"The ever-advancing _Woman_," observes one of the Baronesses, "has
quite come forward this Christmas, daintily attired." Wonderful
money-prizes are to be won by the lucky person who guesses the author
of "Bid Me not Go," which is the Christmas story of the enterprising
_Gentlewoman_.
"As for Christmas Cards being Christmassy," quoth a young Baron
brusquely, "why it's all WALKER!" The Baron was about to rebuke the
scion of his noble house, but discovered, on application, that the
youth had been alluding to the Christmas Card publisher of that name,
whose designs are not peculiarly Christmassy, but what the Baroness
terms "so dainty!"
S. HILDESHEIMER & Co.'s clever and amusing Christmas Cards will be
much appreciated by young people.
Three books full of stories, to suit all ages. HUTCHINSON'S House.
_Fifty-two Stories for Children_, _Fifty-two Stories for Girlhood and
Youth_, and _Fifty-two Stories for Boyhood and Youth_. Just a story a
week, will last the year. Collected by ALFRED H. MILES. You won't find
a better if you go for Miles.
_Valdmer, the Viking_, by HUME NISBET, was a wonderful Dane, who,
after invading England in the Tenth Century, took a trip from Thanet
(having invented Ramsgate and Margate) all round America, and thought
nothing of it. Those who read this will probably think something of
it.
_The Hoyden_, written by Mrs. HUNGERFORD, and published by HEINEMANN,
is the story of a rather frivolous nineteenth-century tomboy; "but,"
quoth the Baroness, "though it does not come within measurable
distance of _The O'Connors of Ballinahinch_, it is pleasant light
reading."
_Mr. Gladstone's Life; Told by Himself_, is an alluring title, which,
in spite of the volume being issued by so respectable a house as KEGAN
PAUL'S, savours of a flam. But it is genuine enough. Every word in the
little volume has been spoken or written by Mr. GLADSTONE. Mr. LEECH,
whilst modestly disclaiming any imposition of responsibility upon
the PREMIER, has ingeniously linked passages from speeches or letters
published under his name during the past sixty years. The result is a
really fascinating work. Mr. GLADSTONE has always been prone to drop
into autobiography. Nothing, my Baronite tells me, was more delightful
than the speeches he used to deliver in the House of Commons on
Friday and Tuesday nights. Some chance reference to CANNING, PEEL,
or PALMERSTON brought up a flood of recollections, and Mr. G. used to
chat of old times with the entranced House.
In a pleasant little book called _Essays on Idleness_, the authoress,
AGNES REPPLIER, speaking of her cat, observes, "It were ignoble to
wish myself in her place, and yet how charming to be able to settle
down to a nap, _sans peur et sans reproche_, at ten o'clock in the
morning." Surely instead of "_sans peur_" she should have written
"_sans purr_," as far more applicable to a cat asleep.
"HERE is a work that I prize indeed!" quoth the Baron, surveying with
unmixed pleasure two handsome volumes, readable from every point of
view of type, handiness, and matter that is of substance and spirit,
being a re-issue of the immortal _Autocrat of the Breakfast Table_,
by OLIVER WENDELL HOLMES. "Mind you," he continues, tenderly regarding
them, "though this I admit is an _édition de luxe_, yet do I far
and away prefer the simple volume without illustrations. Why
illustrations? Why try to impose on us, as by artistic authority, the
faces, forms, and the situations that we would infinitely prefer to
idealise? Without the faculty of imagination no one can enjoy this
work, pictures or no pictures: possessed of the faculty, what need of
the illustrations, save so far as they may carry out our own notions
of the author's meaning? If they do not, then we quarrel with them.
But many thanks for these two volumes, brought out by Messrs. GAY AND
BIRD (delightful association of adjective and substantive, as we have
had afortime occasion to remark); for among all hooks, whether at this
Christmas Season, when they come in quite with a Charles-Lamblike and
Washington-Irvingesque flavour, or at any other time, these be most
welcome to the constant lover of old Literary Friends.