CURRENT LITERATURE. GIFT-BOOKS.
Christmas in Many Lands. By Florence and Edith Scannell. (Griffith, Ferran, and Co.)—We seem to have a favourable recollection, surviving from last year, of excellent work done with pen and pencil by these two ladies. Certainly the volume before us is nothing less than delightful. The first of the four tales is "Christmas in England," wherein Dukinea Ormonde and her aunt Lavinia pay a Christmas visit to uncle Jasper. On their way they are stopped by highwaymen, who tarn out to be cousin Dick and a great ally of his, one Sir Roger. Dukinea has been robbed of a little cornelian heart, an old gift from her cousin, and the loss gives occasion to some tender inquiries and answers. "Christmas in France" is a pleasant story of how a little Count dresses up as "Jean Noel," and does a deed of kindness to a poor peasant's family ; "Christmas in Germany" has a certain charm of fancy about it ; but perhaps the last of the four, which introduces us to "Christmas in Italy," is the best. A set of Christmas stories would hardly be complete unless one of them contained the reappearance of a long-lost son or daughter. Such reappearance might not always be welcome; but Giovanni is all that a father and sister could wish. The illustrations are as delightful as the text ; prettier girls, more gallant gentlemen, and bonnier children have seldom been drawn.
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