CURRENT LITERATURE.
CHRISTMAS BOOKS.
We do not know whether Dr. Smiles means his Duty (Murray) for a Christmas book. But if Christmas books are, as we suppose, commonly gift-books, nothing could be more appropriate or season- able than this excellent little volume. It has an excellent title ; duty is an intelligible motive, which, we may say, every one feels in a degree, and which is an unconscious religion to many in whom the spiritual faculties are very feebly developed. A young lad just beginning to wake up to the seriousness of life could not do better than read this book, which is as attractive in the variety of its con- tents as it is instructive. At the same time, to be quite candid with Dr. Smiles, he sweeps illustrations into his net a little too in- discriminately. It is somewhat harsh to call the conventional "not at home" by the name of "lying." Again, a boy who may have read the life of Goldsmith will know that his poverty was due to causes far less creditable to him than his refusal to accept a bribe. If he had accepted Government money to answer "Junius" (a task for which he was not fitted), he would probably have been just as poor as ever. He was a man whom no amount of money could help, and it is absurd to hold him up as an example of honest poverty. We might criticise the appropriateness of other of the illustrations, but we have seen nothing to prevent us from giving our very hearty re- commendation to the book.—Asgard and the Gods : Tales and Tra. ditions of Our Northern Ancestors. Adapted from the work of Dr. Wagner, by M. W. Macdowall, and edited by W. S. W. Anson. (W. Swan Sonnenschein and Allen.)—These tales are "told for boys and girls," as the title-page informs us, but the book is of a more complete and systematic character than this description would lead us to suppose. If boys and girls will read this volume—and they will find it a pleasant task—they will have the satisfaction of really know- ing something about the subject. They will think, possibly, that there is too much about the stories which makes out every mythical personage to be he winter or summer, day or night ; and, indeed, we think that this might have been relegated to an
appendix, where the theory might have been stated, and left for readers to apply as they please. Apart from this, the book is the best thing of the kind that we have yet seen, its beauty and value being increased by a number of excellent illustrations.—To pass to a very different subject, we have A Popular History of Science, by Robert Routledge, B.Sc. (Routledge and Sens.) Mr. Routledge begins with an account of ancient science, which, as fax as the extreme con- densation compelled by necessities of space will allow, is satisfactory, passes on to "Arabian and Modiceval Science" and "The Science of the Sixteenth Century," gives carefully written chapters to Galileo and Bacon, and comes in the seventh chapter to the "Mathematical Science of the Seventeenth Century." Isaac Newton bee, of course, a chapter to himself. A chapter on astronomy, and another on chemistry, complete the account of the seventeenth century. The eighteenth century occupies about one hundred and seventy pages, natural history, as represented by the illustrious names of Linnmus, Buffon, envier, Hunter, and others, now beginning to claim a considerable space. The nineteenth century has certainly not more than its due, in about two hundred and twenty pages. But anything like a comprehensive account of the vast work that is now being done is, of course, impossible. Specialists find themselves obliged to become much more special, and if Mr. Routledge omits some things, and passes lightly over others, he may be congratulated, on the whole, on having attained as much as could be expected. The volume is well printed, and furnished with numerous illustrations. An index is much wanted.—We have been accustomed at this time to notice a volume of The Countries of the World, by Robert Brown, M.A. (Cassell and Co.), and accordingly find one before us now. The title-page, however, bears no number or date. Surely both ought to be given. The absence of the former, in particular, might lead any one, not before acquainted with the book, to suppose that it was com- plete in itself. Mr. Brown's treatment of his subject is, of course, far too full and complete to allow of any such compression. This is really, we believe, the fifth volume. It deals with Asia, treating of the whole of the continent, excepting Arabia, Asia Minor, Armenia, and Transcaucasia. India occupies a little more than a hundred pages, the Chinese Empire abont seventy. This apace is not quite in proportion to the scale hitherto observed. The two countries together contain nearly one-half of the human race. With this reservation, we may repeat the praise that we have before given to Mr. Brown's work. He always makes the most of his space, tells us what is best worth knowing, makes discriminating use of authorities, and presents everything in a vivid and attractive way.—From the same publishers we get Animal Life, by E. Percival Wright, M.A., M.D. This is an excellent combination of the instructive and the entertaining. Dr. Wright intersperses his description of the "Sub-kingdoms of the Animal Kingdom" with lively descriptions of scenery connected with them, descriptions which he has evidently been at great pains to collect. A propos of "fishes," for instance, we have an extract from Mr. Gross's "Jamaica," another from Sir Humphrey Davy, and a third from Sir Emerson Tennent on "Ceylon." Pursuing the same subject, we have a lively scene, "Tunny-fishing," from the pages of M. Quatrefages, a description of halibut-fishing off Vancouver's Island by Mr. Lord, &c. It will be seen that this volume is, in a great measure, a compilation ; but it is one that has been carefully and even artistically made.—In company with this, we may mention a charming little volume, Our Pets and Playfellows in-Air, Earth, and Water, by Gertrude Patmore. (Bell and Sons.)—Miss Patinore tells a number of anecdotes, chosen from her own or her sister's experi- ences of pets which have shared her family life; anecdotes, like the rest of their kind, often amusing, often pathetic. Nothing has pleased us more than the account of the Vir- ginian nightingale. Put into an aviary with a number of small tropical birds, "he voluntarily undertook the office of uni- versal father, and at night spread out his wings like a hen over her chickens, so that they might nestle together under them." Here, again, is a pretty picture :—" The spice-birds were small, speckled creatures, about as large as wrens. The little cock's warble was so soft and low as to be scarcely audible, and it was very funny to watch his mate's endeavours to hear it, among the chorus of loud voices. She sidled up to him, and, standing on tiptoe, put her ear close to his beak, then seeming quite contented, and indifferent to all that was going on around." A pet bullfinch was so distressed at being reduced to insignificance among a crowd of other birds, that he died of grief. There is a pathetic story of a pet sheep which had a vast capacity of affection, but could not show it in any tolerable fashion. A rook in the aviary made near friends with a crow, and would give him first choice of all his food. After all, the superiority of man is vindicated. There is nothing to equal the magnificent calm of the old butler, on whose white head, as he waited at table, there alighted a dove. The bird amused itself with peeking at his hair ; but the butler discharged his duties without giving any sign of knowing what had happened, and only re- lieved his feelings when, "as soon as dinner was over, he appeared in the kitchen, looking quite aghast, and, in accents of horror, ex-
claimed, What was it ?' " Our readers should got this little volume. —Dorothy Compton ; a Story of the '15. By J. R. Henslowe. (Kirby and Endean).—We have woven together, as is usual with such stories, the threads of public events and private lives. Dorothy Compton ts loved by Randal Elliott and Richard Fenton, and Richard Fenton, to secure her hand, turns traitor to the cause which he has sworn to uphold. The writer seems to have studied with sufficient care historical authorities, and has made as much as could be expected of a not very promising subjeot.—Suggestivs Thoughts on Religious Subjects. Analytically arranged by Henry Southgate. (Charles Griffin and Co.)—.This work, which is further described on the title-page as "A Dictionary of Quotations and Selected Passages from the Best Writers, Ancient and Modern,' comes from the hand of a writer who has had good practice in the work of compilation. We cannot profess to have much liking for volumes of this kbal, but there are many to whose scanty leisure or indifferent appetite for books they are probably welcome. Mr. South- gate's work is, anyhow, well done. It would have been an improve- ment to the volume, if he had added an "index of Authors."—The Catskill Fairies. By Virginia W. Johnson. (C. Kogan Paul and Co.), —The Catskill Mountains may be supposed to have been haunted over since Rip Van Winkle fell asleep in one of their hollows. "Job," a lad of twelve or thirteen, left by his grandfather alone for a night in a solitary farmhouse on one of the hills, has "a vision of fairies." The old house-clock and the Angora cat are gifted with speech, and a host of other fantastic beings spring up about him. The descrip- tion of these creatures is often very pretty indeed. Nothing is, better than the "Oak-tree Spirit," a quaint adaptation of the old Greek fancy of the Hamadryad. The oak is out down, and made into a ship ; and the spirit, more tenacious of life than his prototype, goes to sea with it, and does not expire till the last splinter is buried on a foreign shore. The Indian "Witch-Child" is another graceful' fancy. Altogether, Miss Johnson has made a decided success, in a field whore it is far more difficult to succeed than it might soem.—Tho Story of Prince Hildebrand and the Princess Ida, by Major T. S. See- combo (De la Rue and Co.), is a fairy-tale of the kind usual in these days, Queen Mab and the familiar figures of fairy-lore being mixed up with satirical allusions to modern habits, inventions, &c. Major Seccombe tells his story in passable verse that, without being very good, is always readable ; and he has illustrated it with a number of drawings from his own pencil. These are, as might be expected, the best part of the book. Major Seccombo can draw pretty faces and graceful figures, and can represent ugliness in humorous fashion, without making it repulsive.—Wo have to- acknowledge the customary annual volumes of the Leisure Hour and the Sunday at Home, both published by the Religious Tract Society. We are glad to see in the latter a brief but conclusive notice, by the Rev. Dr. Maratha Bonar, of a silly craze, which identifies the English people with the Ten Tribes. Each volume contains more than eight hundred pages of excellent reading, at a price quite out of proportion to their value.—The Sunday Magazine for Family Reading (Isbister) is another excellent volume. One of its serial tales, "Andrew Harvey's Wife," we have noticed elsewhere. Among the contribu- tors, we notice the names of "A. K. H. B.," Dr. Hugh Macmillan,. Miss Heeba Stratton, Miss Sarah Doudney, Dr. Stoughton, the Author of "John Halifax," &c.—For younger readers, we have, with its excellent reading and copious illustrations, Little Wide Awake, edited by Mrs. Sale Barker. (Routledge and SODB.)-The Guest-Book (Marcus Ward) is described as an "Autograph Record of Arrivals, Departures, Incidents, and Impressions, with Appropriate Quotations." Of course, the quotations will be sometimes ludicrously inappropriate. That, however, need not make any difference.
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