an account of a struggle like that deserve to be fairly written, without bitterness or assumed contempt? Any smart lad, after attentively reading these chapters, would conclude that there is another side, which has not been stated here. The time has now come when we have a right to expect that this kind of thing should disappear, and that those who undertake to write the history of our country should be able to bring to the study of the events of our own time some measure of the calmness and discriminating judgment which these events will inevitably receive from future historians. Mrs. Richardson has not succeeded in doing this. In her anxiety to awaken the spirit of loyalty and patriotism in the young, she has too often allowed herself to be betrayed into the anger and bitterness of a mere partisan. Having said this much, we are bound to add that the book is in other respects altogether to be recommended. In another edition it would be well to give one or two good maps, which greatly help the young reader's memory in identifying places with the events which have made them famous.

EIGHT COUSINS; OR, THE AUNT-HILL. By Louisa M. Alcott. Boston: Roberts Brothers. For sale by A. L. Bancroft & Co.

Miss Alcott has fairly won the title of "The Children's Friend," and she will lose nothing of former prestige in the chatty-yolume before us, dedicated "To the many boys and girls whose letters it has been impossible to answer," and to whom she would now make a peace-offering. The fact of the work having first appeared serially will not decrease its popularity, for, like the author's previous works, it carries its own recommendation with it. There are the same vigor, discrimination, character - portraiture, and racy dialogue that characterize all her writings. It is no mean artist who can group with con. summate skill a score or more of prominent figures, and still bring his hero or heroine into bold relief, at the same time preserving the distinct individuality of every leading character. This Miss Alcott achieves with rare genius and ability. She marshals her battalion of uncles, aunts, cousins, nephews,

and nieces with the dexterity of a commanding general, and every one of them steps forth with military precision at the word of command. It would be quite impossible to mistake the beautiful and meek Aunt Peace, with hair as white as snow and cheeks that never bloomed, but ever cheerful, busy, and full of interest in all that went on in the family, especially the joys and sorrows of the young girls growing up about her, to whom she was adviser, confidante, and friend in all their tender trials and delights. Equally impossible would it be to fail to discern instantly the striking individuality of Aunt Plenty - the stout brisk old lady, with a sharp eye, a lively tongue, and a face like a winter - apple, always trotting, chatting, and bustling amid a great commotion of "stiff loops of purple ribbon that bristled all over her cap, like crocus-buds."

In character analysis, Miss Alcott shows herself the true artist. She is also most skillful in the construction of her plot, if, indeed, she can be said to lay out a plot; for plots too often have a well-rounded completeness that suggests unreality, whereas Miss Alcott's stories are too life-like to have smooth sailing throughout the voyage; nor must the reader expect everything to come out "just right," as the world would have it.

The heroine of the story before us, little Rose-a delicate, sensitive, fastidious child, with much good common-sense and generous gifts of mind and heart—is left an orphan at an early age, and turned over to the tender mercies of a bevy of aunts, uncles, and cousins, who pass critical judgment upon the "morbid, spoilt girl, so plainly marked for the tomb." But Rose herself has no predisposition in favor of early death, and with keen womanly instinct betakes herself to the sheltering fondness of sensible Uncle Alec, and on the wings of his gentle counsel she mounts toward sunnier skies. Uncle Alec is in strong contrast with Uncle Enos, to whose tender mercies Christie was consigned, in Miss Alcott's wholesome and able story, Work. Whether Rose is to develop any of those fine qualities of womanly character evinced by Christie in the manifold vicissitudes through which she passed before she found her David only to lose him again, the ingenious authoress leaves us to guess,

only promising to divulge the secret in a forthcoming volume, whose advent will be hailed with ill-concealed curiosity and in

terest.

We catch a momentary glimpse of some of the strong points of Rose's character in her occasional outbursts toward some pet aversion in the way of a playmate, as, for instance, Ariadne Blish, who was picked out as the model child of the neighborhood to come and play with her, but whom Rose declared to be so perfectly horrid that she could not bear the sight of her, and said "she was so like a wax doll that she longed to give her a pinch and see if she would squeak."

Phebe, the girl from the poor-house, evokes the keenest interest, and the real character of the heroine Rose is best displayed by her treatment of and interest in this hapless but happy child, "whose heart was so full of content that it overflowed in music, and the sweet voice singing all about the house gave thanks so blithely that no other words were needed. Her willing feet were never tired of taking steps for those who had smoothed her way; her skillful hands were always busy in some labor of love for them, and on the face fast growing in comeliness, there was an almost womanly expression of devotion, which proved how well Phebe had al. ready learned one of life's great lessonsgratitude."

The sequel to this interesting and delicious little story will be eagerly looked for by the many admirers of this gifted author, who is always welcomed not only by the children in short-clothes, but by the "children of a larger growth" as well.

MYSTERY. BY E. R. Sproul. San Francisco: Printed for the Author by A. L. Bancroft & Co.

It is only fair to the reader that he should be informed that, in order to make himself acquainted with the theory of the interpretation of the Bible advanced in this book, he will have to read through seven hundredjand thirty-four pages of closely printed matter, without division of chapters or headings of any sort to assist him in his endeavors to understand the author's meaning. The books

of the Old and New Testament, written so many hundreds of years apart, by various authors, without any knowledge of each other's intention or of their own mystic meaning, consisting sometimes of the sim. ple records of history, and more frequently still of the earnest aspiration of the heart of the writers toward God, are presumed in this essay to have a unity, the discovery of which was not even possible until the present time, and the key to which is now alone in the hands of the author of this book.

A mystical interpretation — one compared with which anything that Swedenborg ever wrote is plain and easy-is given to the history in the Pentateuch of the creation, the flood, the building of the temple, etc., by which all these accounts are made to refer to things of which the writers themselves had not the remotest knowledge or suspicion, and to be in fact prophetic ac counts of the future developments of mod. ern history and of facts which only the science of yesterday has made plain. It is not possible, in this short notice, to give the reader any minute account of this amazing book. Here is one illustration, taken at random, of the author's mode of interpretation:

"Now, the inner court of Moses' tabernacle was formed by fifty-seven posts or upright pillars-twenty on the north side, twenty on the south, eight on the west, four inside for the holy of holies, and five for the entrance at the east. Philosophers who have made the human mind a study, have defined fortyeight separate faculties belonging to it, and have also attributed certain powers to the lower physical frame, such as the digestive and breathing capacities. These

physical endowments, we judge, may be summed up

in four primary faculties, namely: life, appropriation, nutrition, and motion; thus making fifty-twe proper powers of the physical and mental organism. Then add the five elements which form the connecting link between the inanimate substance and organized life, and which are judged to be the door - posts

between the two tabernacles, and we have the fifty

seven pillars agreeing with the inner court or tabernacle of Moses."

It is possible that Mr. Sproul will find readers for his book. It is possible, also, that he may find some to agree with him in his mode of interpretation. But it is not to be supposed that a book which totally ig nores the existence and results of modern criticism and makes such large demands upon the credulity of its readers will command general attention or respect.

TH

The

HE little town in north-western America, which is honored with the name of her most gracious majesty, the Queen of England, has the advantage of a most charming and picturesque site as well as a beautiful name. winding little inlet which forms the harbor of Victoria, though it may not be appreciated by the navigators who have to thread the narrow rocky passes which form the entrance, can not fail to charm the tourist with its romantic surroundings. From the Royal Roads, which affords a magnificent anchorage just outside the entrance, no sign of a harbor is visible. The whole coast-line of Vancouver Island at this point seems to be formed of massive rocky ledges of trap and granitic formation, rising in naked grandeur boldly from the water, while farther inland the rugged hills gradually lift in overlying masses, clothed to their summits with firs and pines, while here and there the roof of a house rises into notice from the open glades.

conceals the harbor, the town appears in full view, with a mile or so of clear placid water stretching out between the bare rocky banks and sweeping past the wharves until it is lost in the forest beyond.

Like many places more pretentious, Victòria needs the enchantment of distance to reveal its greatest beauty. Viewed from either the Cathedral Hill at the back of the town, or from the entrance of the harbor, the scene forms a picture of beauty seldom realized in nature or art. A closer acquaintance dispels much of the illusion. The town site was originally occupied by the Hudson's Bay Company as a trading-post, which was inclosed with a stockade as a protection from the Indians. Prior to 1858 the employés of the great English fur company, with their Indian and half-breed dependents, were the chief part of the inhabitants. In that year the famous Frazer River gold - fever broke out, which at one time threatened to depopulate California, and which fill

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