Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1892-12-07
Literary Items.

HdrperS Ba-dr for December 10th will
be an elegant Christmas number, superbly
illustrated, and containing many attractive
holiday features. The illustrations will be
numerous and particularly attractive.
Harper & Brothers have just brought out
several attractive holiday books for young
people. Among these we notice The Noon
Prince, by R. K. Munkittrick, handsomely
illustrated by F. Yer Beck, and volume
of interesting sketches and tales by Z. II.
House, entitled The Midnight Warning, and
Other Stories
BaJyland for December brings good
Christmas cheer. Its happy stories and
merry rhymes seem merrer and gayer than
ever, and its pretty pictures and verse tell
tales as sweet as any Baby ever listened to.
Every home that Babyland enters this
month will have Merry Christmas. Price
so cents a year > cents number. ID.
Lothrop Co., Publishers, Boston.
"a Young knight Erranf' is story of
voyage round the world in a yacht. 1t is
| full of adventures and is baseed upon the
authors own experiences as a traveller
His seamanship also is not that of land
lubber. Above all he has the great art of
telling an interesting story in fresh and
simple language. The author is William
I. Adams, known to generations of boys as
Oliver Optic, and Lee and Shepard are the
publishers He has never written an unin-
teresting book nor an unworthy sentiment.
The Christmas number of Hdrper's Young
People was published on December 9th. 1t
contains illustrated Christmas stories;
Christmas pantomime in one act, entitled
Dresden China" Christmas poem, ga
Song of Kriss Kringle's Tree" by Margaret
E. Sangster; practical article, with illus
trations, on Christmas presents, and full
page illustration, christmas Morning" by
Otto Beck. Also number Of short arti-
cles on variety of subjects, besides the
usual supplement and beautiful cover spe-
claIly de-lgned Tor tDls issue.
"QuaJbm" is the Indian name of region
in Western Massachusetts,; and under this
title, Mr.. Underwood, author Of the Hand
Books of Literature, has published through
the house of Lee and Shepard an account
of life in the old times. with fresh and pic
turesque studies of scenery and Manners
1t gives a vivid idea of the struggles of
young men for higher education-as well
as of Sunday obseryances, the old speech,
the Yankee character, and the gradual COM
ing of light into remote and dull parish.
1t has several photographs and a portrait.
The Christmas number of Harper's Week
| H. published December 18th, will present an
extraordinary combination of literary and
artistic features. 1t will contain, among
many other attractions, a beautiful double
page Christmas picture drawn by Howard
Pyle four pages of illustrations of "The
New West Point" with descriptive COM
ment by George l. Putnam; and two pages
of characteristic illustrations by A. B.
Frost. A variety Of short articles on time
ly topics, Thoughtful editorials on the ques-
tions Of the day, poems, sketches etc, will
help to complete this noteworthy and very
interesting number.
Our Little Men and Women for December
is yeritable Christmas number. 1t opens
with "The Night Before Christmas" sug-
gestiye picture, accompanied by story
well suited to it. There are bits of history
told in picture and story. a capital article,
finely illustrated, is the Sheltering Home for
Animals at Brighton, aud How a little
American Girl saw the English Queen
Khatia's Christmas, as well as other excel
lent stories, articles and verse, entertaining
and instructive. Every child who can
read, should be given a copy of this mimi
table children's magazine Price Sl.00
year; 10 cents a number d. Lothrop Co.,
Publishers, Boston.
Tie Pansy for December contains its
usual amount of good things. The two
stories by its favorite authors, "Pansy" and
Margaret Sidney" develop in worth and
interest. It's articles, foreign, domestic and
educational, possess a ring that sounds deep
and long for the young readers whose well
fare the editors and publishers are not apt
to forget, and the worth of its pages is en-
HANGED by the pictures which help to
strengthen and brighten the writing they
accompany. No better magazine for both
young and old is to be found. Price Sl.OO
year; 10 cents a number. d. Lothrop
Co., Publishers, Boston.