issued by Messes. Cassell & Ca. are te hand, The January parts of the magazines and deserve the favourable notice accorded to their predecessors, Taking up first the Family Mazazixe, it will be found to contain the continuation of the promising novel, "A Missing Witness," by Frank Barrett, some short stories, notably one by Max Pemberton, and several papers on varied subjects of contemporary interest. In one of th Four Artistic Humourists," Phil May's start is recounted It has not been the lot of many artists, humorous or otherwise, to leap into fame with the meteoric brilliance and speed of Mr. Phil May. He is only just thirty-one, but his name is known in nearly every British household, and his work' appre-datively recognised all the world round, Born in 1:64 in Leeds, he had betrayed the possession of an artistic mind by the time he ight years of age. His forte at that period "was the portrayal of "battle-pieces, with a super-abundance of smoke and bayonets. When he attained to the dignity of twelve years of age he was taken from school and, in curious recognition of his artistic tastes, sent to an architect's office. But two weeks' attendance there ws enough for the bey; he turned his back on the place and joined himself to a touring theatrical cot pany. Here he filled a double capacity took minor—zery minor—parts on the stage, and filled the other, and major portion, of his time in portraying or caricaturing the leading members of the company for the advertisement bills exhibited in shop window: of the towns through which they passer For four years this Bohemian life was endured, and then he returned to Leeds, contributing work to a local paper. His talent was recognised the same year by the manager of the Leeds theatre asking him to design dresses for the pantomime.
The Earl of Desatt contributes a chatty which is illustrated with some excellent photographs of yacht interiors. A series of articles on Statesinen's Homesis inaugurated by one describing Hawarden Castle, the home of Me. Gladstone, which is embellished by some tasteful illustrations and a striking portrait of the G. 0. M.
The Quicer, in addition to some entertaining fiction, has a number of articles of a more or less religious tone. _Froi the one entitled "Ladies of the Platform" we make the following extract From village meetings Lady Henry Somerset was led to large temperance demonstrations" in the county towns. Then came her j election to the presidency of the British Women's Temperance Associ ion, a position which brought with it the duty of making many speeches in various parts of the country. Rut so far Lady Henry has been equal to the most exacting demands made upon her. Merely noting down. facts and figures, "ud trusting entirely to the inspiration of the moment for the words, she never needs much time to prepare a speech; whilst, on the other hand, she never gives the same speech a second time. This readiness of explain the extraordinary impression which Tanguage does not go very far, however, to Lady Henry Somerset invariably makes upon any audicice which may happen to hear her. It is accompanied by a sweet yet strong and resonant voice, which much usage un the platform has strengthened without roughening; an easy and. sympathetic gesture; an appreciation of the music of words and a capacity for the orderly artangement of {t need hardly be added that all these qualities are stimulated by a dee religious earnestness in the cause for whic she pleads. With Lady Henry Somerset has come to be associated the name of a lady who, although American to the finger-tips, is now almost as' well known a speaker on this side of the Atlantic as on the other. Miss Frances Willard's platform mauuer"—to use a phrase well understood in politics—differs greatly from that of Lady Henry's, and when they are speaking at the same meeting it is exceedingly Toteresting to observe the points of contrast between them. Miss Willard first devoted herself to the work of the platform a little more than twenty years ago, during what is known in America The Crusade"—that marvellous uprising of Christian women in the West to plead and pray against the public-hous,"" as Miss Willurd herself describes it.' She gave addresses of about a quarter of an hour's duration at numerous meetings held in the churches of Chicago. But although as school teacher and university professor Miss Willard was well accustomed to the sound of her own voice, she had so little faith in herself that these speeches were written out. previous: and committed to memory—a course whic she had before adopted when asked to take part in some missionary meetings. Now Miss Willard has never a particle of paper by her when she speaks, except on the occasion of her annual address "s President of the World's Women's Christian Temperance Union. Her freedom and self-Possession at once put her audience at their ease; and although to English cars her voice is rather harsh, the vigour of her delivery ed the interest. and fulness of her matter never fail to lay hold of our close attention.
The Saturday Journal interviewer has been uncommonly fortunate this month, having succeeded in inducing Mr. Hermann Vezin to talk upon "Stage aspirants and their ways," Mr. W. E. Norris to discuss "How social intercourse helps the Novelist," Sir Frederick Abel to relate some experiences of *'A life spent amongst explosives," and Mr. G. D. Leslie, R.a., to tell " Why I paint cheerful pictures." The magazine is a wonderful sixpennyworth of instructive and entertaining literature.
Work, "s a technical publication, does not readily lend itself to quotation, but the following recipe is characteristic of the thousand-and-one useful hints scattered throughout its pages
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.