CURRENT LITERATURE.
We have still to gather up a gleaning of what it would now be an anachronism to call "Christmas Books." Aunt Charlotte's Stories of French History for the Little Ones, by Charlotte M. Yonge (Marcus Ward), is a skilfully written and lively little book, which will doubtless fulfil its object of making knowledge attractive. Miss Yonge, too, has studied history in a good school, and writes with an understanding of her sub- ject which these little books for popular use do not often exhibit. The first chapter gives us a sketch of " The Old Kelts," and the last one of "The Communists." Our own experience is that young people know less about what has been going on within the last forty years than they do about bygone centuries, a state of things which, however undesirable it may be to merge history in politics, is obviously absurd. Miss Yonge, with her usual good sense and knowledge of what is wanted, supplies a real want in her chapters on the various phases of French history which havo followed in such rapid succession since the fall of Napoleon L—Ilarry Blount : Passages in a Boy's Life on Land and Sea, by P. G. Hamerton (Seeleys), is an entertaining book, which achieves a more than average suc- cess in the subject of school-life, a subject which appears easier to write about than it really is. The talk of boys is very difficult to give ; and Mr. Hamerton does not quite manage it. Selby assumes a stilted style, but Calverley, who is meant to talk naturally, is much too formal. This, however, is but a trifle. The tale is a really excellent ono, thoroughly sensible and manly in tone, and one which it ought to do any boy good to read. And it is not a little interesting withal. What does it matter fellow, and we are glad to see him safely through his perils, and to part with him in a prosperity which his best friends could hardly have hoped for him.—Hope's Annual: the Day after the Holidays (Nimmo), is a collection of amusing stories, supposed to be told by a " literary club" on their return to school The adventures of the two boys who, meaning to go by coach to school, are taken up on a duke's drag, are very enter- taining; and so is the " extravaganza " of the young gentlemen who fall into the hands of a tribe of monkeys, and are kept by them in their Zoological Gardens. The charades too are good.—Turnaside Cottage, by Mary Senior Clark (Marcus Ward), is an excellent little story of how a neglected young boy grew up to a happy and useful manhood.—Toyland, by Arthur and Eleanor O'Shanghnessy (Daldy, Isbister, and Co.), is a successful effort in the manner of Hans Christian Andersen. The thorough earnestness with which some children of the more imaginative sort believe in the reality of their toys, such toys as dolls, Noah's Arks, &o., is admirably given. The authors do not indulge in would-be humorous asides to the grown-up reader. They write for the children, and do not insult them with sceptical hints, but preserve the gravity of their belief with an admirable seriousness which cannot fail to delight the young people.—More Puniana ; or, Thoughts Wise and other Why's, edited by the Hon. Hugh Rowley (Chatto and Windns), is a book which a solitary critic cannot estimate fairly. The present writer began by reading it to himself, and thought it inexpressibly tedious. Wishing to confirm his judgment, he produced it before a mixed party of young and old, and found himself wrong. Anyhow, the book was found capable of producing laughter. Whether the laughter was merited or no, what matters ? What are wo to say to this ? " When is a lady not a lady? When she says she is Mallard! tres-malade ; then, don't you see, she's a sort of a little duck. [No wonder we find, as
we usually do, the `Mallard' surrounded with quacks !] " ? Execrable, it may be answered, yet some sensible people laughed at it ! And there are three hundred pages more. It is evident, however, that an overdose would not do.
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