CURRENT LITERATURE.
THE MINOR MAGAZINES.
The most notable evidence of the almost imperceptible change that has been effected in the character of Temple .Bar since it became the property of Messrs. Macmillan and Co., is a certain " up-to-date- ness " which now characterises the short stories. Such a compound of humour and cross-purposes as " Mind, Body, and Estate," such a horror—to use Lamb's phrase—as " The Dead Finish," with its agony of thirst unconscionably long drawn out, or even the fun, flecked with tragedy and Hindoo superstition, of "The Gospel of the Airball," are more suggestive of the modern "smart" magazine than of the old-fashioned periodical of which Temple Bar was so
admirable a type. The change might prove perilous if it were not proceeded with cautiously and with judgment. That this danger will be avoided seems tolerably certain, however ; for in this number there are several enjoyable, informing, and not too literary articles, such as " On Gardens," "The Luck of Acton," " Women at Cards in the Eighteenth Century," and "The Knights of St. John." It is too soon to pronounce on Mrs. Praed's new serial story of " Donna Teresa," although it must be allowed even by her admirers that there is an element of strain in some of the more "graphic" passages ;
sialir. Egerton Castle's novel of "Young April" flags a little. Alto- gether the best bit of writing in what is, on the whole, an excellent number of Temple Bar, is " Landen." In it Mr. Frederick Dixon, who has not a little of Mr. Fitchett's fire, tells the story of the battle in which William of Orange and his great opponent Luxem- bourg confronted each other and exhibited their different qualities as commanders, and of which the grandiose and grandiloquent Lewis said that " in it the Marshal had behaved like Cond6, but since it William had rivalled Turenne."
No longer hampered—or inflated—by the adventures of De Rouge- anent, the 'Wide 1Vorld Magazine proceeds to fulfil its legitimate mission of providing truth that is stranger and more exciting than fiction. In the June number there appears under the title of " In the Khalifa's Clutches" the first instalment of the adventures of Charles Neufeld, who, after twelve years' captivity in chains in Omdurman, was found by Lord Kitchener in Khartoum. The story which it gives of adventure, treachery, and ineffectual gallantry is well and realistically written. "A Fall of Three Thousand Feet," "Captured by Bushmen," and "The Candle in the Window "—into the last the romance and fun of love are introduced with skill and success—are also highly to be commended. There is, however, a suspicion of padding about some of the papers, in particular about "Saved from Hydrophobia," "The Koumiss Cure," and "The Lady Bull-Fighters of Barcelona."
Sir George Newnes's latest venture in periodicals, the Captain, which is intended for boys and "old boys," has certainly made a most spirited start. The June number, which is the third, is full of " rattling " and profusely illustrated stories of adventure, such as "A Night on a Derelict," in which a jaguar plays an extraordinary part, and articles on cricket, training-ships, postage-stamps, trades to be entered upon at the close of school-life, and other subjects which, for different reasons, are calculated to be interesting to the constituency of the magazine. The morality of the stories is of that breezily healthy kind which boys understand and are influenced by, although the young sinner in " Denzil's 'Metric' " surely gets off rather too easily. The Captain is certain to succeed, and deserves to.
The conductors of the new Free Church magazine, the Puritan, which has already reached its fifth number, mean well no doubt, and certain of the miscellaneous articles, such as " The Friends' School at Ackworth," are valuable on account of the interesting information they supply. Undoubtedly, also, when a writer like Mr. A. E. Fletcher discusses such a difficult question as "Puritanism and Art" in a spirit of moderation, he does good service of the audi alteram partem. order. There is being exhibited, however, too pronounced a tendency to advertise and glorify Free Churchism, and to do this in an ultra-sensational way, as in the paper on "Free Church Progress." There is nothing in "A Plea for a Christian Daily Newspaper" which has not already been said by Mr. Stead much more picturesquely, if also more screamily. The editor of the Puritan evidently regards "A Letter to Lord Rosebery," which is an appeal to the ex-leader of the Liberal party to give up the turf, as the chief paper in the June number. But there is an unpleasant air of unctuous flattery in such compliments as "your many kindly actions," "your generous gifts," "your popu- larity in the East End of London," "your fine taste," and " your critical discrimination."
The New Century Review aims at variety and actuality, but is in danger of becoming scrappy. This is evident from the June number, and from such " padding " articles as "Parodies" and " Petronins and the' Satyricon,' " in which familiar subjects are dealt with without being made much of. Mr. E. J. Bullen discusses "The Scientific Cause of Permanent Agricultural Depression " with- out making any more of the subject than that " the men of agri- culture are chosen in direct opposition to the great fundamental law of natural selection, but in trade and manufactures the reverse is the case. Therefore the violation of the law of natural selection is the chief cause of permanent agricultural depression." Mr. T. H. S. Escott is never dull, but his " Dames and Democrats in Church and State " is disappointingly thin. The best paper in this number is " An Old Man's Reminiscences of Prince Bismarck." The author, who first met Bismarck in 1846, certainly seeks to convey a better impression of him than has lately been common.
There are some interesting and emotional articles in the new number of the Theosophical Review—thus Dr. A. A. Wells's paper oa "Social Utopias" is the chant of a sentimental Socialism—but
there is not much in the way of theosophical argumentation. Some of the articles are interesting, however, even to the general" and " non-initiated " reader, for the odds and ends of curious in- formation which they contain. Such are "The Trismegistic Litera- ture," by Mr. Mead, and Mrs. Hooper's "Scattered Scrape of Ancient Atlantis."
The singularly good and photographic illustrations of the Engi- neering Times, and the eminently " practical " nature of many of the subjects treated of, such as aerial wire ropeways, make it in- teresting to non-experts. Among the more valuable papers in the new number are "American Types of High-Speed Steam-Engines" and " Coast Electrical Communication."
The School World has by the interesting and " businesslike ' character of its papers, and by the ability of the writers the editor has gathered round him, amply justified its claim to exist. The new number is full of good things, especially of the nature of what are, in the slang of periodicals, known as brevities. Thus Mr. John- son-Evans's paper on "The Teaching of History," especially of history in the thirteenth century, and Mr. A. Sonnenschein's on " The Teaching of Reading," are entertaining as well as educationally edifying.
There is no outstanding paper in the Expository Times for June— Bishop Ellicott's " Life After Death" is disappointingly conventional —but the reviews and critical articles are well done. Of the latter a very good example is Professor Cheyne's " Some Critical Difficulties in the Chapters on Balaam."
There is something about the Girl's Own Paper which is sugges- tive of the languid girl of yesterday rather than of her active and bicycling successor of to-day. There are, of course, readable stories and informing papers in it, but the June number undoubtedly provokes the criticism that the magazine tends to be a little too old- fashioned.
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