1 DECEMBER 1894, Page 10

The Leisure Hour. (R.T.S.)—The Leisure Hour is as usual full

of good material in the shape of serial stories and miscellaneous articles. We may mention some of the various subjects covered by the word "miscellaneous." There are economical articles on "The Flowers of the Market," "Furs by the Million," "Window Decoration," &c. Then we have "Irish Surnames," " Deaf- Mutism," "At the Top of Ben Nevis," &c. There are also descrip- tive papers entitled "Achill Island," "The Laurenziana Library at Florence," "The Gate of London" (i.e., the Tower Bridge), " Galloway Fastnesses," " The Peoples of Europe "—a most in. structive series of articles—occasional articles which may be called supplementary to "The Peoples of Europe," as "An Odd Corner in Bavaria," "An Old-fashioned Bridal Feast," "Tribal Characteristics," and other papers on the Matabele and the Mashona ; " New Year's Decorations in Japan," and "In British Honduras." There are numerous biographies, and studies, and one or two historical ones, among which we will mention "Dean Stanley," " William Alexander," " Shama, the Bechuana Chief ;" " Andreas Hofer," and " Sir Harry Parkes ; " Lewis Grant, the Aberdeen poet, and his work, is the subject of several thoughtful articles. A very interesting article is the story entitled " Two Episodes in a Coward's Life," relating the career of one of Victor Emmanuel's soldiers. There are several papers on insects, combining both scientific and popular treat- ment. Other short papers there are, all interesting and readable, which go to make up a volume of sound and honest reading. We ought to mention the serials, perhaps, by name,—" Farm and Town," by John Habberton, a capital story of a lawyer's court- ship ; "Old Maids and Young," by Elsa d'Esterre.Keeling ; " and "The Toadstone," by the Rev. T. S. Millington. " Two Memorable Days in Paternoster Row " enables us to realise how real the public interest was in the issue of the Revised Testament. The bribes offered for proof-sheets were enormous. The Leisure Hour is well worth buying for any household.