The Portland daily press., 1891-01-05
MAGAZINE NOTICES.

Since its re-establishment Scribner's Mag.
azlne has grown steadily in excellence. This
TACT is emphasized by the number which be.
gins the year 1891. An article by Henry M.
Stanley has the first place; from time to
time considerable has been published about
the wonderful dwarfs which Stanley found
in the depths Of the dark African forest
where the expedition came so near meeting
total destruction. In the article entitled
The Pigmies of the Great African Forest,
Mr.. Stanley tells all about the wonderful
people. The article is copiously illustrated
and exceedingly interesting. The Scribners
have also shown their quickness of .percep.
lion in getting what is best for their patrons
by securing series Of articles upon Japan
from Sir Edwin Arnold. who writes of that
country after prolonged residence. The
second OF his series appears in the January
number. 1t Is profusely illustrated and
deals with Japanese understandingly and
appreciatively. Following In the same line
comes Impressions of Australia by Josiah
Royce, and an essay on the ROttenburg
Festival play by =. 81. Lockwood: Mr.. John
r. Spears contributes an article that will in
terest variety of readers, who are inter-
ested in whatever relates to methods of fight
ing fires in cities. In Modern Fire Appara-
tus, Mr.. Spears gives an interesting compari-
son Of the old and new ways Of fighting fires
writes Of Boticelli's Madonna In the Louvre,
and James Dwight of Court Tennis. Will
liam P. P. Longfellow contributes some
valuable criticisms upon the architecture of
the day. The fiction and poetry of the num-
Der are contributed by. Frank R: Stockton.
Mary Tappan Wright. Margaret Vandergrift
and two anonymous writer's.
The Arena for the new year cannot help
being an entertaining magazine if it contin-
ues as interesting as is the January number.
1t begins with that most absorbing of sub
jects, or "Are there objective apparitions,
as DR.. Alfred Russell Wallace, the author,
more accurately defines it. Those who are
skeptical and those who are believers will
alike be interested in the arguments and in
cidents which Dr.yWallace marshals in sup
port of his conclusion that there are really
objective apparitions. Popular Leaders
Grover Cleveland is an essay by "Wilbur
Larramore," who writes himself down a
violent Mugwump at the same time he
attempts to write Mr.. Cleveland down a
great and far-seeing statesman. The tenure
OF land is discussed at length by Hamlin
Garland, who is an earnest advocate Of a
system much like that advocated by Mr..
George. Mr.. Garland denounces he present
system of holding the opportunities of the
race as he would term the land as tyranny.
The symposium for this months number
gives the views of several eminent literary
people upon somewhat remarkable book
recently published by Helen Gardiner and
dealing with certain social evils and hypoc-
risies of the times. Moncure d. Conway,
Prof. j. X. Buchanan, Elizabeth Cady STAN
ton, Dom Piatt, Robert G. Adams and Ma
nixra nonn <hn ~ ,rkn 30
this symposium. Other article are Migra-
ton Law of Nature, by Rabbi SCHNEIDER ;
Was Christ Buddhist? by DR.. Felix l.. Os-
wald; A Daughter of Lilith and A Daughter
Of Eve, by Kate Burlington Davis; poem,
.No-Name Paper" Would We Live Our
Lives Over Again?
The January number of the Cosmopolitan
displays beautiful frontisplece, a reproduce
ton in colors of Francois Jennings cele-
brated picture, The Cake Seller. The Co.'S
mopolitan runs up from 10000 edition at
the close of 1888 to 100000 in December,
$780, The remarkable increase has kept
pace with the distinguished names of con-
tributors. This number contains the first
part of Mrs. Van Rensselaer, Cruger's new
novel Mile. Reseda, pronounced by critics
her best work Mrs. Cruger is a very realis-
tic writer free from offensiveness. Miss Bis
land has one of her highly interesting and
gracefully written papers on The Peoples
Palace in London. An amusing postum
nous paper by the late r. q. C. Darling.
with his own illustrations is given. A.
Beckett's clever story Don Gracias, is illus
trated In novel manner, the we'll known
actors Sothern and Miss Harden having
posed for the situations. and the results
have been photographed for the illustra-
lions. There Is most breezy and we'll illus
trated article by Will Rideing on The Trans
atlantic Trip, and other papers of great
value