Literary Gossip.

playful , as in "Naming the Baby , " "Two To-day , " "May , " Buttercup Bell , " "Dingle Bay , " "Inthe Conservatory , " and "The Christmas Tree ; " there , full of tender pathos , as evinced by " The Baby Midshipmite , " " The Price of Coal , " "Onlya Pauper , " "AFrench Husband , " "TheGospel according- to the Strand , " " The Demon of the River , " " A Voice from the Sea , " & c . Scattered through these pleasant pages too are many rich gems of quaint philosophy .

Vivid p ictures of human nature are given with all the grace of a master ' s hand , and exquisite moral touches abound . We have read and re-read " An Old-Fashioned Prayer . " Surely , none but a very good man , large-hearted and kindly withal , could have written it . The book is dedicated to the author ' s friend , Bro . G . W . Plant , editor of Society .

Under the title of Hand and Heart , a penny weekly family , social , and temperance journal , has for some six years past wrought much good in many a humble home by its continuous presentation of pure ancl irreproachable literature . Hand and Heart has secured a large circulation ; and now , with a vieAv to giAring greater prominence to the end ancl aim of the periodical , it has been re-christened , and will henceforth be knoivn as The Church Standard .

The excellent illustrations , and all the other well-established features of the paper are to be continued . One useful section , which we are glad to note has been very popular , is that headed " Men of Mark . " This is a series of concisely-written biographies of contemporary worthies , and accounts of the works which have brought their names into honoured eminence . Many of these are accompanied with nicelengraved portraits . One of the latest ictures in the

y p gallery is that of Matthias Barr , the " Children ' s Poet-Laureate , " as someone has well called him . An entertaining sketch of Mr . Barr ' s poetic progress is given , with a number of apt quotations from his published volumes of verse . Here is one poem from his pen : —

ONLY . A BABY SMALL . Only a baby small , < Dropt from the skies ; Only a laughing face , Two sunny eyes ; Onltwo cherry li ' s

y p , One chubby nose ; Only two little hands , Ten little toes . Only a golden head , Curly and soft j Only a tongue that wags , and oft

Loudly ; Only a little brain , Empty of thought ; Only a little heart , Troubled with nought . Only a tender flower Sent us to rear

, Only a life to love While we are here ; Only a baby small , Never at rest ; Small , but how dear to us , God knows best .

A new paper has been started in the Midlands , mainly for the elucidation ancl discussion of local and national social and political questions . Special attention is to be given to agriculture and the laws by which it is affected ;