CURRENT LITERATURE.
GIFT BOOKS.
OF the annual volumes of magazines, we are inclined to place first, for the variety and interest of its contents, The Magazine of A7 t. (Cassell and Co.) The frontispiece is an attractive etching, "Maiden Dreams," drawn by Mr. G. L. Seymour and executed by M. Lulauze. The illustrations well fulfil the promise of this beginning, and the .letterpress does not fall behind in merit. Both are well represented, to take one instance out of many that present themselves, in hi. Izaac Pavlovsky's account of the Polish sculptor, Mark Antokolsky. It is a striking history of the struggle of genius under difficulties, and the drawings that accompany it, representing the statues of Peter the Great and Ivan the Terrible, are very impressive. Of the other contents, we may mention articles on the "Country of Millet," " Greek Myths in Greek Art," "Sculpture in Pictland," "Elton Ware," "The Pipes of All Peoples," and a particularly interesting account of "The Slade Girls," i.e., of the women students at the Slade School in University College, London.— Good Words has, as usual, many attractions, the chief, perhaps, being Mr. Besant's novel, "All in a Garden Fair," of which we may pro- bably find occasion to speak elsewhere. Miss Betham-Edwards has also contributed a novel, " Pearla," which we have noticed. No magazine seems to command the services of such a staff ; none certainly offers to its readers a more attractive table of contents. It has, however, competitors which ran it close, though not, perhaps, following exactly the same lines. To The Boy's Own Annual (Leisure Hour Office), for instance, M. Jules Verne contributes one of his inimitable stories, "Godfrey Morgan : a Californian Mystery ;" Mr. Ascott Hope, who is also a master in his own line, "The Tell-Tale a School Story ;" and Mr. David Ker and Mr. Whitchurch Sadler tales of the kind in which they are known to excel. There are papers on cricket, athletics, and other sports. Useful things are well represented by articles on carpentering, matters of natural history, the keeping of pets, &c. Altogether, this is an abundant store of amusement and information.—The Girl's Own Annual (same publishers) presents, with an appropriate difference, much the same features as its companion volumes. "Bound to Earth," by the Author of "Phil's Fortunes," and "A Long Lane with a Turning," by Miss Sarah Doudney, are the chief tales ; and there are papers of all kinds, with an abundance of matter, useful and entertaining.—We are sorry to see that The Union Jack (Sampson Low and Co.), which bad been so excellently conducted by Mr. G. A. Henty, has come to an end. Young readers must be very well off, we might say too well off, if so good a magazine has not secured sufficient patronage. The volume before us seems as good as its predecessors. Mr. Percy St. John contributes a tale of life among Indians, "Sweet Flower, or, Red- skins and Pale-faces ;" Mr. Henty, "Jack Archer, a Tale of the Crimea," of which we speak elsewhere; and, among other good things, we have a continuation of the amusing marvels of the "Major." There are some interesting papers, written by two gentle- men who know their business, on "The Lawn Tennis of the Year." No notice, we see, is taken of the matches played by the American pair, though these were certainly worth recording. We agree with the writers that in a great tournament care should be taken that the second prize should go to the second-best man. If there are twenty-four entries, and these happen to be drawn in the order of merit, the second prize will fall not to the second, but to the thirteenth.--Sunday Read- ings for the Young (Wells Gardner, Barton, and Co.) fulfils its promise excellently. Both illustrations and letterpress seem to give what is wanted.—Routiedges Every Boy's Annual (Routledge and Co.) is an old favourite, which keeps up well to its standard of merit. Fiction is represented by Lieutenant Low's "Cyril Hamilton," and history by an interesting series of papers on "The Victoria Cross," from the pen of Lieutenant-Colonel Seccombe. Colonel Drayson contributes papers on sport, "Salmon and Trout.fishing in North America" being one of his subjects; and Mr. R. Routledge writes on the "Electric Telegraph." With this book should be mentioned its com- panion volume, proceeding from the same publishers, Routledge's Every Girl's Annual. These two magazines are under the editorship of Mr. Edmund Routledge and Miss Alina A. Leigh respectively.—The Rose.bud Annual (Clarke and Co.) is meant for the youngest readers of all, and should please them well, with its spirited drawings. They like to have their things good, even as do their elders.
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