Miscsissarrsons.—Of the periodicals of the Religious Tract Society we have
to mention, as suited for elder readers, Friendly Greetings, Illustrated Readings for the People ; Light in the Home has papers also suited for the young ; while The Child's Companion and Our Little Dots announce by their titles for whom they are meant. Such a hasty inspection as we have been able to give enables us to speak well of them all. The illustrations are, as usual, very meritorious.—From the same publishers we also have Child-Life in China, by Mrs. Bryson (2s. 6(1.) A special interest attaches to this book from the time at which it appears, and from the fact that Mrs. Bryson is a member of the London Mission at Tientsin. It is really doing a good and specially useful work just now to recall us to some more kindly and human thoughts about the Chinese than we are disposed to have. This volume may well serve as a wholesome antidote to wrathful thoughts, not all without justification, we quite acknowledge, which are only too ready to arise. It gives just the touch of nature which makes us kin even with these strange yellow people. Mrs. Bryson has evidently watched the life of old and young in the Flowery Land with both care and sympathy.—In Story-Book Time (Blackie and Son, 2s. 6d.) we come to something less serious. These " pictures and rhymes for little folk" are of many kinds. They show us animals in various attitudes and moods, children at games, fairy stories, comic scenes in which both men and beasts figure, and other things. Everything, whether serious or funny, is wholesome, and the illustrations are commonly good.—The Grig's Book, by W. T. Horton (Moffatt and Paige, Is.), consists of humorously extravagant pictures illustrative of old nursery rhymes. Some of them are particularly good. "The Wise Men of Gotham" in their boat, with an awful black and red sky and pea-green sea, is almost pathetic. The " Old Woman in the Basket " is good too, the motion through the air being given with a skilful turn of the pencil which it would be impossible to describe. The " Little Man with the Gun," again, has a quite admirable swagger. Mr. Horton ought to do well as a fantastic draughtsman. This specimen of his powers is admirable.— Golden Hair and Curly Head, by Allen Upward, illustrated by Harold Copping (Hurst and Blackett, 2s. 6d. net), takes us back to serious subjects. Mr. Upward tells the story in fluent and harmonious verse, and Mr. Copping expresses it in drawings that match it well. It is of a fisherman who is reported drowned, but comes back to his home and to the little ones who " knew he would come back."—Wyemarke and the Mountain Fairies. By Edward H. Cooper. Illustrated by " Wyeuaarke" and G. P, Jacomb-Hood. (Duckworth and Co. 3s. 6d. net.)—We have often said what we think about the new fairy tale and need not repeat it, The pictures seem to differ considerably in merit. If they were all up to the level of the stalwart figure opposite p. 12 or the flying girls (p. 26) we could speak in warmer terms.—Another picture book is A Hundred Anecdotes of Animals, with Pictures by Rory Billinghurst (John Lane, 6s.) Mr. Billinghurst's frontis- piece is a good piece of work. The assembled animals who have met to hear the baboon read " A Hundred Anecdotes of Man " are cleverly grouped. Nor are the other pictures unequal. The anecdotes are not told with particular spirit. Some of them want a touch of humour. And why the apologetic air ? Animals are much more interesting in their movements than the ordinary man. Why excuse their being made the subject of a pleasant book?
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