Literary Notes

The two most interesting things in "The New England Magazine" for August are "The State of Vermont" by Albert Olarke, and Harvard Commencement essays, three in number, in which various phases of life at Harvard are discussed. Published at 86 Federal St., Boston, Mass. The August Sook Buyr contains a sketch of Kate Douglas Wiggin, author of "The Birds' Christmas Caro)." Arlo Bates in "Literary Topics in Boston" discusses the question as to what wilt be the effect of the tranelalion of foreign works upon native American literature-Charles Scribner's Sons, New York. Liltell'i Living Age. The numbers of The Living Age for AugustlSth and 22d contain The Commonwealth of Australia, Woodlanda, and 1799- a Rustic Retrospect, Nioeteenth Century; The Union of the Au8tralias,and Punch and his ArtisU, Contemporary; Sir John Macdonald, Fortnightly; The FrmerMonk, and First Handel Festival, National; The Eve of St. John in a Deserted Chalet, Laurence Oliphant, Squire Doot of Doot Hall, Doot Hill, Ireland, Blackwood; Reminiscences of Sir Richard Burton, Kane, a Soldier Servant, and Wayfaring by the Upper Dordogne, Temple Bar; On Autographs, Longman's; Grasse in Spring, Belgravia; The Recovered Aristotle, Leisure Hour; Invisible Paths, Gentlemen's; and poetry. Littell & Co., Boston. Beyond The Bourn: Reports of a Travelier Keturned from "The Undiscovered Country." By Amos K. Fiske, author of "Midnight Talksat the Club." 16mo, veKum cloth, gilt top, $1. New York, Fords, Howard, & Hulbert. The title of this book is sufficiently descriptivo of its contenta without comment. As compared with Miss Phelps' 'Gates Ajar, of which one is at once reminded, the strong contrast between the two books is at once apparent. Mr. Fisk dwells almost entirely upon the intellectual and spiritual progress possible in another life and takes in a wider range of phenomena and ideas. The most interesting as well as the most original part of the book is that in which is described a visit to a world sitnated in one of the various solar systems of the univerae that is, as compared with our present world, living in a millenium of advancement. lts former resemblance to our world gives the author an opportunity to utter much philosophy and common sense together with some things that are daring enough to please those of most radical and liberal ideas. As a narrative it is open to criticism einoe it is too heavily freighted with philosophy, but to the lover of philosophy it is more interesting than a pure narration.