The Portland daily press., 1875-12-17
Magazine Notices.

The atlantic Monthly for January is an un-
usually rich number. Opening with long
and brilliant instalment of Mr.. Howells's new
novel, it includes articles of travel, history,
literary criticism, and matters of public inter-
est. Of the last-named sort is Charles.Francis
Adams Jr.'s third railroad paper, entitled "The
Revere Catastrophe" Elizabeth Stuart Phelps
contributes an entertaining account of Going
South, which is followed by charming essay
from Miss Harriet Preston on Jacques Jasmin,
the Provencal poet, including graceful transla-
tions from his poems. Few magazine papers
can offer the fresh touch and ripe literary skill
here combined. Mr.. Allen B. Magruder tells
about Lincoln's Plans of Reconstruction; w.
81. Bishop, new writer, gives very original
and startling short story, One of the Thirty
Pieces, and Mr.. Whittier contributes poem
of singular lovelness, called Sunset on the
Bearcamp. The Mainsi of Sicily is curious
account of brigandage in that island 1t is
followed by a chapter of Mrs. Kemble's Old
Woman's Gossip, the photographed interest
of which is heightened by the insertion of
some letters written by her in youth. Oliver
Wendell Holmes adds to the list some witty
verses, A Familiar Letter to aspiring poets,
and Mr.. Howells reviews in short paper Four
New Books of Poetry. Besides all this we
have poems from Aldrich, Maurice Thompson,
Mrs. Piatt, and Mrs Moulton, and the editorial
departments, which contain reviews of Sted-
mans Victorian Foets, Gen. Boynton's book on
Sherman, an interesting account of Educa-
ton in the Western States, and much other
matter.
This ohorO Of bo hao o;vo ;rtxx
seventh volume of the magazine, and more
abundant and promising opening it would be
difficult to devise.
The Ald,ne, numbered "a, is now out. 1t is
the last of the 1915 series, and is beautiful
number. 1t opens with an index to the con
tents of the whole review, which will be found
serviceable and answering every purpose now
that the series is complete, and it is still to be
hoped, however, that brief table of contents
for each issue win be given in future on the
| title page of the coming SERIES This numbers
| first picture is of the head of Chrst-The
| Crown of Thorns. There follow two Winter
| scenes-indoor and outdoor, and then comes
| one of the finest of all, picture, The Wrecked
Christmas, which is very spirited and sugges-
| tive thing. A large number of illustrations of
| Picturesque Europe are given. the city of this
| issue being Nuremberg The cuts are excel
| lent, ard this is one of the most interesting
| features of the number. The contents in the
| way of reading matter are varied and attrac-
tive and the Aldine's year closes WELL
The January S. Nicholas is good number.
Among its stories are: Bayard Taylor's vivid
and charming narrative of Jon of Iceland,
Edward Eggleston's characteristic Hooser
| Fairy Story, Louisa NJ Alcott's jolly account
| of Marjorie's Birthday Gifts, ). T. Trow-
\ BRIDGES capital Bass Cove Sketch Zone of the
very best sketches that this noted author has
ever written), Susan Coolidge's Toinette and
the Elves, and Abby Morton Daz's little story
| of Getting Up in the World; while its list of
| poems contains H. HIS st. Christopher, Celia
| Thaxte1's Piccola, and G. P. Cranch's How
Willie Coasted by Moonlight. The picture of
| St. Christopher, reproduction of Tintoretto's
celebrated painting, forms worthy frontis-
| piece for such brilliant number. And as for
| Christmas, we have Christmas in the Arctic
| Regions, celebrating it in the cabin of vessel
| that lies, icebound, under perpetual moonlight;
| Christmas in the Far East, in the august
| presence of jeweled Siamese prince; A
| Southern Christmas Eve, with flowers instead
| of snow; in short, Christmas everywhere until
| this one holiday with st. Nicholas has some
| how heightened out into merry voyage round
| the world.