KOREAN CIVIL OFFICERS.
(From a Photograph.)
Some Miscellaneous Works.
One of the most interesting books of the season is Mr. Richard Kearton's "Wild Life at Home" (Cassell and Co.), in which he treats in a bright and informing manner of many phases of bird, animal, and insect life of the United Kingdom. A special value is given to the work by the numerous unique photographs, taken direct from nature, by Mr. Cherry Kearton, many of which were secured only after hours of patient waiting and by means of most ingenious devices (of which full particulars are given) to overcome the natural shyness and timidity of the "subjects."
From Messrs. Hodder and Stoughton comes a series of short stories by Ian Maclaren, under the title of "Afterwards." The author's abounding sympathy with, and extensive knowledge of, human nature are abundantly manifested throughout the book; but we cannot help expressing a wish that the stories had been, as a whole, less melancholy in character, and more on the lines of "The Right Hand of Samuel Dodson," which is the most interesting of the series. The same publishers are also responsible for a biography of "John Stoughton, D.D.," by his daughter, Mrs. King Lewis. Dr. Stoughton's own "Recollections" were issued a few years before his death and widely read, and consequently this biography is limited in its scope, but all the same it contains much that will be read with interest by the many friends of the late veteran divine. Our contributor, the Rev. Professor Bernard, D.D., has just issued, through Messrs. Hodder and Stoughton, a volume of sermons under the title "Via Domini," more than one of which originally appeared in our pages. It is quite unnecessary to introduce Dr. Bernard to our readers, to whom we heartily commend this helpful and suggestive volume.—"Beneath the Banner" (Cassell and Co.) is a work which ought to be in the hands of every boy and girl, and on the shelf of every young people's library. It consists of a number of interesting and instructive "narratives of noble lives and brave deeds," compiled by Mr. F. J. Cross, and we give a special word of welcome to the new and enlarged edition which has just been issued.—For young men and women no more earnest and stimulating work could be found than the recently published addresses by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon, which appear under the appropriate title "A Good Start" (Passmore and Alabaster); whilst young people, as well as their elders, will doubtless be specially attracted by the new volume of "Anecdotes, Incidents, and Illustrations," which Mr. D. L. Moody has just issued through Messrs. Morgan and Scott. From the same publishers also comes a volume of graceful and pathetic poems by S. Trevor Francis, entitled "Whence—Whither," and also another of the Rev. F. B. Meyer's popular booklets of daily homilies, the latest of which deals with the Psalms and Canticles.—We have also to acknowledge the receipt of "A Study of the Types of the Bible," by Ada Habershon (Morgan and Scott), and of a new shilling edition of "Cassell's Miniature Cyclopædia," which should have a place in every home, where also Phyllis Browne's new work, "The Dictionary of Dainty Breakfasts" (Cassell and Co.), would be found exceedingly useful by every housewife in search of information respecting new dishes and reliable hints regarding old ones.
AN OLD SERMON.
(See "Were Young Folk Wiser Then?")