The First Edition Of The January Mc

(lui e's is 300,000 copies- an increase of 170,000 in three moonths. It is easy to understaad these great strides in circuUition when one has read, in this nuniber, the remarkable story oí Lincoln as the manager oï Dentón Offutt's saw-milr and country store at New Salem, the victorious wrestler against the Champion of Clary's Grove, the student, foetween whiles, of Kirkham's Grammar, a candidato lor the legislatura, and a captain of raw recruits in the Black Hawk war ; aJld when one lias inspected the twenty-five plcturee whlcb help to viviïy, the most ongaging chapter of Lincoln history. We have been advised heretofore that tlio history oí Lineoln's. early years was lost. This can te sa-id no more ; for Miss Tarbell has recovered it for McClure's down to its smallest detail. To further juti.y the 300,000," 'there is the beautiiul article on Eugene Fleld'e intünacy wiih the children. reproducing the be.se of hls child poems, with portralts, iiom hls own collection, of the real ehildren ■to whom the poems relate. 'Uien there. is the ïirst of Mr. Wlll H. Low's papers on the great paintings of the century, in preparation [or which Mr. I.oiv made a special trip to Europe, S'atliering the best bhat the gallencs there would aitord. Tliis paper treate of the French painters at the l;eginning of the century- David and his followers - and is i lustrated -villi reproduo t ons oí bixteen celebra tcd paimtings by David, Prudhon, 6erard and others. Ever süice 18S4 it has been a matter constant speculation, and at times, of hot dipuste, exactly wh-at relatlon Mr. Blaine boie bo his candidacy for the presidency in that year. A paper by Mr. Murat Halstead in this number must, one should think, set the matter iorever at rest. By convereations and letters of Blaine's never before publislied, he gives the whole inner history, first of the nomination, and then of the succeeding canvass. The first of Professor "Woodrow Wilson's papers on George Washington opens the January uumber of Harper's. This paper, entitled "In Washington's Day," portrays the colonial Ufe of tide-water Virginia at the time of "Washington' birth ; also what were the distinctive features of the Xew Bngland of that day and of the Middle Colonies ; and indicates the situation of the conflict between England and France for the pos-sess;on of North America. ïliree full-page illustrations, together wlth a head and tail piece, by Howard Pjie, and other appropriate pictures, enhance the interest of this important contribution to American history. Tlie frontispiece to the number is a portrait o VV' i.i'.ton at the age of forty, engraved from the paint-img by C. W. Teale. The pkturesque I ■;. "The London Underground Ilailway" are presented for the iirst time in sketches by Mr. Joseph Penneil, accompanicd by an article from Mis. Pemnell, -wh'ch wlll be found especially interesting, in view of the present agitation of the rapid transit rn our American metropoli-. Mr. Poultney Bigelow continúes his i-d narative of "The Germán Struggie for Liberty," with equally -vivid ïllustrations by R. Caton Woodvi'.le, showing how the Germán people, after Ñapoleon's üisastrous retreat froin Moscow, iorced tlieir Icing into the conüict which freed their fatherland f rom the Freiich invader and was the beginning of ita new constitutional lfberty. A new part of "Joan of Axc," öarrates the thrilling events culmina t ing in the coronation of the French king at Rheims, wliich is {ollowed by a chapter of exquisite mor. Julián Ralph contributies another of liis characteristic Chinese tales, "The Story of Miss Pi." illustrated by C. D. "Weldon ; Eüzabeth Stuart Phelps tells one of lier best stories, entitled "Twenty-four : Four" illustrated ly Cüfford Carie ton ; and J. J. Eakins, in anobher short story entitled "The Courtship of Colonel lüll." presenta a characteristic Kentucky romance. An important article by Prof. T. E. Lomnsbury, on th U. S. Naval Academy, calis fresli at tention to the deiective equii ment of that institution.