The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1893-12-13
CURRENT LITERATURE.
The December Magazines.


49, Tnis sweeping change makes The
Forum, which is the largest of our
American Reviews, cheaper than most
of the popular magazines. Its charac-
ter is in no way changed and in size
continues to be the largest of the peri.
odicals of its class. The contents sweep
over great variety of opportune sub.
jects. This number, which begins the
new era of its cheap price, without any
change in the tone or qualify of its
articles, brings its readers sixteen
timely discussions by sixteen writer's of
authority and force-at price of about
a cent aud half per article.
NONE of the great industrial disturb
ances in this time has been the occasion
of a more vigorous word than that by
Stopford Brooke, the great London
preacher, on 1.-THE Colliery Conflict in
England" which is published in the
Ne,O England Magazine. This was
sermon preached in London last month
when the conflict was at its height; but
the principles it lays down are no more
important with reference to that special
81 uation, which Gladstone's action has
recently somewhat relieved, than to
the general industrial situation both in
England and America. Whatever Stop.
ford Brooke writes upon social ques-
tions has high value, but he has written
nothing more earnest or weighty than
this.
THE Christmas number of Scribner's
Magazine contains five short stories of
unusual beauty in sentiment, especially
chosen for their appropriateness to the
Christmas seas IN. The authors are
Robert Grant, Thomas Nelson Page,
Henry Van Dyke, Edith Wharton, and
Herbert d. Ward. There is, in add
ton, hi herto unpublished work of
fiction by Sir Walter Scott, which is
here printed by arrangement with Mrs.
Maxwell Scott, and Introduced and
edited by Andrew Lang. The poetry
of the number represents an equally
notable list of authors, including
Thomas Bailey Adrich, Richard Henry
Stoddard, Edith NJ. Thomas, Duncan
Campbell Scott, and Graham r. Tom
son. Altogether the number represents
a striking list of contributors and great
richness of illustration, there being
twenty full pages and forty text
pictures.
- ~ AL ANEoT DuDll vi MI. IItlCdulO
Hearn has asked him in horror ard
amazement how it is that the strange
subjects of love and marriage are so
fully treated in English novels. This
gives M. Hearn occasion to tell in bis
article, "Of the Eternal Feminine" in
the atlantic, how different a place
women occupy in Japan and in Amer.
lea or Europe. Mrs. Wiggin provides
the short story of the number in "TOm
O. the Blueb'ry Palms." a pathetic
sketch of New England life. Studies
of nature are nearly always expected
in the Atlantic, and from Mr. Bradford
Torrey and Mr.. Frank Boles the read
ers of the magazine have learned to
expect very charming papers. Such,
indeed, are "In the Flat Woods" by
Mr.. Torrey, and Birds at Yule-T Tide"
by Mr.. Boles. To these are added the
vivid pictures of Mr.. Hamlin Garland's
Western Landscapes" 1.-THE Blaz-
ing Heart" poem by Mrs. Alice Will
Jams Brotherton, aud the usual de-
partments fill out this strong conclud-
ing number of the Atldntic's one hun
dred and thirty-tourth volume.
INSTEAD of the usual extended char
acter sketch OF some one person, the
Revieae Of Revie,Cs publishes six shorter
character sketches, covering in the
group wide range of international in
terest. The first is sketch of Serge
Julich Vitte, the new Russian minister
of finance, whose mastery hand has
checkmated Germany in the bitter tariff
war that has for many months been
raging between the two countries. The
second is sketch of Tom Mann, the
most interesting personality among all
the labor leaders of England, and the
article is by John G. Garlic, himself
an active worker in English trades
unionism. The third is an article on
the late Carter Harrison, of Chicago,
by DIR. Shaw, editor of the Reuiep OF
ReuieloS, and is fair aud impartial
characterization of the most widely
known of Chicago's politicians. The
fourth sketch is from 40 less eminent a
writer than Archdeacon Farrar, and its
subject is the late Benja Jowett,
master of Balliol College, Oxford, the
eminent Greek scholar and translator OF
Plato. The fifth, accompanied by a
magnificent fullpage portrait, is very
attractive account of the life and work
vi tle distinguished FRENCH muSlCldu
Gounod. Finally, in the sixth sketch,
there is portrayal by Mr.. Samuel j
Capper of the late Louis Ruchonnet
who served two terms as president OF
Switz rland, and who was the best
know of all the public men of that en-
lightened little country.
THE 18th volume of the North
american Revielo is brought to close
BY this number. 1t opens with an i'm.
portant article by Governor Russell of
Massachusetts on the " Political Causes
of the Business Depression" "The
Hawaiian Situation is dealt with in
three articles. The first is by Eugene
Tyler Chamberlin, formerly editor OF
the Albany Argus, who describes " THE
Invasion of Hawaii -; the second, by
the Hon. John l.. Stevens, recently
minister to Hawaii, deals with The
Fall of the Monarchy" and the third
by Congressman Springer, is entitled
The Duty of the Republic" Justin