14 DECEMBER 1889, Page 24

The Opal Mountain. By Henry Frith. (Griffith, Farran, and Co.)—This

is indeed "a tale of adventure," and of very strange adventure too. A family party, consisting of two brothers with their four sons, meet with some very curious experiences in the United States. They have the secret of a treasure, which turns out to be something quite unexpected. The moral of the book seems to be the familiar truth, which, however, cannot be too often enforced, that you may pass over good things at hand while looking for those that are far away. The deserted " oil town " turns out to be a more genuine treasure than the " opal mountain." This is a very lively story.