The Leisure Hour. (R.T.S.)—This admirable magazine still preserves its high
level of providing the very best and most varied of mental nutriment. We have a good serial with plenty of reading in it by Leslie Keith, entitled "The Indian Uncle," in which readers will find Scotch character drawn with much nicety of touch, and a shorter one by L. Dougall,* called " A Question of Faith." Then there are some most interesting articles in series on "Japan, the Argentine Republic, and Chili." May Crommelin describes Argentina in seven vigorous and well illustrated articles, and bestows on Chili three more. Japan is described in a manner worthy of its artistic association by Canon Tristram,— there are ten articles, and they are copiously illustrated. We can imagine no better reading for the "geographically interested" than these two papers on Japan and Argentina. Among the literary articles we must signal out "Edward Fitzgerald," " Robert Louis Stevenson," "George J. Romanes," "John Stuart Blackie," and "Maria Edgeworth." We cannot do more than mention a few of the miscellaneous papers, but they include such subjects as "Plum and the Nile Reservoirs," "The Work of Sir John Franklin," "Lahore," "New Oxford" (a capital article this), "Favourite Sketching Grounds," by Mr. Wimperis, which in- clude Arundel, Burpham, Slindon, and the " Hemingfords," a fascinating series for the artist. With these last we ought to mention "Staffordshire," by J. A. Owen and T. Buckla,nd. Of scientific and technical interest we should mention illus- trated articles on "Electric Cables" and "Early Writing Materials." By the way, Mr. Tighe Hopkins seems to be a versatile writer. Whether it be " Cats " or "Writing Materials," nothing comes amiss to him. Articles of particular interest, owing to the personality of the writers, are "Mysore," by General Wolseley ; "The HOLUM People," by Mr. H. W. Johnston ; and "Mont Blanc," by Mr. Whymper. The poetry we need not commend ; it is good, and it is plentiful. The illustrations are more than usually excellent in this year's Leisure Hour, and we can recommend no better present than the handsome volume before us.
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