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AMONG THE MAGAZINES THE LITERARY DIGEST. The Literary Digest, which recently combined with Public Opinion, comes out in the number of the last week of September in a new and beautifully colored cover, in keeping with the enlarged and somewhat improved subject matter of its contents. “Two Sides of the Cuban Question”; “The Ty phoon at Hong Kong,” and “Mr. Bryan’s Trust Test,” are the leading articles in the Topics of the Day department. “The Mystery of Rubber,” and “The Inefficiency of Night Work,” are among the Science and Invention articles. A review of the verse of Mr. Alfred Noyes, and extracts from Mr. William Winter’s recent article in The Tribune on “Tainted Plays,” constitute the chief interest of the literary features. An editorial from the Atlanta Georgian on the subject of “Royalty With out Parade,” is copied and favorably commented upon. In A Guide to the New Books, A Political his tory of the State of New York and Susan Clegg and her Neighbors’ Affairs are given most prominence and commendation among the fifty or more books mentioned. Somehow we are not pleased with the book review department. The Literary Digest should, of right, be the last word on such matters, but the type the criticisms are printed in, or some thing or other, makes us feel that it is not so much after all. If it were to praise a book of ours we would be much puffed up, and if it condemned it we really wouldn’t care a hang. The Digest promises to please its old friends better than ever before, and to largely increase the list of its new ones. McCLURE’S. McClure’s, following the example set by The Golden Age some months ago, has, as its leader, the first instalment of “Ben B. Lindsey, the Just Judge,” by Lincoln Steffens. Mr. Steffens must find it most agreeable to find a subject which will enable him to lay down his griddle and turn off the gas range. He has been roasting men and cities so long that to find a man so amply worthy of praise, surely gives him a needed change of activity. The article is the beginning of a com plete history of the work undertaken, and being accomplished by Judge Lindsey in his Juvenile Court in Denver. The purpose of the court is to turn youthful criminals from crime, and put them in a position to avoid it, rather than to put them forever beyond reach of redemption, by throwing them among more hardened criminals in rhe jails and gangs. Galveston; a Business Corporation; the third instalment of the history of the Clark- Daly fight for the political supremacy of Montana, and the sixth instalment of The Story of Life In surance, constitute the solid reading matter of this number. In fiction, Kipling’s Robin Goodfellow, is a little better than the preceding parts. Perce val Gibbon is to be cangratulai ?i on his “The Second-Class Passenger.” We are forced to regard Herminie Templeton and James Hopper partly in sorrow, but more in anger for their stories. They might, could and should have been belter. If they come with any more as bad we are going to say some dreadful things about them next time. If we were not so busy we wouldn’t let them off so light this time. It is editorially announced that the secund part of the Memoirs of Carl Schurz will begin in the November number. HARPER’S “The Weavers,” by Gilbert Parker, illustrated by Andre Castaigne, begins in this number, and is probably one of the notable pieces of fiction of the year. Charles Henry White has an attractive article on “Boston Town,” illustrated with etch ings by the author. Profess -r Duncan’s fifth in stalment of his series on die “Chemistry of Com merce” is “High Temperature and Modem In dustry.” An instructive article on the University of London is contributed oy Dr. Chas. F. Thwjng, By A. E. RAMSAUR. It is long since a more on py able and unique arti cle of interest to bird-lovers has been printed than is Henry Oldy’s “Music of Bird Sungs.” He gives the notes of the calls and songs of various wood land birds, and the entire artifie is full of richness to such as combine some ;<ni.VnMge of musical tec nique with a love of bird Site. Henry Van Dyke contributes an article on “The Americanisms of Washington,” which throws new light on many of the characteristics and up m the personal char acter of the great American. Tne travel feature consists in “The St range st Corner of England,” by Robert Shackleton, being views and desciiptions of characteristic bits of the Scilly Isles. The short story fiction is attractive mure by reason of some wonderfully fine illustration in color than by rea son of the reading matter. The humorous depart ment is better than usual- -this pen cannot trace stronger praise. The limerick, the children, the animal pictures, and the Irish are ail represented. Our choice falls upon the Irish joke this month: Patrick, lately over, was working in the yards of a railroad. One day lie happened, to be m the yard office when the force was out. The telephone rang very vigorously several times, and at last he decided it ought to be answered He walked over to the instrument, took down the receiver, and put his mouth to the transmitter, just as he had seen others do. “Hillo!” he called. “Hello!” answered the voice at the other end of the line. “Is this eight-six-one-five-nine?” “Aw, g’wan! Phat d’ye think oi am—a box car?” WATSON’S MAGAZINE. In the good old times of our fathers there was never a gathering at muster-ground or elsewhere but was signalized by the trying-out of the phy sical prowess of two champions. The imagination can grasp the disappointment of said fathers if they went to a muster without seeing a single fight. In like case are we disappointed in not see ing anything in this issue of Tom Watson’s that remotely looks like a scrap. The two distinguished gentlemen whose duel we referred to in our last review: the Editor of Watson’s and the Editor of the Macon Telegraph, seem to have adjusted their differences and retired from the lists, each to his own tent. We are glad. We have enjoyed this number in a different way. We endorse this maga zine. It contains a lot of plain food for plain thinkers. The editorials are always good. Some times they express an opinion contrary to ours, but we have amazing difficulty in getting around them. This time we have the conclusion of “The Currency Trust,” “The Railway Mail Service,” by David A. Gates, and the first instalment of a sketch of Alexander 11. Stephens, to be concluded in the November number, by Z. I. Fitzpatrick. The fiction is fair, and the Letters from the People department is good. PEARSON’S. “A Boss-Tamer in Ermine,” by James Creel man, is a stirring story of the career of William J. Gaynor, Justice of the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York. It gives, in a well - prepared form, an outline of the work of Judge Gaynor on the bench i.i his efforts to strenuously enforce the law and prevent rhe domination of rings and bosses. It is illustrated with views of Judge Gaynor, his family, his faim-wagor, bis chickens and his hogs. The pictures indicate, it a way that makes it unnecessary to say more, that this is a good American write-up of a good and wholesome American citizen. William R. Stewart, in “Protecting rhe World’s Richest Man,” tells of the life led by John D. Rockel.‘He l , ami the precautions he takes to have himself guarded so that he can lead any kind of life at all. Alfred Henry Lewis’ “Romance of Aaron Burr,” goes bravely on, but beyond a certain charm c.f phrase and manner of polish, is not yet very interesting. The Golden Age for October 4, 1906. David Graham Phillips has a story that is pretty bad. Some people may enjoy it, though. Our old friend, “Don Q,” is here again, and we always en joy the wonderful escapes he achieves from death which seems absolutely certain. “The Kaiser’s Escapade” is the subject of the current story anent the doings and miraculous perfoimances of “Monsieur A. V.,” an alleged detective who has been moving and having his being iu Pearson’s for quite a while. He is only an alleged detective —it could not be proven—for if he could detect anything it would be that he is a most insufferable donkey. The story this time is an unhappy selec tion from a degenerate lot. If all French detec tives are of the “A. V.” type, there is no hope of the youth of that poor land amounting to much. The English lad has Sherlock Holmes as his in spiration; in America the shining name of Old Sleuth beckons on to fame and glory; why can’t Pearson’s get wise and publish an autobiography of Nick Carter instead of this nonsense? The Equinox. Again is our country swept by a devastating evi dence of Nature’s destroying power, and the fair gulf coast, with its homes and hamlets, its his toric towns and picturesque cities lies waste before the great Equinoxial storm which marked the week just ended. Daily the reports come of loss of life, of property destroyed and the tale of ruin and desolation grows with the passing hours. While our hearts are filled with sympathy for the home less hundreds, we find ourselves almost unconscious ly asking why such things are permitted. This recurring question will come unbidden in times of storm and pestilence and famine and the answer varies with the temperament of those who would seek the solution of Divine decrees or the expla nation of Divine mysteries. During the days following the San Francisco earthquake the same thoughts were aroused as those which crowd upon us of the South today, and al though we are powerless to give more than a physical explanation of these climatic and cosmic phenomena, yet we feel that in each recurring ca lamity there is a great divine lesson taught. We dare not and do not assign motives of “punish ment” nor of divine anger to such manifestations of divine power, for we are told that the “Lord rides abroad on the wings of the storm,” but we do feel that it is one method of teaching man his own insignificance and his own personal powerlessness* when compared to the all-powerful will of the Creator! Before this will all the garnered strength of man’s inventions, all the hoarded force of his mind and the cunning of his hand lies powerless and impotent. The great railroad systems are stopped, the myriad lines of telegraph and tele phone are so much tangled thread before the wind’s keen blast, and we feel anew the truth of the poet’s words, that “Our little systems have their day; They have their day and cease to be, They are but broken lights of thee, And Thou, 0, Lord, art more than they.” A Bryan Anecdote. “We don’t need the tariff as it stands today,” Mr. Bryan said in his speech at Bridgeport, “and it can’t be justified by any argument made previous to ten years ago. When a Republican talks about the possibility of reforming the tariff by the friends of the tariff it reminds me of a story I heard years ago.” Mr. Bryan told the story of the merchant who chased the thief out of his store after the man had donned a new coat from a pile on the counter. He called, “Stop thief!” and a policeman joined in the chase and called, “Stop thief!” and finally the policeman shouted, “Stop, or I’ll shoot!” The merchant seized the officer and begged, “If you shoot him, officer, shoot him in the pants; the coat belongs to me.”—N. Y. World. “If you would succeed, learn how to know what you can’t do.” 7