text being taken unabridged from Professor Jewett's revised translation of Plato. They tell the whole story of the trial, imprisonment and death of Socrates. The Apology gives the defense, the Crito relates the offer of escape, the Phædo describes the last hours. The more studiously and the more frequently these books are read the more keen will be the appreciation of their intellectual and moral excellence."—Providence Journal.
JEAN INGELOW'S NOVELS. Off the Skelligs; Fated to be Free; Sarah de Berenger; Don John. A new edition. 4 vols. 16mo. Imitation half calf. Price, $5.00
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THE JEAN INGELOW BIRTHDAY BOOK. With red-line border and divisions, 12 illustrations and portrait.
"This is a dainty little volume having a selection from Jean Ingelow for each day of the year. The extracts are of both prose and verse. There are graceful illustrations for each month suited in subject to the season. The book will be welcomed by admirers of this writer and must prove a popular gift-book for the birthday season."—Chicago Advance."We have seen no more tasteful book this year than 'The Jean Ingelow Birthday Book,' which Messrs. Roberts Brothers publish. It is somewhat larger in form than are the birthday books with which the public is familiar, is printed on very fine paper, and has a page with the usual quotations and the usual blanks, the whole encircled with a carmine line border, the date of the days of the months being printed in the same color. The work is illustrated with handsome engravings, and has a steel-engraved portrait of Jean Ingelow. The binding is a real gem. Nothing could well be more attractive in the way of cloth ornament than is its combination of design and color."—Saturday Evening Gazette.
"This is a dainty little volume having a selection from Jean Ingelow for each day of the year. The extracts are of both prose and verse. There are graceful illustrations for each month suited in subject to the season. The book will be welcomed by admirers of this writer and must prove a popular gift-book for the birthday season."—Chicago Advance.
"We have seen no more tasteful book this year than 'The Jean Ingelow Birthday Book,' which Messrs. Roberts Brothers publish. It is somewhat larger in form than are the birthday books with which the public is familiar, is printed on very fine paper, and has a page with the usual quotations and the usual blanks, the whole encircled with a carmine line border, the date of the days of the months being printed in the same color. The work is illustrated with handsome engravings, and has a steel-engraved portrait of Jean Ingelow. The binding is a real gem. Nothing could well be more attractive in the way of cloth ornament than is its combination of design and color."—Saturday Evening Gazette.
UNDER THE SUN. By Phil. Robinson, the new English Humorist. With a Preface by Edwin Arnold, author of "The Light of Asia." 16mo. Cloth. Price, $1.50
This is a volume of essays, humorous and pathetic, of incidents, scenes, and objects grouped under the heads: Indian Sketches, The Indian Seasons, Unnatural History, Idle Hours under the Punkah."Under the Sun," by Phil. Robinson, is one of the most delightful of recent books. The style is fascinating in its strength and picturesqueness, and there is now and then a delicious quaintness that recalls Charles Lamb. A volume such as this is rare in our day, when the art of essay writing is almost lost and forgotten. Freshness, vigor, humor, pathos, graphic power, a keen love for nature, a gentle love for animals, and a pleasing originality are among the more charming characteristics of this work, which may be read again and again with renewed satisfaction. Its scenes are laid in India, and whether the author discourses of the elephant, the rhinoceros, some bird that has attracted his attention, a tree, or a flower; whether he describes an exciting hunt, or tells a marvellous story; whether he moralizes or gives free rein to his fancy, he is always brilliant, fascinating, vivacious and masterly. It is difficult to write of this remarkable book without superlatives; but it is not too much to insist that it is impossible to exaggerate its peculiar merits, or to bestow too large a share of praise upon it. It is not a book for the few, but for the many, and all will find delight in its perusal."—Saturday Evening Gazette.
This is a volume of essays, humorous and pathetic, of incidents, scenes, and objects grouped under the heads: Indian Sketches, The Indian Seasons, Unnatural History, Idle Hours under the Punkah.
"Under the Sun," by Phil. Robinson, is one of the most delightful of recent books. The style is fascinating in its strength and picturesqueness, and there is now and then a delicious quaintness that recalls Charles Lamb. A volume such as this is rare in our day, when the art of essay writing is almost lost and forgotten. Freshness, vigor, humor, pathos, graphic power, a keen love for nature, a gentle love for animals, and a pleasing originality are among the more charming characteristics of this work, which may be read again and again with renewed satisfaction. Its scenes are laid in India, and whether the author discourses of the elephant, the rhinoceros, some bird that has attracted his attention, a tree, or a flower; whether he describes an exciting hunt, or tells a marvellous story; whether he moralizes or gives free rein to his fancy, he is always brilliant, fascinating, vivacious and masterly. It is difficult to write of this remarkable book without superlatives; but it is not too much to insist that it is impossible to exaggerate its peculiar merits, or to bestow too large a share of praise upon it. It is not a book for the few, but for the many, and all will find delight in its perusal."—Saturday Evening Gazette.
***Our publications are for sale by all booksellers, or will be sent post-paid on receipt of advertised price.
A LITTLE PILGRIM. Reprinted from Macmillan's Magazine. 16mo. Cloth. Red edges. Price, $ .75
"An exquisitely written little sketch is found in that remarkable production, 'The Little Pilgrim,' which is just now attracting much attention both in Europe and America. It is highly imaginative in its scope, representing one of the world-worn and weary pilgrims of our earthly sphere as entering upon the delights of heaven after death. The picture of heaven is drawn with the rarest delicacy and refinement, and is in agreeable contrast in this respect to the material sketch of this future home furnished in Miss Stuart Phelps's well-remembered 'Gates Ajar.' The book will be a balm to the heart of many readers who are in accord with the faith of its author; and to others its reading will afford rare pleasure from the exceeding beauty and affecting simplicity of its almost perfect literary style."—Saturday Evening Gazette."The life beyond the grave, when the short life in this world is ended, is to many a source of dread—to all a mystery. 'A Little Pilgrim' has apparently solved it, and, indeed, it seems on reading this little book as if there were a great probability about it. A soft, gentle tone pervades its every sentence, and one cannot read it without feeling refreshed and strengthened."—The Alta California.
"An exquisitely written little sketch is found in that remarkable production, 'The Little Pilgrim,' which is just now attracting much attention both in Europe and America. It is highly imaginative in its scope, representing one of the world-worn and weary pilgrims of our earthly sphere as entering upon the delights of heaven after death. The picture of heaven is drawn with the rarest delicacy and refinement, and is in agreeable contrast in this respect to the material sketch of this future home furnished in Miss Stuart Phelps's well-remembered 'Gates Ajar.' The book will be a balm to the heart of many readers who are in accord with the faith of its author; and to others its reading will afford rare pleasure from the exceeding beauty and affecting simplicity of its almost perfect literary style."—Saturday Evening Gazette.
"The life beyond the grave, when the short life in this world is ended, is to many a source of dread—to all a mystery. 'A Little Pilgrim' has apparently solved it, and, indeed, it seems on reading this little book as if there were a great probability about it. A soft, gentle tone pervades its every sentence, and one cannot read it without feeling refreshed and strengthened."—The Alta California.
THE GREAT EPICS OF MEDIÆVAL GERMANY. An Outline of their Contents and History. By George Theodore Dippold, Professor at Boston University and Wellesley College. 16mo. Cloth. Price, $1.50
Professor Francis J. Child, of Harvard College, says: "It is an excellent account of the chief German heroic poems of the Middle Ages, accompanied with spirited translations. It is a book which gives both a brief and popular, and also an accurate, account of this important section of literature, and will be very welcome here and at other colleges.""No student of modern literature, and above all no student who aims to understand the literary development of Europe in its fullest range, can leave this rich and ample world of early song unexplored. To all such Professor Dippold's book will have the value of a trustworthy guide.... It has all the interest of a chapter in the growth of the human mind into comprehension of the universe and of itself, and it has the pervading charm of the vast realm of poetry through which it moves."—Christian Union.
Professor Francis J. Child, of Harvard College, says: "It is an excellent account of the chief German heroic poems of the Middle Ages, accompanied with spirited translations. It is a book which gives both a brief and popular, and also an accurate, account of this important section of literature, and will be very welcome here and at other colleges."
"No student of modern literature, and above all no student who aims to understand the literary development of Europe in its fullest range, can leave this rich and ample world of early song unexplored. To all such Professor Dippold's book will have the value of a trustworthy guide.... It has all the interest of a chapter in the growth of the human mind into comprehension of the universe and of itself, and it has the pervading charm of the vast realm of poetry through which it moves."—Christian Union.
MY HOUSEHOLD OF PETS. By Théophile Gautier. Translated from the French by Susan Coolidge. With illustrations by Frank Rogers. 16mo. Cloth. Price, $1.25
"This little book will interest lovers of animals, and the quaint style in which M. Gautier tells of the wisdom of his household pets will please every one. The translator, too, is happy in her work, for she has succeeded in rendering the text into English without loss of the French tone, which makes it fascinating. These household pets consisted of white and black cats, dogs, chameleons, lizards, magpies, and horses, each of which has a character and story of its own. Illustrations and a pretty binding add to the attractions of the volume."—Worcester Spy."The ease and elegance of Théophile Gautier's diction is wonderful, and the translator has preserved the charm of the French author with far more than the average fidelity. 'My Household of Pets' is a book which can be read with pleasure by young and old. It is a charming volume.—St. Louis Spectator.
"This little book will interest lovers of animals, and the quaint style in which M. Gautier tells of the wisdom of his household pets will please every one. The translator, too, is happy in her work, for she has succeeded in rendering the text into English without loss of the French tone, which makes it fascinating. These household pets consisted of white and black cats, dogs, chameleons, lizards, magpies, and horses, each of which has a character and story of its own. Illustrations and a pretty binding add to the attractions of the volume."—Worcester Spy.
"The ease and elegance of Théophile Gautier's diction is wonderful, and the translator has preserved the charm of the French author with far more than the average fidelity. 'My Household of Pets' is a book which can be read with pleasure by young and old. It is a charming volume.—St. Louis Spectator.
***Our publications are for sale by all booksellers, or will be sent post-paid on receipt of advertised price.
FOOTNOTES:[A]The biography of Alfred De Musset, by Paul De Musset, translated from the French by Harriet W. Preston. Boston, Roberts Brothers.[B]Mauprat, translated by Miss Vaughan. Boston, Roberts Brothers.[C]The Miller of Angibault. Translated by M. E. Dewey. Boston, Roberts Brothers.[D]The "Snow Man," translated by Virginia Vaughan. Boston: Roberts Brothers.
[A]The biography of Alfred De Musset, by Paul De Musset, translated from the French by Harriet W. Preston. Boston, Roberts Brothers.
[A]The biography of Alfred De Musset, by Paul De Musset, translated from the French by Harriet W. Preston. Boston, Roberts Brothers.
[B]Mauprat, translated by Miss Vaughan. Boston, Roberts Brothers.
[B]Mauprat, translated by Miss Vaughan. Boston, Roberts Brothers.
[C]The Miller of Angibault. Translated by M. E. Dewey. Boston, Roberts Brothers.
[C]The Miller of Angibault. Translated by M. E. Dewey. Boston, Roberts Brothers.
[D]The "Snow Man," translated by Virginia Vaughan. Boston: Roberts Brothers.
[D]The "Snow Man," translated by Virginia Vaughan. Boston: Roberts Brothers.