The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1898-12-13
THE CHRISTMAS MAGAZINES.
By Il. j. Stockard.

BN II. >. @lcthdAd.
The December number Of the maya
zines are always unusually attractive
this year they have surpassed thelhsei'e'
In illustration especially they are unique
and in literary quality fully up 70 tlei
best standard. They Ill are full OF th'
holiday spirit.
St. Nicholas is overlooking with sea
sonablc verses and jingles: such as. The
Christmas Tree Lights" The Dream OF
The Toy" and "Ye Christmas PuddinSs.
There are also stories of adventure anl
exploration. \ clever drama entitled
FOX and Geese" is contributed by DIV
er Hereford.
Wagner's Ring of the \ibelung. the
Rape of the Ishine-Gold. with decora-
tons and Illustrations in color by Max
field Parrish. is 4 prominent feature OF
the current S~cribner's. Richard lard
ing Davis writes OF the war II Cuba
giving his experiences III the rite pits.
Another war paper IS the ran OF
Manila" by Capt. I. Bentley Mott. aid
to General Merritt, The Mirror Broken
Is 4 good sonnet and Daily Bread 4
pleasing poem.
The design Of the striking cover Of the
Christmas Century represents the
appearance Of the Magi to the
Christ-child. 1t is printed IN
colorS and will be membered by all
admirers Of this f~avorite periodical. Es-
pecially fortunate has the Century been
in securing for its columns contributions
from SigSbee. Hobson and other promi-
nent officers in our late war with Spain.
The former in this number continues his
story of the blowing up of the Maine.
and the latter opens his of the sinking
Of the Merrimac. These are valuable
contributions. written as they are by
the chief persons connected with these
thrilling incidents.
The Century offered three prizes Of
$3.50 each fer the best essay. story and
poem submitted by any \. =. graduate
Of last commencement. Although the
majority of the competitors were men.
all the prizes were taken by women.
Until the sterner sex can reverse this
order of things they must cease their
hCastin@ of their superior intelligence.
The prize poem. The Road 'TwiNt
Heaven and He'll" by Anna Hamp-
stead Branch appears with Illustrations
in this number. and is 4 good piece OF
imaginative writing. These prizes Will
he continued for 800 and 1900. Let the
men redeem themselves.
Miss Edith Proctor Clarke. whom her
Il;tlH lTiSI0S Ut 1uiiei Iii IGiiclliJSl
50 pleasantly, has 4 feryent bit of verse
in this Issue, and Sarah Piatt also con
tributes Il few lines remarkably fine.
Bat the Atlantic just noW seems to be
1T the head Of the magazines. and North
Ca~rolinians are especially proud of the
fact: for one of her own distinguished
sons is IN its editorial chair. Since Nj.
Walter Page has taken charge Of this
periodical it has Widened in scope and
in national interest. From the third or
fourth place it has moved almost. il not
quite to. the front. to the same place it
occupied in the days when Lon@fellow.
Holmes. Lowell and Emerson immor-
talized its pages. AS the Outlook truth
fully says. THE Atlantic strikes the
note OF leadership
Benjamin Kidd. EneIlsh critic and So
biologist opens the present nun1bcr with
an article entitled The United States
and the Control Of the Tropics.'' in
Which he contends that the tropics must
be developed by their own labor directed
~ Northernors. w. u. Howells writes
III his best vein in his Confessions OF 4
Summer ColoniSt." and John Muir in his
love Ct nature and lively description in
his Birds Of the Yosemite. \. S.
ShaIer pleads earnestly for the study Of
landscape as Il means of culture. Iy
Communion with her visible forms"
men train and educate themselves To ap-
prcciate her beauties in such 4 way as
to enlarge and dignity their " lives
and minds. There arc readable short
stories L poems. rounding out the num-
Der and year satisfactorily.