_Barabbas_ is a romance by MARIE CORELLI, founded upon the narrative given by the Four Evangelists. It is in three volumes, and _Barabbas_ is the principal character. Oratorios have been composed musically illustrating the sacred story, mystery plays there have been showing it forth in action, but never yet have we been taken, as it were, behind the scenes, introduced to JUDAS ISCARIOT'S sister, and been informed as to the motives of human action underlying "the World's Tragedy." Whether "the stock of _Barabbas_" hath been sold out or not, the Baron cannot imagine that this novel form of treating Holy Writ will ever be popular with any section of our ordinary reading public. MARIE CORELLI is a writer as picturesque as prolific, but she has wasted her time and talents on this romance. There used to be a perversion of the text, which took this form, "Now BARABBAS was--a publisher" (was it SYDNEY SMITH'S jest?); but if that applies nowadays, the publisher who depended solely upon this particular work for his success would, probably, far nearer resemble ZACCHEUS than BARABBAS, inasmuch as he might find himself "up a tree." _Catriona_ is written by R. L. STEVENSON, and published in one volume by CASSELL & CO. "Aweel, aweel, mon!" quoth the Baron, after several praiseworthy attempts at mastering the Scotch dialect in which the story is told; "aweel, aweel! I am swier to leave ye, _Catriona_! But it maun be as it will; I'm nane sae muckle learned in your Scotch tongue; sae I'll e'en put doun the book, or I'll be wearyful, deil hae 't!" No: Scotch the Baron cannot manage--except taken as whiskey. But he will tell those who love the language that MCSTEVENSON'S _Catriona_ they will enjoy to their heart's content. All the same it remains a mystery to the Baron de B. W. * * * * * IN HIGH FEATHER.--It would not be fair even, for Mr. HUDSON, to define all ladies wearing feathers as "a Feather-headed Lot." * * * * * [Illustration: LITTLE MASTER MINORITY. BROTHER JONATHAN. "WA'AL, MR. JOSEPH; I GUESS ALL YOUR SYMPATHIES ARE WITH THIS LITTLE CUSS?" MR. CHAMBERLAIN. "NOT AT ALL, NOT AT ALL,--ON _YOUR_ SIDE OF THE ATLANTIC!"] * * * * * [Illustration: THE BOOM IN BEETLES--THE LATEST FROM AFRICA. ["The new arrival at the Zoo is a specimen of the Goliath Beetle from West Africa--a giant even among its own kind."--_Daily Graphic._]] * * * * * TO A LOST FRIEND. (_By a Briefless Barrister._) No more! alas! completely gone, No shadow of a trace is left, And I have still to linger on, Of your companionship bereft, And fight the battle to the end, As best I may with one less friend. It seems a cruel stroke of Fate. How eagerly I watched you grow! How much I loved you; how elate When other people came to know On what I always had insisted-- That you in point of fact existed.