The Sun.
London, England, 1864-12-31 00:00:00

LITERATURE,

CHRISTMAS BOOKS.

Golden Light: being Scripture Histories for the
Young from the Old and New Testaments, with
Eighty Pictures, drawn by A. V. Bayes, en-
graved by the Brothers Dalziel. One Vol., Pp.
320. Routledge, Warne, arid Routledge.
Foremost among the children's Christmas books
now before us we must particularise thievery charm-
ing volume, appropriately entitled " Golden Light."
The Scripture stories are narrated in a simple and
interesting manner, and the engravings (which are
very numerous) are acme of them very excellent.
Among the best is the picture of Joseph making
himself known to his brethren. The face of the
Patriarch is hidden—hidden upon the shoulder of
his brother BenjAmin, who alone can venture to
embrace him• The other guilty brothers are bowed
to the earth with shame, and they are, one and all,
depicted with singular forcefulness and expression.

Stories of Old. Bible Narratives for Young
Children. First series—Old Testament, with
Four Illustrations; Second Series—New Testa-
ment, New Edition, with four illustrations.
Stories of the Apostles. With Seven Illustrations.
By Caroline Hadley. Smith, Elder, and Co.
These three little volumes contain Scripture
stories adapted for very youthful readers. The
first story of the second series—the Christmas
story—is very happily and truthfully entitled " The
Sweetest of all Stories," The authoress, in her
anxiety to make herself intelligible to her young
readers, writes occasionally in a style too familiar
for the high themes she has undertaken to expound.

Lays of the Pious Minstrels. Selections by J. B. H.
New Edition, edited and re-arranged by Henry
Wright. One Vol., Pp. 180. Houlston and
Wright.
A very elegant little volume on toned paper, with
antique binding and redoedged leaves, containing a
favourite selection of well-known verses of a cha-
racter likely "to soothe, to elevate, and to
strengthen." One great omission we notice in the
book, the names of the authors of the various pieces
are not given, and while we gladly recognise Mrs.
Humans' very sweet lines, " When is the time for
Prayer ?" we are surprised not to find the ad-
mirable " What is Prayer ?" of James Montgomery.

Daddy's Makings. By Daddy Dumkine, who,
Nothing better had to do. One vol., Pp. 98.
The History of Harry. What he saw, and what
he did, and what he did ❑ot see and do. A
Comic Fairy Tale, with sixteen engravings.
Dean and Son.
These two very attractive children's books are,
as they tell us themselves—
" Very new and very funny,
Worth all the children's pocket-money ;
Full of pictures drawn with cars,
Coloured with a beauty rare,"
The coloured pictures are sufficiently grotesque, and
the verses or " little rhyming undertakings," are
ridiculous enough. We cannot say much for the
pictorial or poetic merit of either pen or pencil, but
as comio Christmas books for the little folks these
two very original volumes will pass muster.

.Routledges Every Boy's Annual. An Original
Miscellany of Entertaining Literature. Edited
by Edmund Routledge. With 100 Illustrations.
One Vol., Pp. 760.
" Every Boy's Annual" is this year as attractive
es ever ; fun aad frolic, history and romance alter-
nate in its pages, while the illustrations are as
fantastic and ludierous as the deliseator of "Queer
Quotations" can contrive.

Gullivers "'ravels. With a Memoir of the Author.
Illustrated with 300 Engravings. From designs
by J. G. Thomson. Engraved by W. L. Thomas.
One Vol., Pp. 361. S. 0. Beeton.
A popular edition of Gulliver's travels, every
page abounding in illustrations. The index page
held by a hand of Brobdignag, with figures of
Lilliput in the foreground, and a glimpse of the
virtuous Houynhm and detestable Yahoo i❑ the
distance is very happily designed, containing the
contrasting marvels of this most marvellous of all
travellers' tales.

The St Germain Legends ; For a Pin ; Mignon ;
and the Nightlight, From the French of J. F.
de Saint Ciermaiu. Ooe Vol., Pp. 342. Chap-

man and Hall.

These three very charming French tales will be
welcome in an English dress. In them we may see
what marvellous matters hang upon " only a pin ;"
we may follow with interest the history of the
lovely and loveable Mignon, or bewilder our-
selves over the very amusing story of Monsieur le
Comte till a not profitless hour has agreeably passed
away.

The Phantom Cruiser. Edited by Lieut. Warne-
ford, R.N. One Vol., Pp. 233. John Maxwell

and Co.

The gallant author of The Coast Guard Tales,
The Jolly Boat, and Running the Blockade has
here introduced to our cotics a capital nautical tale
(Never before Printed, says the Title Page !) from
the pen of Lieut. Morgan, of the U.S.N., meaning
of the Federal Navy, under its old u•a•ed up
initials. Lieut. Warneford's share in the publica-
tion, as he pr)tests in his Preface, is simply that of
having edited it.

Spell Bound. By M. A. Bird. One Vol., Pp. 282.

John Maxwell and Co.

A companion volume, appearing simultaneously
with the one last mentioned, that is with " The
Phantom Cruiser," is this one, entitled, and with
reason, "Spell Bound"—a volume containing within
it a very curious collection of Tales of the Super-
natural. Among the suggestive headings to these
tales are especially noticeable " The Lumber Room"
—" The Oid House in Chancery"—" The Haunted
House"—and " The Little Skeleton." The volume
appears most seasonably, and therefore most oppor.
tunely.

Cushions and Corners ; or, Holidays at Old
Orchard. By Mrs R. J. Greene. One Vol., Pp,

190. Smith, Elder, and Co.

Notwithstanding its very whimsical appellation
this is a most delightful children's story-book. The
holiday group of juveniles at Old Orchard, Willy
and Fiorry, and Mary and Looey and Bobby are
divided into " cushions" and " corners," but by a
magical alchemy the " corners" become ultimately
transformed into "cushions." "In every family,"
says Grandmamma, " there are cushions' and
'corners,' " meaning good natured, easy folks, will-
ing to be put upon by everybody, and 'sharp un-
comfortable corners' always knocking against people,
or getting knocked against themselves." The text-
word of the little story is that golden rule
of Christian charity, "Be kindly affectioned
one to another, in honour preferring one another,"
and very happily is the instruction interwoven into
a very interesting little tale, well calculated to
prove a most excellent and desirable Christmas pre•
sent for youthful readers.

A Bunch of Keys, Where they were Found, and
IVhlt they na:qht have Unlocked. A Christmas
book. Edited by Thomas Hood. One Vul.,
Pp. 293. Uroombridge and Sons.
" Once upoii a time," says the editor of this very
delightful Christmas book, " there were half a dozen
young writers, who, having to tuil for their daily
bread all the rest of the year, desired, at this period of
it, to make a Christmas pudding." The book before
us is the result of this desire, and is described as
being a labour of Lye. Upon this bunch of keys
hang many tales of a very varied charac-
ter. "The Key of the Piano," by Thomas
Archer--n piano from which issues a wailing
strain of ghostly music that chills the marrow of
our bones ; " The Key of the Strong Room," by
W. S. Gilbert ; " The Key of the Study," by W.
J. Prowse ; " Three Keys on a Small Ring of their
Own," by Clement W. Scott ; " The Ring" and
" The End," by T. W. Robertson ; and " The Key
of the Nursery Cupboard," by the Editor, which
last-mentioned is one of the most charming stories
41 the collection. There is 4 tender pathos about