biting the wires. Not so JAMES PAYN. He
comes in front, and comments upon the actions of his puppets, or upon
men and morals in general, or he makes a quip, or utters a quirk, or
proposes a quiddity, and pauses to laugh with you, before he resumes
the story, and says, with the older romancers, "But to our tale." Most
companionable writer is JAMES PAYN. Tells his story so clearly. A PAYN
to be seen through.

In the christening of his Christmas books, Mr. MERRY ANDREW LANG has
hit upon a genuine Happy Thought, on which the Baron begs sincerely
to congratulate him. It is a perfect little gold mine as a book-title
series. Last year M. ANDREW LANG wrote, and LANGMAN'S--no, beg
pardon--LONGMANS published _The Blue Fairy Book._ The _Blue Fairy
Book_, when it appeared, however, was read everywhere, so this year
the MERRY ANDREW issues _The Red Fairy Book_, which, of course, will
be more read than the other. Excellent notion! Where will it stop? Why
should it stop? Next year there'll be _The Green Fairy Book_; in
'92 the _Yellow Fairy Book_ (commencing with new version of _Yellow
Dwarf_), then the White, then the Black, then the Ver-millionth
edition, and so on and so on, _ad infinitum_, through all the possible
stages of the combination and permutation of colour.

_The Magazine of Art for 1890_, published by CASSELL & Co., is one
of the best of its kind for pictures and Art-articles, The Mixture as
before.

"Christmas is coming"--but the Publishers seem to think that the
Merry Old Gentleman will be here to-morrow. Yet we know the proverbial
history of to-morrow. However, to humour the up-to-date notion, the
Baron recommends to his young friends who wish to amuse their elders,
_Dolldom_, a dolls' opera, by CLIFTON BINGHAM, set to music by FLORIAN
PASCAL. Some of the songs are exquisite. It would make a very funny
play, children imitating dolls. Published by J. WILLIAMS.

BLACKIE AND SON, are going it. Here are two more, by their
indefatigable writer, G.A. HENTY: _By Right of Conquest; or, With
Cortez in Mexico_. The young Sixteenth-Century boy, by his marvellous
adventures, proves _his_ right to be a hero in the Conquest of Mexico.
Of a more modern date is _A Chapter of Accidents_, which deals with
the Bombardment of Alexandria. The young fisher-lad has to go through
many chapters of adventure before he reaches a happy ending. _A Rough
Shaking_, by GEORGE MACDONALD, is a capital boys' book, while _The
Light Princess, and ot