The Portland daily press., 1891-12-02
MAGAZINE NOTICES,

The Christmas number of st. Nicholas
has before 1t every year the task of break.
ing the record. Not only must the current
numbers be improved upon, but the mast
Christmas number must be cast, IL ever so
slightly, In the shade. This year we have
true Christmas story for the beginning
1t is written by Ella F. Mosby and ilins
trated by r. B. Birch. Charles E. Carrvl
WHO wrote Davy and the Goblin, a great
favorite with the readers of ST. Nicholas .,
few years Ego, now begins another story of
similar whimsical nature called The Ad.
miral's Caravan, wherein little girl WALL g
out into a quiet village street and has ad.
ventures beside which Ju'es Verne's wild
est are prosaic. Funny verses, composed
by the odd characters she meets, punctuate
with laughter the giggles produced by the
story itself. 1t Is appreciatively illustrat.
ed by Birch. Bill Nye describes The rs
cape OF Whole Menagerie and the excit-
ing recapture of the fugitive stock. KEN
BILE illustrates the story by a humorous
sketch OF the proprietor In Honors to tie
Flag, w. J. Henderson praises the deyc-
tion OF army and navy officers to the flag,
and suggests that civilians might profita-
bly, emulate their example of reverence in
ceremonial. Mr.. j. I. Trowbridee tells an an
autobiographical adventure In Itaiy-
where In his boyhood days he was attacked
oy orlgand, whom he repused by the aid
OF a heather temple used on the principle
slfaitiG similibus cardntur. The story The
Cornor OF the Column Is adorned by views
OF the locality and otherwise illustrated
besides. The authors subsequent meeting
with the brigand, and his advice to the
latter to keep the boy honest, have sIy
sarcasm that is delightful.
The Christmas Century is something
more than the usual number of this r,aga-
zine under holiday name. 1t is peryaded
with the spirit of Christmas, and both
directly and Indirectly touches upon the
Christian celebration. This characteristic
is first evident in the cover, a new and
special drawn by George Wharton Ed.
wards, and printed in gold and brown on
white. The frontispiece is reproduction
of the painting of "he Holy Family by Du
Mond,a young American artist, who pre-
sents in this picture an original conception
of the subject. The number also cor
tains engravings of modern pictures relat-
ing to Christmas as follows: The Arrival
Of the Shepherds, by H. Lerolle with
poem by Edith NJ. Thomas , The Appear
ance OF the Angel to the Shepherds, by P.
Lagarde; The Annunciation to the Shep.
herds, by j. Bastien Lepage; Holy Night.
by Fritz Won Ubds. and Madonna by
Dagnan-Bouveret, accompanied by a poem
by Mrs. Mary Mapes Dodge, entitled An
Offertory.. Quite appropriate to the sea-
son also is Mr.. Suillman's article on Ra-
phael, accompanied by Mr.. Coles engrav-
Ing OF The Madonna Of the G0ldfinch.
made especially for this number, and three
other examples of Raphaeps work-the
Hneas and Parnassus groups from the
Vatican, and the portra' of Maddalena
Doni. Relating to the sea On also are four
stories; The Christma Shadracb, by
Frank X Stockton; A Christmas Fantasy.
with Moral, by Thomas Bailey Aldric6:
Wulfy: A Waif, a Christmas sketch from
life by Miss Vida ID. Scudder, and The
Rapture of Hetty. by Mrs. Mary Hallock
Foote, the last dealing with a Christmas
dance on the frontier. and illustrated by
drawing by the writer The Mo
zart centenary Is the occasion of a paper
by Mrs. Amelia Gere Mason, author of
The Women Of the Freuch Salons, entitled
MoZart-After Hundred Years, which is
fully illustrated, and appeals to a very
wide and general interest in music. Othe:
illustrated articles Of general interest are
The BoweIy, by Julian Ralph; The Ocean
from Real Life, by Captain john A. Beebe
OF Nantucket, a personal narrative of
much vivldness; and The Golden Age of
Pastel, by Mrs. Elizabeth w. Champnev.
illustrated by pictures by noted painters
who have employed pastei.