Hon. David A. Wells, in Appleton's Popular Science Monthly for December, follows the intro ductory paper of his series on Principles of Taxation with a very readable and instructive account of " The Comparative Recent Tax Experiences of the Federal Government of the United States. In one of the illustrated articles of this number, Prof. G.Frederick Wright presents "New Evidence of Glacial Man in Ohio," which consists in the finding of a stone knife imbedded in glacial gravel near Steubenville. Prof. James Sully shows us childhood "On the Side of Law," giving much evidence of an instinct for order and regularity in the child. Herbert Spencer con tinues his series on "Professional Institutions" by tracing the evolution of the teacher from the priest, and throws much light upon clerical control of secular education. Prof. W. R. Newbold contributes a psy chological study of " Suggestibility, Automatism, and Kindred Phenomena." The Dean of Montreal writes on " Sir John Lubbock and the Religion of Savages," accusing the distinguished scientist of selecting quo tations unfairly and ignoring recent evidence on the religiousness of barbarous tribes.
In the December Sciubner's Magazine, Frank R. Stockton has a Christmas love-story, which bears a characteristic title, "The Staying Power of Sir Ro han." Its illustrations are quaint and exactly suitable. A thrilling detective story by C. E. Carrvll, entitled "The River Syndicate," perhaps equaling Sherlock Holmes' best work, illustrated. Joel Chandler Harris• characteristic tale of a faithful slave, " The Colonel's Nigger-Dog." Other Christmas stories are : "A White Blot," by Henry Van Dyke, a poetic and imaginative tale of a picture (illustrated); " Heroism of Landers." by A. S. Pier (illustrated); and "Hopper's Old Man," by R. C. V. Meyers.
Several notable improvements have been intro duced in the Popular Science Monthly, henceforth to be known as Appletons' Popular Science Monthly, with the beginning of the current volume. Wider margins have been adopted, the departments have been rearranged and given a less formal style, and many new attractions are promised. In response to numerous demands, the publication of the magazine simultaneously in this country and in England has been begun. The new volume opens with a list of writers, including David A. Wells, Fitzgerald Mar riott, Daniel G. Brinton, E. P. Evans, James Sully, G. Frederick Wright and the Dean of Montreal, which should win it many new friends both at home and abroad.
The Christmas Century is notable both pictorially and for its literature. Perhaps the most striking and novel illustrations are those by Tissot from his wellknown series, " The Life of Christ." The article on this extraordinary work is written by Miss Edith Coues. Another set of interesting illustrations is by Louis Loeb, the American artist, accompanying an article on " The Passion-Play at Vorder-Thiersee." Vibert•s well-known picture, " The Grasshopper and the Ant," is reproduced in the series of pictures now running in The Century by this distinguished French artist. A little story by the artist accompanies the reproduc tion of the painting. This number gives the opening chapters of a story called " Tom Grogan," by F. Hopkinson Smith, with pictures by Mr. Reinhart. A real old-fashioned Christmas story by Stockton is en titled "Captain Eli's Iiest Ear." Among the short stories, however, none will attract more attention than Rudvard Kipling"s "The Brushwood Boy," ac companied by a dreamland map. Among the eminent thinkers who contribute to the one hundred and seventy-six pages which go to make up the body of the December Arena, are Prof. Richard T. Ely, Justice Walter Clark, LL.D., Rev. Minot J. Savage, Rev. Edward Everett Hale, Frank B. Sanborn, Rev. John W. Chadwick, Henry Gaullieur, Prof. George D. Herron, Prof. Frank Parsons, Prof. Joseph Rhodes Buchanan, Helen H. Gardener, and Will Allen Dromgoole. The last named opens a serial of Tennessee life, which promises to be in tensely interesting, and which will run during the next six issues.
Of several new stories of Lincoln told in the second installment of the new " Life of Lincoln," in McClure's Magazine for December, one of the most interesting is that, when Lincoln removed with his family from Indiana to Illinois, he made thrifty use of the opportunities of the journey to peddle out, at a good profit, a stock of small wares which he had bought for the purpose. The whole installment is rich in picturesque details, and in Lincoln, as he un dertook life on his own account, first as a flatboatman, and then as a grocery clerk at New Salem, exhibits a young genius and hero, doing wonderful feats of strength, risking his life to save comrades from drowning, and magically winning his way in a new community by his rare integrity, his superior intelli gence, and his gift of entertaining speech. Along with the paper are twenty-five pictures, including a facsimile of Lincoln's first vote, portraits of him in 1856, 1857, 1858, and 1860, portraits of his early associates, and pictures of all the important scenes of this period of his life.
