Kentucky stories are named. The hero, who tells his own story, is a bloodless, complacently egotistical man whose story one with difficulty finds the patience to read. Neither in him nor in any of the other characters has he shown any original creative power.

HIGH MOUNTAINS: An Idyl of the Old South. By Elizabeth Henning Hanna. The Abbey Press Publishers, 114 Fifth Avenue, New York. N. d. O. pp. 124.

The two scenes of interest in "High Mountain" are the invasion, at the close of the Civil War, of a quiet Southern Community by the murderous commercial spirit; and the love history of David Deane and Polly Simpkins. The story is conventional, commonplace, often prolix, and sometimes theatrical. The author seems to try to get into sympathy with her characters, but she fails. She consequently writes with a patronizing air that is disagreeable. The book adds nothing of consequence to the mass of fiction based on the Civil War.

POEMS. By John Henry Boner. Illustrated by A. G. Heaton. New York and Washington: The Neale Publishing Company, 1903. D. cloth, pp. 122, port. of author, I ill.

This little volume is not a complete collection of Mr. Boner's poems. In 1883 he published a volume containing 65 poems called Whispering Pines of which 43 are here reproduced. About 1901 a pamphlet "containing a dozen or two of his later poems appeared." He has not been a voluminous writer, but many of his poems have first seen the light through the Century and others of the better class popular magazines.

The introduction of the present edition is written by Prof. H. J. Stockard, who is enthusiastic in his praise. He says: "It is fortunate that the author, in the maturity of his life, has brought together into this volume, under his final touch

what his sound critical judgment approves. The result is a permanent addition to poetry. Here are things that will live." While this is unquestionably extravagant there are in the volume many pretty and delicate thoughts that show the author has been touched with poetic fire, and yet, to quote his own words in "A Dead Poet:"

His was the saddest fate-to love and lose;
And then, most pitiful, to strive for fame,
And die with finger tips against the wreath.

The poems are generally short-in fact the cover title is Boner's Lyrics-the sonnet being the prevailing form. They are mainly introspective and reminiscential, very religious in tone and even mournful; some draw their inspiration from the topography of the author's native State, North Carolina, and breathe the joy of freedom from restraint that characterizes the country life. Perhaps his most successful verse is to be found in an iambic pentameter like that seen in "Hatteras," but "Poe's Cottage at Fordham" will no doubt appeal most to the conscience of mankind:

No singer of old story

Luting accustomed lays,
No harper for new glory,

No mendicant for praise,

He struck high chords and splendid,
Wherein was fiercely blended

Tones that unfinished ended

With his unfinished days.

Here through this lowly portal,
Made sacred by his name,
Unheralded immortal

The mortal went and came.
And fate that then denied him,
And envy that decried him,
And malice that belied him

Have cenotaphed his fame.

PERIODICAL LITERATURE.

THE VIRGINIA MAGAZINE OF HISTORY AND Biography, October, 1903, Vol. XI, No. 2, pp. 113-224, yearly, $5.00, singly, $1.50, Richmond, Virginia.

Contents: 1. Moravian diaries of travels through Virginia. 18 pages, journey of Leonhard Schnell and John Brandmueller from Oct. 12 to Dec 12, 1749, chiefly religious items with light on the customs of the time. (Manuscript from the Moravian Archives at Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, translated and finely edited by William J. Hincke and Charles E. Kemper.)

2. Proceedings of the Virginia Committee of Correspondence, 1759-1767, continued. 12 pages, from the Virginia Archives, nearly all letters to the colonial agent.

3. Virginia gleanings in England, by Lothrop Withington, continued. 12 pages, abstracts of wills and letters of administration, with notes.

4. Some colonial Virginia records, to be continued. pages, petitions, naturalizations, oaths, carrying the mails, pirates, militia, with notes, from Virginia Archives.

5. Virginia in 1638-1639, continued. 12 pages bearing chiefly on conduct of Gov. Harvey and Council towards Samuel Matthews and Anthony Panton.

6. Virginia Militia in the Revolution, continued. 3 pages, financial items.

7. Native Virginians who became governors of other states. 2 pages, increasing the list to 84, with corrections of former list.

8. Notes from the Isle of Wight County records, contributed by R. S. Thomas, concluded. 2 pages, Representations of Mar. 7, 1782, on sufferings and losses from invasion.

9. The Chesapeake War. 2 pages, roll of Silver Greys,

company formed in Richmond in 1807 for public service in case of war due to the English encroachments; from Virginia Archives.

10. Address of the Council to the Lord's Commissioners of Trade. 5 pages, dispute over office, about 1717 or 1718.

11. Genealogy-Bruce (4 pp.), Brooke (3 pp.), Herndon (2 pp.), Morton (2 pp.), Minor (2 pp.), Cocke-Gray -Bowie-Robb (1 p.), Robards, Lindsay, Broun, Bartlett.

12. First poems published in Virginia (Oct., 1736, author unknown), diary of a little colonial girl (1771, 1772), Virginians at Appleby school, letter from Patrick Henry to Gen. Adam Stephen (June 10, 1779, family property), account of Historic Alexandria Restoration Society (organized within the past year), indenture of apprenticeship to a county clerk (1791), will of Mrs. Mary Scarburgh (1691), and one page of advertisements from Virginia Gazette, 1774, 1775.

THE WEST VIRGINIA HISTORICAL MAGAZINE, July, 1903, Vol. III, No. 3, quarterly, pp. 185-259, $1.00 yearly, 25 cts. singly.

Contents: James Rumsey and family, Morrow family, Skiles family, Barns family, Morris family, by W. S. Laidley. 5 pages, sketch of Rumsey, for whom legislature has refused money for a monument. (No references, no superior figures.)

2. Col. Moses Shepherd, Lydia Boggs, Gen. Daniel Kruger, by Mrs. H. M. Foster. 19 pages, continuation of Shepherd genealogy, some documents included, life sketch, fullest on the woman. (Interesting anecdotes and incidents, number of definite dates.)

3. Capture of Generals Crook and Kelley, by W. S. Laidley. 3 pages, narration of the act itself. (Nothing new added of importance, based on memory of a Confederate private, Jacob Gassman.)

4. The Van Bibber family, by Mrs. M. W. Donally. 15 pages, mainly incidents of John and his sister Brigetta Van Bibber, pioneers in West Virginia in the latter part of the eighteenth century, cruelty of Indians. (Very interesting but no authorities given.)

5. The change of calendars, by W. S. Laidley. 2 pages. (Mere essay based on encyclopedia.)

6. Judge Lewis Summers, by Mrs. A. I. Ryon. 13 pages, born Nov. 7, 1778, died August 27, 1843; chief events with incidents. (Entertaining but no references, based on secondary material.)

7. Large land owners, Washington as a land owner, Kanawha land books of 1797, Washington a salt maker, by W. S. Laidley. 12 pages, a list of nine persons taking up over two million acres; list of Washington's lands in N. Y., Pa., Md., Va., W. Va., O., and Northwest Territory; names of land owners in 1797; documentary agreement between Laurence A. Washington and B. F. Reeder of January 31, 1814, for making salt in W. Va. (It will be noticed that it was not George Washington making the salt.)

8. Virginia students at Athens, Ohio, by Miss Julia Barber. I page, sixteen graduates 1829-1870, nineteen others. (Got from college record.)

9. Change of names of towns in W. Va., by W. S. Laidley. Twenty-one names. (No reasons given.)

10. Rev. M. B. Dunlap, by Rev. W. T. Price. 3 pages, born January 16, 1809, died, perhaps, 1893. dates, no references.)

October, 1903, Vol. III, No. 4, pp. 265-318.

(Almost no

Contents: 1. Evett's run, by W. D. Briscoe. 6 pages, with several illustrations, of poem on this stream near Charles Town.

2. The significance of Scotch-Irish history, by W. T. Price. 7 pages, on church work in pioneer Va. (Largely based on Foote and Waddell, no exact references.)