The proper study of mankind is man, and there could not be an apter tutor than Mr. SMALLEY. His _Studies of Men_ (MACMILLAN), have, as he tells us in a preface, appeared for the most part in the _New York Tribune_. Everyone conversant with newspaper work will know that for many years Mr. SMALLEY'S Letter from London to what, take it all in all, is the principal, certainly the weightiest, journal in the United States, has been its most prominent feature. A selection of these contributions have, happily, been rescued from the files of the newspaper, and are here presented. The Studies cover a wide range, but the subjects are all, in diverse fashion, interesting. One is struck with the extreme fairness of judgment displayed in dealing with men who stand so far apart as, for example, Mr. ARTHUR BALFOUR, Mr. PARNELL, Mr. SPURGEON, TENNYSON, Lord ROSEBERY, Sir WILLIAM HARCOURT, Mr. FROUDE, Mr. JOHN WALTER, and Lord RANDOLPH CHURCHILL. During his long residence in England Mr. SMALLEY has known these and others, personally and in their public aspect. He has stored a picture gallery in which posterity may see them as they lived, nothing extenuated nor anything set down in malice. By way of redressing afresh the balance between the Old World and the New, Mr. SMALLEY has turned his back on London, and, having all these years written about Europeans, for the edification of Transatlantic readers, is about to tell Europe, in the columns of the _Times_, something of the undercurrent of public affairs in the United States. He will find in himself a most damaging rival. THE BARON DE B.-W. * * * * * A HOME-CURED TONGUE.--At a meeting of the "Gaelic League" in Dublin the other day, "the proceedings were conducted exclusively in Irish." Dr. DOUGLAS HYDE, the President, said that the movement was advancing in favour every day, and that, "if this regress continued, the future of the Irish language was assured." But how about the future of those who have to listen to it? He subsequently read a poem called "An Bhainrioghan Aluinn," and, after that had the hardihood to remark that "both young and old take a delight" in speaking the language. As _Mr. Pickwick_ would have said to _Dr. Peter Magnus Hyde_,--"It is calculated to cause them the highest gratification." * * * * * MEM. BY AN UNLUCKY AMATEUR DABBLER IN THE CITY.--To go in for "Specs" is short-sighted policy. * * * * * [Illustration: THE NEW WOMAN. "YOU'RE NOT LEAVING US, JACK? TEA WILL BE HERE DIRECTLY!" "OH, I'M GOING FOR A CUP OF TEA IN THE SERVANTS' HALL. I CAN'T GET ON WITHOUT FEMALE SOCIETY, YOU KNOW!"] * * * * * THE SHAHZADA ON THE THAMES.