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Show Among recent publications, of !! popular interest and character, is a handsome book entitled TH E ROY AL GALLERY OF POETRYANDART,' CA embracing the standard poetry and, prosegems of the english language illustrated with about 400 superb engravings. The name of Eev. Dr Milburn on the title pages is a guarantee of the character .and ex-J. ex-J. cellence of the work. Dr. Milburn j j is the celebrated "blind man elo- quent," who is alike well known I throughout this country and Eu- j rope, not only as a pulpit and plat- II form orator, but a man of letters. He is now, and has been for many years, Chaplain of the United States Congress at Washington, 1). C4 In his eloquent introduction to this book he gives his estimate of its value in the assertion that "A Ijamxlxarity with its contents will constitute a liberal literary education" educa-tion" and when he characterizes it as "a good book that never cheats us, a 'perpetual feast where no crude surfeit reigns." The book is not simply a collection collec-tion of literary gems, but is designed design-ed as a combination of literature, art, and literary information. Giving Giv-ing the - standard productions of 400 authors, it is illustrated with 400 superb engravings, and besides, short biographies are given of the 400 authors whose productions are given. This three-fold character of literature, literary information, j and artistic illustration can readily account for the immense demand , t which we are told it has so quickly J- ' made i j It has been well said that few , i authors have produced much wor- thy of preservation. The reputa- i t tion of most writers rests upon a I L few unique and really meritorius I Hi productions. Gray's Elegy, revolv- j H ing in his mind for years, was writ- f B ten, rewritten and pruned again j H and again, until that single poem j 15 stands as the one beautiful monu- , I W ment of his literary life. i Poe's name and fame live chief ly i on that wonderful production, 'The Baven;' tho outcome, doubtless, oi Wljt' some deep, wild, intense personal J experience. Miss Priest wrote M nothing comparable to her exquis- M ite 'Over the River,7 and Bryant is 1 1 best known by his 'Thanatopsis;' K Longfellow is most strikingly asso- ciated with 'The Psalm of Life,' and a few other poems. So in the works of all the writers of verse, popular poems stand exceptional and lonely; and it is only by learning learn-ing what and where they are and collecting them in a single volume that the great mass of people are able to possess them. A volume made of these, judiciously and faithfully selected, is a treasure which should be in the possession of every man and woman and in every ev-ery home, As a hreside companion, as a book to be taken up in broken hours, there can be nothing better than this, and there can be no kindlier wish for a hundred thousand homes than that it may pass into an honored honor-ed position in every one of them, The canvassing agent for such a work will find the latch-s bring out, a welcome and patronage that will make his business both pleasant and profitable. N. D. Thompson Publishing Co., St. Louis, Mo., and! New York City, N. Y., are the enterprising en-terprising publishers. |