CURRENT LITERATURE.
Tr Savage Club Papers. Edited by Andrew Halliday. (Tinsley Brothers.)—Most people who buy books at this time of the year will, we should hope, include this graceful volume in their list. They will be assisting in a work of charity, and, at the same time, find themselves in possession of a very interesting collection of literary and artistic scraps. They will also learn something of the mystery of the Savage Club, about which they may have heard rumours of more or less pre- tentiousness. The members of this club, it appears, are in the habit of dining together from time to time. "One evening a chair, which had been filled on the previous Saturday, was empty. The place of him who had occupied it was vacant, too, at home, where a young widow wept in the anguish of sadden and unexpected bereavement. We knew that she needed help in her time of trouble." To afford that help these gentlemen agreed to call into exercise the arts by which they were well known to the world, and the present volume is the outcome of their united labours. The list of authors includes the names of Messrs. Hannay,
Planchi.t, Oxenford, Hood, itc., and the illustrations are con- tributed by such men as Messrs. Du Manner, Dore, Brunton, Griset, Cruikshank, and others of almost equal standing. Criticism under the circumstances would hardly be gracious, and we shall confine ourselves to saying that the letter-press, which consists of slight stories and humorous papers, is quite interesting enough for a Christmas volume, whilst the engravings have a special charm. It is a pleasure which does not often occur, to have as it were in an album specimens of such different schools of art as are represented by the names that we have mentioned; and any one who is inclined to yield to a benevolent im- pulse will find that he has also made a profitable investment.
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