Now that the guitar has again become a favourite and fashionable instrument, many girls are searching out and bringing to light guitars which their mothers, aye, and even their grandmothers, played on in days gone by, and they endeavour once more to awake the long silent strings (if any survive) with more or less musical and unmusical results. Presuming that our readers have learnt the rudiments from their master or mistress, or even if they have found them out themselves from such clear tutors as De Marescot’s (Metzler), or Madame Sidney Pratten’s (Boosey), they will find themselves soon able to undertake the accompaniments in a collection of twelve songs arranged for the guitar with much taste and discrimination in album form (1s. 6d.), by Lily Montagu (J. Williams). These include Schubert’s “Who is Sylvia,” Godard’s “Song of Florian;” songs by Cowen, Cellier and A. Horrocks, who sets Charles Kingsley’s wistful lines:—

“I once had a sweet little doll, dears.”

The poor damsel was lost in the heath one day, and, after bitter lamentation, she was found a terrible wreck long after by her faithful mistress, to whom

“... for old sake’s sake, she is still, dears, The prettiest doll in the world.”

Most of us have gone through the triste era of our girl-life, when we were obliged to confess to ourselves that we had “grown too big for dolls.”

Vol. I. of Alfred Scott Gatty’s well-known plantation songs (Boosey) are now published for guitar, and they “go” capitally.

There are some duets for two guitars by Madame Pratten, and their effect is quite charming; we think too that Messrs. Schott still have the old but delightful Opus 87, by Joseph Küffner, namely, twelve (short) duos for two guitars for the use of beginners.

To those who wish to add the many Spanish graces there are to their guitar playing, we thoroughly recommend a really clever little 3s. book, particularly dealing with this difficult subject for description. It is entitled “Brilliant Effects on the Guitar,” by Edith Feilden (J. Blockley). Most teaching photographs show the hands in different positions on the guitar, and its dainty exterior is so gaily and well coloured by a representation of the Spanish flag, that it is attractive for a gift book. It is to be obtained of Miss Feilden, Feniscowles House, Scarborough.

Mary Augusta Salmond.