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LITERARY NOTICES.
The complete novel in the July issue of Lippincott's is " A Judicial Error," by Marion Manville Pope. It is a strong story, based on a murder for which the wrong man was convicted and hanged. He has a friend who determines to prove his inno cence, and does it. This plot involves some excit ing scenes and situations, and the author has not been slow to improve her opportunities.
atoga "; a story of Georgia by Richard Malcolm Johnston; a romance of the Chinese quarter of San Francisco, " The Pot of Frightful Doom," by Chester Bailey Fernald, author of " The Cat and the Cherub "; a story of New England life by Frank Pope Humphrey, called " A Comedy of War," be sides a group of crisp little allegories by Mrs. Edith Wharton of Newport, under the title "The Valley of Childish Things, and other Emblems."
The Bostonian for July opens with the important announcement that, beginning with the August number, the publication will henceforth be known as the National Magazine. This step is emi nently well-advised, as the magazine itself has for some time been a coming periodical in the cosmopolitan field, but has been handicapped considerably by the local character of its original name. The leading article in importance in the current issue is an ac count of" The Recent Olympian Games," by George Horton, the American consul at Athens. Photo graphs taken on the spot form the illustrations.
Senator Henry Cabot Lodge, in the July Harper's, does not acquit American politicians of corruption, but he does show that they are not alone in their fraudulent practices. He arraigns the Eng lish politicians for dishonesty in elections, and the British public for brutality and personal vindictiveness in campaigns. Senator Lodge's authorities for his criticisms are his personal observation and the leading British newspapers. His article, in short, holds up a " horrible example" from which Amer ican politicians and political newspapers could take profitable warning.
Edwin Lawrence Godkin contributes to the July Atlantic a striking paper entitled the " The Real Problems of Democracy." This article is written apropos of Mr. Lecky's recently published book, "Democracy and Liberty." To this subject Mr. Godkin brings an unusual fund of information, and he writes in a manner at once so comprehensive and so clear, that his contribution becomes one of the most notable magazine articles of the month.
The most thorough and authentic study of William McKinley's character and career that has yet ap peared in periodical literature is contributed to the July Review of Reviews by Mr. E. V. Smalley, the well-known journalist, whose intimate knowledge of Republican party politics and long acquaintance with the public men of Ohio render him peculiarly adapted for such a task. Mr. Smalley was himself born and reared on the " Western Reserve," only forty miles from McKinley's Poland home, and he writes with full personal knowledge of the Major's early environment.. The article is well illustrated.
"The Declaration of Independence in the Light of Modern Criticism," by Moses Coit Tyler, Professor of History in Cornell University, possesses a wellconsidered timeliness as the opening article in the North American Review for July. Professor Tyler discusses this venerable and " classic statement of political truths" from many standpoints, but always in a loyal and patriotic spirit. A strikingly suggest ive topic is most ably treated by the Hon. Charles V. Stone. In " A Common Coinage for all Na tions," Mr. Stone advocates a coinage universal in character, stable and permanent, based strictly on international compact, and that would carry the badge of civilized life into every clime.
In addition to Mrs. Humphry Ward's serial, the July number of The Century contains the first part of Mr. Howells' new novelette, "An Open-Eyed Conspiracy," characterized as "An Idyl of Sar
One is always sure of finding in Appleton's Popular Science Monthly much that is helpful in making the most of the life we are now living, both in private and social affairs. The July number opens with a useful lesson on " Taxation," con tained in the experiences of India, which are set forth by the Hon. David A. Wells. The strength and weakness of our banking system are shown by Logan G. Mc'Pherson. Prof. W. R. Newbold has an article on " Suggestion in Therapeutics," or the influence of the mind in aiding the cure of disease. On a related subject is Dr. Douglas Graham's ac count of " Massage in Sprains, Bruises, and Dis locations." A novel " System of Polar Exploration" is proposed by Robert Stein, the essential feature of which is a permanent station at a place in the Arctic regions reached yearly by whalers.
