ANNUALS, Erc.—A number of annuals, Christmas numbers, &c., re- qaire
a notice which, under the present pressure of time and space, can be little more than an enumeration. The precedence may fairly be allowed to Peter Parley's Annual (Ben George), which has
now reached its forty-fourth year. The editor pokes a little fun, for which we forgive him, at the critics. To keep up our character, we would ask why is the frontispiece labelled " Dick seized me just when I was sinking," when, as a matter of fact, the sinking man has got hold of a rope? The volume seems to be at least up to the average of its predecessors in variety of interest.—The Bow Bells Annual (John Dicks) consists of "nine complete stories by G. A,
Sala," a sufficient recommendation, we need hardly say.—The Christmas 'amber of the Moathly Packet (Walter Smith). —Beeton's
Christmas Annual (Ward, Lock, and Co.) has the title of "Uncle Ordenthorpe's Legacy : a Story of Seven Stories, by Popular Authors." The stories partly come, we see, from the other side of the Atlantic.-- The English Illustrated Magazine (Macmillan and Co.) has a double number for the season which gives one, both in reading and illustra- tion, as good money's worth as could be found. This periodical continues to be a marvel of excellence and cheapness.—The Belgravia Annual (Chatto and Windus).—The Family Difficulty, being the Christmas Number of the Sunday Magazine. By Sarah Dondney. (Isbister and Co., Limited.)—Miss Dondney always makes her stories interesting, and the principles she inculcates are always high, and this story is no exception ; nor are we inclined to be extremely critical where extra Christmas numbers are concerned,—this will do more than serve its purpose of yielding amusement and a good moral. But Miss Doudney's usual power of delineating character fails here, in one or two instances, exactly where we should have expected it to succeed ; nevertheless, we enjoy the absence in her stories,—here as elsewhere,—of the unwholesome sensationalism so sadly universal in the present day. The simplicity of her style is very pleasant, and her story reminds ns of some of the best tales of nearly a hundred years ago. We recommend our readers to take the bull by the horns, and come face to face with "The Family Difficulty ;" it will disappear under Miss Dondney'e genial influence. —The Gentleman's Annual (Chatto and Windus) contains two stories, " By Death Beleaguered," by Mr. Percy Greg, and " Mrs. Vereker's Courier Maid," by Mrs. Alexander.—Christmas Gleams, edited by W. Earl Hodgson (D. Bryce and Son, Glasgaw), contains a number of contributions in prose and verse by various authors, among whom we notice the names of Mr. W. H. Matlock, Mrs. G. Lynn Linton, and Lord Rosslyn.—To the Christmas World Annual (James Clarke) Miss Louisa M. Alcott, among other writers, contributes a short story.--Mr. H. Hetherington sends the Wheeling Annual.—
We have received the annual volume of the Journal of Education (W. Rice), a most useful publication which we cannot too highly recommend. It strikes us as being a little too dogmatic at times, and somewhat exaggerated in its judgments. The article on the " Public School Latin Primer," for instance, is scarcely fair, because it judges the book from the present, rather than from the past. The critic probably never had the pleasure of teaching with "King Edward's Grammar." If he had enjoyed that, he would have been a little more kind to the Primer. It rid the world at least of the " Asin Prmsenti" and the " Propria QUM Maribus."
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