As Mr. Roosevelt says, "It is not hard to devise admirable plans for the betterment of politics and of social conditions; but in practice it too often proves very hard to make any such plans work, no matter how imperfectly." These essays will help all earnest thinkers for their country's weal how better to apply theory in practice.

Joan of Arc. By M. Boutet de Monvel. The thrilling and pathetic story of the French peasant girl who, moved by the distress of her country, took up the sword and saved the honor of her native land, dying at last among the horrors of torture, abandoned by the king and by the people she had saved, will always have a hold on the hearts and affections of the good and true of every race and every age. It is a noble story, and has long deserved what is now for the first time done for it. For this quarto issued by the Century Company is a wonderful reproduction of the powerful drawings of M. de Monvel, which, even without the aid of the admirably condensed accompanying text, give a very complete view of Joan's career. The finish in coloring and delicacy of these drawings is a revelation in modern printing. Nothing better has yet been seen in this country.

G. P.

Astoria. By Washington Irving. Putnam's Sons. For a sumptuous piece of book work this "Tacoma" edition of Washington Irving will be highly prized by all book lovers. The magnificent reproductions from drawings made for this edition by Zogbaum and others are in themselves an extremely valuable addition to the interest of the work; while the perfect workmanship throughout, the tinted marginal designs, the finish and harmony of the whole, and the rich and original cover, make an unrivalled literary palace, which, it is needless to add, proves itself well inhabited by the classical descriptions of the founding of John Jacob Astor's fur-trading

station on the then remote Columbia River.

London as seen by Charles Dana Gibson. Scribner's. This splendidly executed work is a marvel of lifelike illustrations from familiar scenes taken by Gibson all about the great world capital. Groups of figures in the parks, at the play, or attending some social function, faces of celebrities, incidents on the streets, all pass before the eye in panoramic display. No better idea of the appearance of people in the great city of London could possibly be given within the covers of a single book. The excellent workmanship and design of the volume make it especially attractive as a gift book.

The Water of the Wondrous Isles. By William Morris. Longmans, Green & Co.-To all lovers of the pure romantic fancy of William Morris this posthumous work will come as an unexpected joy. It is as rich in weird and poetic situation as the very best of his previous tales; and the creation of his heroine Birdalone will, we fancy, remain as distinctly the most fascinating and charming thing he has contributed to literature. The sedate and somewhat Biblical manner of language used fits perfectly the matter with which the author here deals, and lends a certain classical flavor to the book. The odd manner of setting forth the chapter headings, and the altogether admirable type work, are additional gratifications.

Andronike. By Stephanos Theodorus Xenos. Roberts Brothers.-Prof. Edwin A. Grosvenor, whose splendid work on Constantinople did more than any other book to make known the inner life of the Turk, has now turned his attention to the unfortunate Greek. The present volume is a translation by Prof. Grosvenor of a remarkable modern Greek novel, one which describes in a thrilling story of love and adventure, and especially the latter, the birth of modern Greece. The extraordinary mingling of noble and ignoble qualities in the Greek character and the political and social chaos of the country are displayed in vivid scenes, historic truth is interwoven with the romance, and the whole story, like the times and incidents it portrays, rings with the cries of battle, the roar of shot and shell, and the prayers of the hopeless and fugitive.

THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS.

'Twas the night before Christmas, and little Bob White

Had determined to stay awake all the long night.

One big empty stocking he'd hung very low, Hoping Santa would fill it from top to the toe.

But old Mr. Sandman was hobbling around, To see that the children were sleeping quite sound.

He noiselessly crept to the bed of Bob White. One bagful of sand, and the boy's eyes shut tight.

The star torches paled, and the moon sailed away,

When out in the east rose the glad Christmas
Day.

Then Bobby awoke, in greatest surprise;
For there was the sun staring right in his eyes.

And a stocking so full it fairly ran o'er,
For part of its contents were piled on the floor,
But where was old Santa? A note said, "My
dear,

If you want to see me, you must wait till next
year."
-Sunbeams, New York.

busy from dawn till night. He acted as policeman among the poultry, stopping all fights and disorder. He would stand by a horse when left in a cart, and prevent it ing. A turkey and a game-cock were found from moving by pecking its nose and screamfighting, whereon the crane first fought the turkey, and then sought out and thrashed the cock. Meantime it always "herded” the cattle, not always with complete success. These were collected in the morning by the sound of a horn, and some would lag behind. On one occasion the crane went back, drove up some lagging heifers through the street, and then frightened them so much that they broke away and ran two miles in the wrong direction. The bird could not bring them back, but drove them into a field, where it guarded them till they were fetched. It would drive out trespassing cattle as courageously as a dog, and, unlike most busybodies, was a universal favorite, and the pride of the village.

PRETENCE.

VON SEYFFERT'S CRANE.

In the Cornhill Magazine for July, Mr. Cornish revives the memory of Von Seyffert's tame crane, the bird which, nearer than any other feathered biped, seems to have approached the intelligence of mankind. Von Seyffert lived in a German agricultural village. He had two cranes which he had tamed.

When the female died, the survivor at once took as a new friend a bull. He would stand by the bull in the stall, and keep the flies off him, scream when he roared, dance before him, and follow him out with the herd. In this association the crane saw and remarked the duties of the cowherd; and one evening he brought home the whole of the village herd of heifers unaided, and drove them into the stable. From that time the crane undertook so many duties that it was

"Let's pretend" we're children
Just so high;

Let's forget we quarrelled.
Put it by

For a while, and just to-day
Take each other's hands and play,
You and I.

"Let's play" we've made up Again, and get Memory's playthings all

In order set;

Let's see if the broken years Can't be mended with our tears Even yet.

Let's tell fairy stories

"True as true." You're the "princess fair," with Eyes so blue! I'm the prince, and I'll pretend All was happy in the end. Will you, too?

-M. Mulier.

Buffalo, N.Y.-The Church of Our Father feels sorely the loss of its minister, Rev. Thomas R. Slicer, who has left them to accept the call from All Souls' Church, New York City. Yet, with courage strong and hope unabated, they look forward to the future, in the mean time keeping wonderfully active all the church activities, the Sunday-school, the guild, and the various social, charitable, and literary organizations of the church.

Rev. George Herbert Hosmer, the son of Dr. Hosmer, the former pastor of this church for thirty years, has been supplying the pulpit for the month of November.

The Parkside Church, under the ministry of Rev. Mr. Applebee, is a very active society, a worthy scion of the parent church. The young minister and his wife are very popular, not only with their own flock, but in the Church of Our Father as well. The future of the new church is very bright. According to previous custom there was a union service on Thanksgiving Day of the two Unitarian churches and the Universalist churches and the Hebrew temple, with appropriate recognition of the old-time festival at the temple on Delaware Avenue.

Mr. Slicer's influence both in his parish and outside, in all which concerns the wellbeing of the growing city, will remain to strengthen future growth.

Burlington, Vt.-After the vacation in the summer, from which we returned with renewed vigor, we have taken up the winter's work; and, as a good start is a great help, the young People's Religious Union gave a chicken-pie supper, which netted a good sum for the treasury, besides giving us an opportunity to greet new-comers. The regular Monday evening meetings are well attended, and the interest is increasing.

a

Our literary branch, Unity, has taken for its work this season the study of the lives and works of some of the great masters, giving examples of their work with stereopticon. Alternating with these evenings with American authors have been arranged. So our programme is as follows: Titian, Irving, Raphael, Hawthorne, Del

Sarto, Poe, Murillo, Lowell, Hoffman, and American humorists.

The Wadsworth Club, our branch for service, is sewing for needy families, and is enabled to do much good in this way. For our Thanksgiving offering we shall send, as has been our custom for years, a large number of baskets freighted with Thanksgiving cheer to needy poor families. Our Sunday-school is growing in numbers; but we are, like many others, always short of teachers, and we are hoping that from their interest in the religious meetings we may be able to add some new workers to the list. The Ladies' Society has held its first sociable, which was largely attended in spite of a very stormy night. Our evening church services are largely attended by young people, who are thus unconsciously imbibing good Unitarian principles, which will be sure to spring up in the future, like the good seed in the parable of the sower.

Chicago, Ill.-Unity Church: Rev. J. S. Thomson, formerly of Los Angeles, who is to preach in Unity Church five Sundays, began his services November 14, the subject of his sermon being "Borrowed Power." November 21 he delivered a very suggestive and helpful sermon on the subject of "Heart Hunger." The Women's Alliance, assisted by the Ladies' Aid Society and the "Saturdays," will give a fair and supper in the church parlors on Friday evening, December 3. The Young People's Club, organized last spring, holds monthly meetings, which have been well attended. It is the aim of this organization to do the thing that lies nearest in the work of the church, and, as Mr. Gannett would say, to "fill in the chinks."

Third Church: The society of the Third Church has extended a call to Rev. F. C. Southworth to become its minister, and he has accepted. A lot has been purchased on Monroe Street, some two miles west of the former site; and much interest is being manifested in the new church building, the plans for which were accepted more than a month ago. On Thursday, November 18, the corner-stone of the new building was

laid with appropriate exercises. The ceremony of the laying of the stone was performed by J. M. Wanzer, president of the board of trustees. Owing to the rigorous weather, the further services were held in the Warren Avenue Congregational Church, and consisted of addresses by Senator William E. Mason, Dr. H. W. Thomas of the People's Church, Dr. Joseph Stolz of Isaiah Temple, Rev. T. E. Gregory of the Church of the Redeemer, Rev. W. W. Fenn of the First Unitarian Church, Rev. A. W. Gould, secretary of the Western Unitarian Conference, Rev. R. F. Johonnot of Unity Church, Oak Park, and Rev. C. F. Elliott of Hinsdale. Ex-Mayor John A. Roche also spoke, and a letter of greet ing was read from Mr. Southworth. The Branch Alliance has resumed its semimonthly meetings with increased interest, and the Aid Society is busily engaged in work for the visiting nurses. The Lend a Hand Club, assisted by the Aid Society and the Sunday-school, will hold a sale of useful and fancy articles, also canned fruits, jellies, and genuine English plum puddings, etc., at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Gale on the afternoon and evening of December 3, to raise money toward the furnishing of the new church. It is hoped and expected that the ground floor of the new home will be ready for occupancy early in the new year, soon after the coming of Mr. Southworth.

The second meeting this fall of the Chicago Union of Liberal Sunday-schools was held Tuesday evening, November 9, at the Church of Our Father, Universalist. The general topic for the evening was "Christmas in the Sunday-school," which was treated under the heads "Sunday Services," "Entertainments," and "Presents." The Independent Liberal Church acted as the hosts at this meeting, which was as interesting and helpful as the previous ones have been.

First Church: Sermon topics during the past month have been "What Jesus thought about the Bible," "What Jesus thought about Himself," "Tennyson's 'Life and Letters," "The Power of the Holy Spirit."

Services at the Church of the Messiah are held as usual at 11 A.M., with the Sundayschool immediately following. At the Memorial Chapel, services are at 4 and at 8 P.M., with Sunday-school at 11 A.M. So far Mr. Fenn has made a practice of preaching the same sermon in the morning at the Church of the Messiah and in the evening at the Memorial Chapel. The Sundayschool at the Chapel has begun work in a fairly encouraging manner. The enrol ment shows a total of thirty-four scholars and five teachers, and more names are being slowly added. The lesson system is the same in principle as the "Picture and Poem"

This year,

system employed last year. however, the selections to be memorized are mostly from the New Testament; and it has been found necessary for various reasons to abandon the pictures. The work is confined to a study of the life of Jesus.

On Friday, November 19, the ladies of the Chapel gave their first church supper, for which extensive preparations were made.

At the beginning of each month there is printed a "calendar," containing general church notices, sermon topics for the month, and one of Mr. Fenn's sermons printed in full. The October calendar contains the sermon "Sixty-one Years of Church Life," being an historical sketch of the First Unitarian Society of Chicago. The November calendar contains the sermon "The Eternal Years." Copies may be obtained upon application.

Cincinnati, Ohio.-A union service of the two principal Jewish congregations of Cincinnati and the two Unitarian churches was held on Thanksgiving Day, November 25, in the Mound Street Jewish Temple, by invitation of its minister, Rev. David Philipson. The sermon was preached by Rev. George A. Thayer of the First Congregational Church; and the other partici pants were Rev. George R. Gebauer, Rabbi Charles Levi, and Dr. Philipson.

Concord, N.H.-On Sunday, November 14, the fifth anniversary of Rev. Frank Lowe Phalen's settlement as minister of the Unitarian church in this city was ob served with appropriate services. A large audience was present at the morning service. The subject of Mr. Phalen's strong and eloquent sermon was "The Fifth Milestone," and his text (Hebrews x. 23, 24, and 25) "Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering (for he is faithful that promised); and let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: not forsaking the assemblying of ourselves together, as the manner of some is: but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching." The session of the Sunday-school at noon was marked by a roll-call which disclosed a gratifying interest in this branch of the church work. At the evening service another large audience gathered, this being the first of four Sunday evening services at which Mr. Phalen is to deliver four sermons on "Thoughts for the Times." The topic on the first evening was "The Unknown God"; and for the remaining four: "The Forgiveness of Sins," November 21; "Death and Afterwards," November 28; "The Unitarian Church: Its Glorious Gospel," December 5.

Exeter, N.H.-The Exeter guild of the Young People's Religious Union celebrated its tenth anniversary on the evening of the 11th by public exercises in the church, followed by an informal reception in Unity Hall. An interesting letter of reminiscence was read from Rev. A. C. Nickerson, under whose ministry the guild was organized. Mr. H. I. Bowles, now of the Harvard Law School, gave an excellently rendered violin solo. Rev. Ralph E. Conner, pastor of the Universalist church in Waltham and second president of the guild, Mr. E. B. Beckwith, and Mr. H. N. De Normandie of Danvers followed with inter

esting addresses. The principal address, by Rev. D. M. Wilson, was helpful and inspiring. Brief closing words were spoken by the pastor, Rev. Edward Green. The exercises were presided over by Mr. Ralph H. Bowles.

Greenfield, Mass.- Everything in the society at Greenfield, Mass., moves on pleasantly under the new pastor, Rev. John Dumont Reid. In October an evening reception was tendered Mr. and Mrs. Reid in the church parlor, largely attended, not only by the Unitarians, but by those of other churches, including several ministers of the town. November 4 the Ladies' Aid Society held a very successful sale and supper. The Franklin County Branch of the Alliance had an attendance of over seventy ladies at its first session, and a most interesting meeting, Mrs. Solley's address being especially enjoyed. The following is the winter's

programme:

October 18, "Unitarianism: Its Organiza tion in America," Mrs. Charles B. Peabody; November 4, "Under the Shadow of St. Peter's," Mrs. Geo. W. Solley; December 2, "History of All Souls' Church," Mrs. Mary P. Wells Smith; January 6, Address on India, Mrs. J. W. Andrews of Boston; February 3, "Beethoven," Mrs. F. G. Fessenden; March 3, "Ancient and Modern Church Customs," Mrs. F. R. Allen; April 2, "Christian Science," Mrs. H. O. Smith; May 7, annual meeting, reports and election of officers, followed by five-minute papers or talks on hospitality, by Mrs. Spencer Fuller, Mrs. F. L. Greene, Mrs. F. B. Wells, Miss Ida F. Foster.

Each month, at the close of the business meeting, before the paper, fifteen minutes will be given to the Religious News Committee, who will present current items of interest in the religious world for discussion. The Committee on Poetry have selected these hymn-writers, to be read as follows: "Caroline Mason," Miss Marion Allen; "Eliza Scudder," Miss Grace Williams; "T. W. Higginson," Mrs. Norman Farwell; "Cardinal Newman," Mrs. Arthur Potter; "Samuel Willard," Miss Elizabeth Pratt;

"Samuel Longfellow," Mrs. John E. Cornell; "W. C. Gannett," Miss Katharine Hartley.

Khasi Hills, India.-On Aug. 28, 1897, was celebrated the fourth anniversary of the Jowai Unitarian Free School. The schoolhouse was decorated as usual, although the traces of the memorable earthquake of June were still visible on the walls. Mr. S. E. Rita, the local magistrate, presided in the absence of Mrs. Rita, who was unable to attend, being busily engaged in supervising reconstruction of her houses in Shillong. The two boys, U Hedtuber and U Kat Serjeant, who passed the lower primary government examination, were each presented with a coat and trousers. Prizes were also given to deserving children who attended the day and the Sunday school. Copies of the Every Other Sunday, kindly sent us by Mrs. K. G. Wells and Miss A. E. Howard of Boston, U.S.A., were then distributed. The following gentlemen were present: Rev. David Edwards, our minister, Mr. Robin Roy, Mr. Joel Gatphoh, the sub-inspector of schools, Babu Nil Kanta Sen, the native doctor, Mr. Ráimuni, sub-inspector of police, and several other ladies and gentlemen. There was an entertainment of the school-children and friends in the evening. The school house was illumi

nated.

On the following day, Sunday, was the fourth anniversary of the Jowai Unitarian church. Nine young members were baptized by Rev. David Edwards. The sermon in the afternoon was preached by Mr. Kissor Singh. In the evening there was the annual meeting. Rev. David Edwards, Robin Roy, Iang Kassar, Mrs. Ka Hirbon, and Mr. Kissor Singh, each briefly spoke of their experience and hope, and prospects of the gospel. Tea was served at the close of the service, and the members shook hands with one another before parting. We, the Unitarians of these hills, are not ashamed to be called by our true name "Unitarian." We like our name. We have a common statement of faith for the benefit of our members and of the inquirers. We do not wish to be vague because we are not creed-bound. To us the Unitarian religion is not so much a thought as a life.

HAJOM KISSOR SINGH.

Jackson, Mich.-Rev. F. V. Hawley began his pastorate at the Unitarian church Sunday, November 7. There was a good attendance. Mr. Hawley took his text from Hebrews xii. 1: "Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin that doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us."