BETTY AND HER COUSIN HARRY.  By Miss Sarah E. Chester.  American Tract Society, N.Y.  Price, $1; postage, 7 cents.—­This book tells in a bright and lively way about the pranks of a merry little girl and her boy-cousin.  There is plenty of good fun and goodwill throughout, especially in the parts that tell of the doings of the two young madcaps on April Fools’ Day and the Fourth of July, and of the queer way in which Toby, the pet crow, becomes peace-maker between them.

THE BODLEYS TELLING STORIES.  Hurd & Houghton.—­None of our young friends who have read “The Doings of the Bodley Family” will need to be told that this new volume is filled with stories bright, interesting, and helpful; and the Bodley folks have already gained so many friends and admirers that the book will be sure to make its way.  We said of the former volume that it was charming, but the new one is even more exquisitely printed, and has a cover even more quaint and beautiful.  So we cordially commend it to our young friends as a book which will both satisfy their interest and benefit their tastes.

THE CHRISTMAS STORY-TELLER, published by Scribner, Welford & Armstrong, is a well-illustrated collection of excellent Christmas stories by English writers.  It is meant for papas and mammas rather than little folks, but some of our older boys and girls may enjoy the Christmas tales by such authors as Mark Lemon, Edmund Yates, Tom Hood, Shirley Brooks, and that very funny man, F.C.  Burnand.

THE RIDDLE-BOX

A CHESS PUZZLE.

Our readers will here find a “knight’s move” problem, similar to the one published in the “Riddle-Box” of ST. NICHOLAS for February, 1874.  By beginning at the right word and going from square to square as a knight moves, you will find an eight-line quotation from an old poet.  The verse is quoted in one of “Elia’s Essays.”  M.

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|   O    | vines; |   Do   |through |   so   | silk-  |  cles  |  too,  |
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