Outsid.3rs — and In. By John Ayscough. (Chatto and Windus. 6s.)—Although these
sketches are quite pleasant reading, Mr. Ayscough's talent does not do itself justice within the limits of the short story. His art lies more in giving long and detailed accounts of the lives of his characters than in impressions by lightning- flash. The best of these stories is the first, "Outsiders—and In," in which the quiet humour redeems the commonplaceness of the incidents. It would be difficult, however, for the average modern hpuse-party to keep up to the level of sparkling brilliancy which Mr. Ayscoug-h maintains for his characters. Both the sketch called "The Punishment" and that called " Vaurien " are highly pathetic, the first almost intolerably so. In the second, the account of the lion-tamer's cowardice and shame in aiwpting a substitute is well given. The other stories are below the average of these three, and read as if they were vary early essays by the author in the art of fiction.
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