Literary Gossip.

literary articles are both seasonable and interesting . Mr . Gibson ' s "Winter Idyl , " with numerous exquisite illustrations from the author ' s graceful pencil ; and an enjoyable article anent Stratford-on-Avon and its Shakespearian associations , are especially praiseworthy . But why have the otherwise enterprising proprietors served up once again , in their Christmas extra bill of fare , Longfellow ' s beautiful poem on Burnsand the grotesque versesentitled " The

, , Owl Critic , " both of which have been known to , and admired by , the British public for many months past ? Surely such a splendid thing as this prince of Christmas numbers need not have been marred by the insertion of stale articles .

The colour-printing displayed in the Christmas number of the Graphic is as good as ever . We note that the excellent Bay of Best—excellent in aim , excellent as regards contents—is announcing coloured illustrations as part of its future programme . We are " moving on" in our periodical literature ; but our . American cousins are still ahead of us in this particular .

Oassell ' s Magazine of Art is doing something to remove the reproach . Its engravings are very beautiful . Hamilton , Adams & Co . have just issued a handsomely bound and neatly jirinted volume of the " Sonnets and Songs of Robert Millhouse , " a poet in humble life , who has been fittingly termed the " Burns of Sherwood Forest . " The collection contains many gems , which have been judiciously selected by

the editor , Mr . John Potter Briscoe , F . R . H . S ., a member of the council of the Library Association of Great Britain , who also furnishes an interesting biographical sketch of the poet whose writings he is introducing to the public , in volume form , for the first time . The productions of Millhouse are of such a high order of merit that they require only to be known widely to be universally admired . Mr . Briscoe should receive the thanks of all lovers of pure , simple , poetic excellence for rescuing from comparative oblivion so much that is worthy of enduring preservation . Here is one of Millhouse ' s " Sonnets , " as a sample of his style .-

—HOME . Scenes of my birth , and careless childhood hours Ye smiling hills , and spacious fertile vales ! Where oft I wandered plucking vernal flowers , And revelled in the odour-breathing gales ; Should fickle fate , with talismanic wand , Bear me afar where either India lows

g , Or fix my dwelling on the Polar land , Where nature wsars hsr ever-during snows ; Still shall your charms my fondest themes adorn , When placid evsning paints the western sky . And when Hyperion wakes the blushing morn , To rear his gorgeous sapphire-throne on high . For , to the guileless heart , where ' er we roam

No scenes delight us like our much-loved Home . "The Book of Oddities , " by Mr . William Andrews , F . R . H . S ., an olla podrida of out-of-the-way information concerning remarkable people and strange things , uniform in size and appearance with the same writer ' s work on "Punishments in the Olden Time , "is just ready for delivery to the subscribers .

Shirley Smith , author of the popular novel entitled "St . Martin ' s Summer , " has ready for publication a new story , to be called " A Field of Tares , " the aim of which is the advancement of temperance truth . The lessons of the evils of over-indulgence in intoxicating drinks will be forcibly set forth through the medium of the narrative proper , instead of , as is too often the case in insipid attempts of a like character , almost every other page being