The Weekly Kansas chief. [volume] (Troy, Kan.) 1872-1918, 1877-12-27
LITERARY NOTICES.

LITERARY NOTICESs
ST. NICHOLAS FOR JASUARr-Like the issue for De
cember,-of which 900 were printed, d,-shows at
the first glance that it is in special sense "Christ
mas Holiday Number !" in fact it is neither more nor
less than condensed of holiday,"-cheery,
and full of interesting stories and bright pictures
The frontispiece alone 1.-TWO Ways of Carrying the
Mail" at suggests sleds, toboggans, moonlight
sleigh-rides, and all manner of Winter frolics
The number begins with the first half of lovely
illustrated story of the Middle Ages, 'The Ravens
and the Angels by the author of CHRONICLES of the
Schonbers- Gotta Family
Farther on is George MacDonalds promised "Let-
ter to Young Americans fullharged with the charms
of his winning style and practical mysticism; and
near the end is fresh and breezy little song, 'kat
ing by the late Theodore Winthrop, never before
printed.
.St. Nicholas himself paying his first visit in
the opening year, presents with a cordial greeting
pretty New-Year card drawn by Miss L. Greenaway
of London.
Full of novelty and vivacity the ample INSTALL
ments of the serials, Under the Llacs," by Miss Al
colt, and "TowerMountain," by Gustavus Franken-
stein with capital pictures by Mary Hallock Foote
and J. E. Kelley.
There is quaint tale of tales, .The King and the
Three Travellers" by Arlo Bates with striking pic
rics humorous, fanciful, pathetic, exciting and all il
lustrated are entitled, 'The Coolest Man in Russia,
sDebby's Christmas" allow the Pony was Taken,"
"Annie and the Balls" and allow Kitty got her New
Hat"
Then there is a rhymed funny account of the mis-
haps of merry Nike a windy day, with eight tell
ing pictures; "Tommy's Dream; or, The Geography
Demon by Laura E. Richards; some descrip-
tive of "Music AllFours," by Josephine Pollard,
with comical illustration by Sol Eytinge; and po-
en- on "Winter Fire-Fles."
Among the more markedly instructive articles are
"An Agreeable Guest in which learns how to
behave when visiting; "The Stork and the Crane" :"
an illustrated humorous fable by Howard Pyle; .The
Arms of Great Britain, history of the CoatofA Arms
of the Old Country, by Susan Archer Weiss, with n
picture Something in the Old Clothes Line short
talk about ancient costumes, with the portrait of
lady who ''looked like cst;" and "How to make an
Boat with diagrams and full directions, by j. H.
Hubbard.
The .very little folks" provided with easy read
ing and fine picture about Three Smart Little Fox
es" and page full of funny illustrations of the Jap
anese House that Jack Built
The whole number is full of mirthful faneies, sug
gesti0ns wisdom, goodwill, fine art, and wholesome
and strengthening literature.
The new ST. Nicholas cover, which has appeared on
the December Holiday Number, was printed in por-
ton of the edition in bright red color Part of the
rest of the edition of 10000 copies appeared in blue,
and part in green. None of these colors, however,
corresponded with the original design made by Wal
ter Crane they used only to give varied and
holiday aspect to the edition. But the january num-
Der will appear in the rich heavy red which de-
signed for the by the artist and which has been
very successfully used the cover of the English
fal in uule he of
Mr.. Evans, Walter Cranes engraver.
ScRIRSER FOR JANUARY.-The January Seribner
begins and ends with Christmas poem. Mr.. Boye-
sens opening ballad "Jarl Siguards Christmas Eve
is the means of re-ntroducing to the magazine the
pencil of Mrs. Mary Hallock Foote, who has made a
large illustration for the poem and is hereafter to
tribute frequently. Another phase of the holiday
feeling is given in Irwin Russells christmas Night
in the Quarters" which reproduces an oldtme scene
in the South and contains three separate dialect po
ems with illustrations by Hopkins "FOx-hunting in
New England" may fairly be called Cheismas topic,
and Mr.. Rowland E. Robinson discusses it with en-
thusiasm in illustrated paper of fourteen pages.
An anonymous paper on "Dr. Schliemann at Mycena,
reviews in judicial vein the famous discoveries of
that explorer many of the objects, including of
the finest being shown in the engravings John Bur
roughs returns to his favorite topic in "Birds and
Birds for which Miss Bridges, who is well known
by her bird pictures, has made several drawings DIR.
Holland contributes short poem entitled "A Glimpse
of Youth" and Stedman another "The Last Token,
suggested by Max's picture by the same name which
is here engraved There also poems by H. H.,
Sidney Lanier Paul H. Hayne, Mary E. Bradley, and
| others The story of the number, by the elusive
Sa1e Holm,p relates to the Civil War, and is called
"Joe Hale's Red Stockings" Many readers will turn
Mt once tn paper of new anecdotes of "Pidgin Eng
lish,- by A. A. Hayes Jr and to H. HIS sketch Of
the marvellous enterprise of American frontier life,
entitled "A New Anvil Chorus" What the Presi.
dents have thought in regard to appointments is sum-
marzed in L. NJ Dormans Century of Civil Service"
The Growth of Cities in the United States is treat
ed by b. C. Magic, Jr., who has a word of warning
for the South. The serials by Miss Trafton and Ed.
ward Eggleston are continued the latter with a pic
turc of Twounet and Roxy telling fortunes BY Walter
| Shirlaw.
In his department, DIR. Holland discusses 4west
Point and the Educational Charities Books and
Reading "Fitting for College" and "work for the
Machine The Old Cabinet has something about
Gossip and the U. S. Census "Law Points in Nov
els Reasons for not Voting for Reform Candi
date "a Young Cambridge Student Midget etc.
Home and Society" contains suggestions about Phi
vate Theatricals- etc. "Culture and Progress has
| q dozen book notices. and The Worlds Work re
cords variety of industrial improvements. 'Brc-a
Brac- is given to Irwin Russells poem mention
| ed above.
| CONFEDERATE CLArNs-With the steady ad-
| vance toward Democratic supremacy in both
| Houses it is hardly to be wondered at that the
subject of political intrigue. A slight intima-
| tion of what the country may expect from that