11 DECEMBER 1886, Page 17

Fairy Phcebe. By L. Taylor. (I. F. Shaw.)—In this story

there is a strong element of sadness, as, indeed, in such a subject there could scarcely fail to be. The moral is that there is much sorrow and trouble beneath the glare and tinsel of the gorgeous spectacles which charm the young—and the old, too—at the Christmas season. The author, doubtless, would draw the inference that right-minded parents should not take their children to them, nor right-minded children desire to go; but we doubt whether, if the author oonld have her way, the result would be desirable. Apart from this, there are some striking and well-described scenes in the story.