Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1903-11-28
MAGAZINES

4 \ n Il -
Those interested in American $50
ciety'' often express an opinion that
the so-called smart set" is news
paper-made plutocracy and that
America is unique in this respect. TO
read Lady Henry Somerset's article
British Social Life" in the December
Cosmopolitan, cOrrects this view. Lady
Somerset is an important member
of the old aristocracy, and her article
on the new fashionable London of to-
day is at once an interesting common
tary on the tendency of the times and
protest against some of its more
harmful features.
The Criterion for December is
among the handsomest holiday issues.
The cover design drawn by John Ce
Gil Clay. is in three cOlOTs and there
are many charming illustrations by
well known artists. The magazine
contains an unusual number of clever,
entertaining short stories covering a
wide field of human interest, including
The Land Where the Fairies Linger,'
by Nigal Tourneur; Miss Lurella's
Plum Pudding" by Harriet Prescott
SpotfOrd; while the Kettle Boils,"
by Charles b. Going; Confessions of
a Hen" by Ellen b. Sherman: and "A
Rebellious Christmas Bell" by Eliza
beth \. Moore. etc. There are special
articles Of an authoritative, indepen-
dent, original nature calculated to
win and hold the attention of every
reader. OF special note are The Flu
ture of the Isthmus.' by Edward En-
erson, Jr.. Il paper of special value on
the present Panama crisis: Count
Won Moltke," by Gen. james Grant
Wilson; and The Opera Season at the
Metropolitan" by \. +. Lancaster.
With seasOnable poems, amusing
sketches, critical comments on mod
ern publications. the Criterion offers
an exceptionally fine opportunity to
magazine lovers.
Wayside Tales for December con
tains stories by Robert Barr, George
Ebers, Frank Fl. Spearman. George
Horton and other famous writer's
chusetts, has also contributed a chap
ter from his Autobiography of Sew
enty Years. How to Talk" is a
striking department by Mary Rich
ards Gray which is calculated to at
tract unusual interest. The Christmas
story is The TOuchstone." by George
Ebers. the famous German author of
The Egyptian Princess ''Uarda."
etc. The new publishers, the Samp-
son-Hodges company. Chicago. have
made many marked improvements.
The new publishers of Everybody's
Magazine declare the holiday issue of
the publication to be much the best
they have yet produced. 1t is not the
typici Christmas number made up of
stilted fiction and pictures of the fes
tival in many lands. 1t is just an
lively and entertaining
full of really good stories.
clever pictures, and well written and
timely articles. In Everybody's one
never finds distinguished name tack
ed to a dull tale. Among its contribu-
tors are the ablest writer's of the day,
but il is in connection with their best
work, not their pot-bOilers.
The lively pen that created "a De-
tached Pirate" has lost no vivacity in
its latest tale, The Fascinating of
Mr.. Savage" The wielder of the pen
is Helen MiIecete, who tells story of
intrigue, love, and final JOY that
ought eliminate sobriety from the
dullest existence. The novel appears
complete in Lippincott's Christmas
number
There are twenty-five items in the
contents page of the December Les
lies, including ten stories, eight pages
of most attractive color work and a
of excellent articles, among
which The Degradation of Wall
Street" stands preeminent. The
Christmas flavor is delightfully."- sup
piled by little story called Christ
mas Memories" with illustrations in
color by f. Benson Knipe; by strik-
ing series of animal drawings, also in
color, by Charles Livingston Bull,
called The Wild Beasts Christmas
Dinner and by the Christmas festiv-
tiles of "A Few Real Boys
The Story of Rose Fortune, which
begins in this number, is a remark |
able account of the struggles and
achievements of a country girl who |
came ITO New York to earn her living |
A sketch of Charles j. Bonaparte |
gives a vivid picture of one of the |
most useful citizens and the article |
on Wall street explains clearly and |