A Young Oxford Maid. By Sarah Tytler. (Religious Tract Society.)—The
scene of this story is laid in "the days of the King and the Parliament." The reader soon sees that Miss Tytler has got up the history of this period, as it concerns England in general and Oxford in particular, with commendable diligence and accuracy. One may be curious to know what was the class-subject which Dr. Deere of Oriel professed. It is diffi- cult to think what it could have been. But for the most part there is little to cavil at. The characters of the King and Queen, too, are well estimated, and the balance between the Royalist and Parliamentary parties is held with commendable fairness. For the story itself, apart from its surroundings, we cannot say much. It is distinctly meagre, giving one the impression of being the thread on which Miss Tytler has strung, so to speak, the contents of her note-book. This is especially true of the earlier part;
towards the end the interest increases, and the scene in which the son, a soldier of the Parliamentary army, pays his last visit to his Royalist father, shows no small power.
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