Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1880-08-26
September Magazines.

Rochester, with its bridge and river,
its castle and cathedral, and its sur
rounding country,is perhaps more close
~ associated with Dickens than any
other place in England" In these
words begins delightful paper upon
"Mr. Pickwick and Nicholas Nickleby,"
in Scribner; paper in which not only
the quaint old cathedral town is describ-
ed and pictured, but also various other
English places with which Dickens has
made the world iamiliar-as the George
Inn, the Green Gate. st Clements, Ips-
witch, and "the opposite side Of Goswell
street." Alice Wellington Rollins has
an article upon seaside life in New En-
gland, of which decidedly the best part
is the pictorial: the pictures truly are
delicious-notably "The Marsh" and
"The Sea.Gulls wheeling through the
air" and THE White-winged Coots,"
all by Fandy Z. Clifford. In biography,
the number is especially strong. The
publishers have purchased the exclu-
sive right to reproduce in America and
in England Alfred Sensier's life OF Mil
let, OF which the opening chapters are
now given. The translation is careful,
and very fairly conveys the picturesque
style OF the original, while the iliustra.
tions-most OF them facsimies, by the
Yves and Barrett process-illustrate both
the article and the great artists style.
being the frontispiece, while the most
satisfactory, perhaps, is the deliciously-
detected kitten at page 9l2. The serials
by Noah Brooks and Miss Alcott run
along smoothly, the members OF the
Fairport Nine have thrilling adventure,
while Jack and Jill. OF course, pass
through many pleasing experiences. 1t
may be observed that beside the pleas
ure which Miss Alcottgives to thousands
OF people by her stories, she certainly
must find great deal OF pleasure for
herself in the knowledge that her pure,
wholesome writing is going all over the
world-for 81. Nicholas follows the pro.
verbal roll OF the English drums-doing
good wherever it goes; that it will keep
on doing good long after she is dead;
when the children who love her now so
we'll have been helped by her teaching
to grow up into good women and hon
est men. And what is especially true
of Miss Alcott's writing is true, in gen.
eral way, OF all that 81. Nicholas contains.
Ii is the uniform wholesomeness OF this
u agazine that has given il place far
above all other periodicals OF its kind.
There is plenty OF fun in it, plenty OF
adventure, but these necessary qualities
never are suffered to degenerate into
coarseuess nor tlashiEess; and there is
always-or nearly always-something
about the stories or verses or descrip-
tive papers that is worth knowing. 1t
may be only description OF how nail
should be driven, or it may be tender
teaching OF the law OF love; but at, or
between, these extremes, it is almost
always there. And the lesson Is all the
more effective because it is absorbed un.
consciously. Ii there is anything in the
world that well-regulated child hates,
and with reason-it is being preached at
and preaching, in the accepted sense
OF tine word, is what 81. Nicholas Sc
dulously shuns. What it does do, is to
fix high standard OF morality and use
iulness, and to encourage children TO
live up to this standard by showing
them that the nearer they come to it the
nearer they will be to happiness. 1t Is
a very noble work that the magazine is
doing in the world; a work altogether
worthy OF the dear old saint whose name
il bears.