Magazines Of The Month.

the programme . It is early yet to judge of a novel when but two or three chapters have appeared , but we confess we have taken a great fancy to Mr . Christmas Pembroke and Miss Lyne . We think Mr . McCarthy will succeed in making much of these two personages . " Municipal Reform for London " will be found a hard nut to crack . Vested interests and rivalries will , doubtless , stop the way , yet the

suggestions which are offered in this case are very sensible and very moderate ; and some have the advantage of not being new . " The fighting capacity of Europe " is carefully written , and the warning to ourselves to see that our own naval and military power is what it ought to be , must not be lightly passed over . The notice of the late " Tom Hood "contains , we think , a just estimate of the deceased

humourist's merits , while doing full justice to the gentleness and kindness of his disposition . " The Lucknow of to-day " will be read with great interest , recalling , asifc does , the memory of the terrible events with which the city was associated during the Indian Mutiny . We have also the opening chapters of a now serial by Mr . Frank Percival — " Al Lya Sahib "—of which hereafter , Avhen we have obtained a greater insight into the plot .

Fraser contains a paper on " German Home Life , " evidently the first of a series of such . The subject of the present one will attract the attention of Materfamilias , the question being none other than " Servants . " The writer , a lady , speaks with authority having , as she tells us , spent many years in different parts of Germany . She is , perhaps , a little too considerate towards our English domestics . An account of " TheEarly Kings of Norway , " of the " Bayou Teche , "

a certain district in Louisiana , U . S ., and of the Settlement of Vineland in New Jersey , by the founder , Charles K . Landis , offer many attractions to some readers . " Sir Chai-les Bell" is a carefully written biography of one of our greatest surgeons and physiologists . The Rev . S . Baring-Gould , whose Yorkshire Oddities made its appearance towards the end of last year , contributes a selection of " Quaint Corners of Mediasval Biography , " and Mr . F . W . Newman continues his " Contrasts of Ancient and Modern History . "

This month the Contemporary is somewhat dull reading , to all at least but those who affect the study of sociological and other kindred subjects . We may except , however , a paper by the late Count Montalembert , on " Rome and Spain , " a well-argued essay by Mr . W . R . Greg , on the " Obligations of the Soil , " and " Saxon Studies , " by Julian Hawthorne , the study on this occasion being Dresden ; certain of its streets , its markets , bridges , canals , smells , and much indeed of what Dresden is famous for among travellers .

Chambers ' s Journal possesses certain Stirling merits which deserve to be noticed all the more because it rarely if ever stoops to flatter the public taste of the moment . A vast fund of sound information may be gleaned from its pages , and there are always some pleasantly written stories to enliven tho quieter kind of literature which occupies so much of its space . " My adventures in the French War , " "' Plain' People" and an "Adventure with a Leopard , " may be quoted in evidence of what we have said .

The periodicals issued by the well known firm of Cassell , Petter and Galpin , are they not , in number , well nigh legion ? in quality , excellent P Gassell's Family Magazine , which is merely a new and enlarged series of the familiar Casseii's Magatine , opens with " The Manchester Man , " a new serial by Mr . G . Linnceus Banks , and contains many contributions of considerable merit , interspersed , at

frequent intervals , with capital illustrations . The Popular Educator , The Bible Educator , The Races of Mankind , Old and New London , The History of Protestantism , and , for Sunday reading , The Quiver , all these are among the issues , weekly and monthly , of Messrs . Cassell and Co . All are worthy of commendation , nor ought we , perhaps ,

to omit mention of Little Folks , which , this month , appears in an enlarged form , but at the same price . We cannot help thinking that our little English folks will rejoice at this announcement , for the periodical is one of tho best adapted for young people which it has been our good fortune to read .

Once a Week is simply frightful in the matter of illustration , some of the contributions , however , are passable . The new volume of Oornhill celebrates the opening of the year with a new story , " Miss Angel , " the prominent character being

Angelica Kauffmann . We commend , besides this , Mr . Black ' s " Three Feathers " to the notice of our readers , an article " On people who will talk ; " written pleasantly , and with truth , and an account of " The Love and Marriage of Catherine de Bourbon , " the sister of Henri IV . of France , tho hero of Ivry , Arques , and other famous battles .

We are very partial to Tinsley ' s . The contributors include several well known writers , of whom Mr . Farjeon alone is a tower of strength . He contributes the opening chapter of " Love ' s Victory "— a new story in succession to " Jessie Trim , " concluded last month . Besides this , there are three other serials , of which one , " With Harp and Crown , " is by the authors of " Ready-Money Mortiboy , " We anticipate much pleasure from both these stories . Of minor contributions we have

noted " The Old Cities of Belgium , " " The Poetry of the Pike , " and ' / Half the Penalty . " We think the "Portrait of the British Matron " is considerabl y overdrawn . There are , doubtless , many such British Matrons , but it is not fair to apply this particular portrait generally . Good Things , for old and young , has always enjoyed a certain

amount of popularity . The present number is the first of a new series , to which wo offer our best wishes , especially as one of the most prominent features in the list , " Puzzledom , " directed by tho late Tom Hood , will be continued under the auspices of his sister , Mrs . Broderi p .

Though the New Quarterly is one of the newest of our Magazines , it has alread y secured for itself a high place among that class of periodicals . One of its chief features is that each number contains a complete novel , and , iu the present issue , we find "Tho Mad > V illoughbys , " from the pen of the well-known author , Mrs . Lynn Linton . We may add that the story is in every way worthy of the fWtlior and the periodical iu which it appears , There is . too , iu the

Magazines Of The Month.

way of fiction , another , but shorter tale , by Mr . John Dangertield , entitled "The Tragedy Queen . " The materials are very slight , but the manner in which the story is told is very pleasing . Besides these , we have noticed in particular the opening article , by Mr . Lewis Parker , on " Canada , an Emigrant ' s Journal . " As the subject of

emigration has been latterly attracting much notice , the experiences of one who has already settled in this most important colony cannot fail to excite interest ; there is , likewise , a pleasantly written paper on English flower gardens , in which the writer , Mr . Archibald Banks , offers sundry excellent suggestions , while the rest of the contents are equally worthy the attention of our readers .

Money Market And City News.

MONEY MARKET AND CITY NEWS .

FRIDAY . We have commenced the new year , so far , with a more wholesome tone in the markets , but there are not wanting certain indications of a dulness in trade generally that conduces to flatness . The latest movement on the part of the Bank Directors , in reducing the rate of discount to 5 per cent ., will , most probably , afford some ground for hoping that the

stringency of the Money Market during the past few months has , at length , passed away , and that wc may , therefore , look forward with confidence to a sounder policy in investment arrangements . The release of the dividends on Wednesday has added to the superfluous supply of ready money seeking employment , and on the open market discount business is being done at fully a half per cent , less than the chief

establishment . The restoration of the monarchy in Spain , to which we briefly alluded last week , has now become an accomplished fact ; and the new King has already commenced his journey . One effect of the sudden change in the political history of Spain , has been tho sudden rebound of Spanish securities , which at one time were quoted 10 higher than the usual average . We do not mean to insinuate that , to a certain extent ,

this apparently favourable alteration is not justified by the circum * stances . The national credit has yet to be fully restored before we should recommend any investment in these securities . It is said that some sort of pledge has been given that steps will be taken to place the external debt of the country on a satisfactory footing , and , for tho sake of those concerned , we heartily hope it may . The

unfortunate bondholders have been a long suffering and patiently abiding class , and if there is now to be a consideration of their claims , it will go far to establish something like a good feeling once more amongst tho trading and commercial communities of Europe , who , in entering into engagements with tho Spanish Government , diet so iu the belief that all its obligations would be

faithfully observed . The condition of affairs in France is now causing some uneasiness , as the latest reports make mention of a spirit of disaffection towards the Government , which threatens to bring about changes which are not calculated to advance the best interests of the country , or , in other words , to promote that peace and harmony so essential to material progress .

The Board of Trade returns of mercantile statistics have just made their appearance , and furnish us with the usual statement of imports and exports , both for tho month of December and for the whole of the past year . The figures undoubtedly show a considerable falling off in the value of tho goods received and despatched . Tho conclusion to be arrived at is clearly the dormant state of our home

industries , more particularly as concerns the iron trade , tho extreme fluctuations in which have been particularly prominent during the past twelve months . If possible , wo will endeavour on another occasion to return to this subject , aud offer a few general remarks on the distinct bearing this branch of business has on our other commercial relations .

The English Funds have made steady progress this week , and are quoted at an advance . Foreign bonds assumed a much stronger appearanco until the horizon became clouded by the course of events in France ; it is of course impossible to say how it will all end , but the fact remains clear , that the operations on the Bourse have , for the moment ,

become paralysed . Egyptian , Spanish and Turkish have , however , taken a firmer position in the market ; since we last wrote , the difficulty in tho latter case , as to the payment of the next coupon , having been got over with the Imperial Ottoman Bank . English railways for the most part presented the most encouraging features of the week . Tho business on foot showing a general

desire to take up many of tho stocks that have recently been depressed by speculative sellers . American Securities have not beeu extensively dealt in ; Erie ' s are lower , but iu other respects not much change is noted . Telegraph Shares aie only feebly supported . Tho variations , however , iu these and miscellaneous enterprises are without feature .

The directors of ( he London and Westminster Bank have resolved to declare , at the next annual meeting , a dividend of 11 per cent , for the half-year ended tho 31 st December , making 21 per cent , for the year on the piiid-np capital of £ 2 , 000 , 000 . Tho surplus fund will now amount to about £ 1 , 014 , 000 .

Two new iron-clad men-of-war are to be built for tho Turkish Navy by Messrs . Samuda , of Blackwall . It is rumoured that a new loan for Spain will shortly be introduced , but uuder all the circumstances we should be inclined to place littlo reliance on this statement . The supply of coals this week on the London market having been in excess of the ^ demand , a reduction of 2 s per ton was submitted to .

CLUB HOUSE PLATING CARDS . —Mogul Quality , picked Is 3 d per pack , Ms per dozen packs . Do . seconds Is per pack , 11 a per dozen packs . If by jost lid per pack extra . Cards for Piquet . Iit ! zif | iio , KcnrtiS , fee .. Mogul Quality lod per pack , Os per dozen pagks .-London ; W « W , Morgtn , 67 Borfystm , B . Oi