Salthaven. By W. W. Jacobs. (Methuen and Co. 6s.)—Here we
have another of Mr. Jacobs's delightful stories about seafaring men, their wives, the ladies whom they seek for wives or who seek them, and their belongings generally. These seafaring men are on shore. Mr. Jacobs seldom goes to sea, and never out of sight of land. But this is one of the things which make his books so good to read. Of course it may be said that as we pass from one tale to another we still read about the same people. This is true in a sense. Joan Hartley of Salthaven might be the twin-sister of Kate Nugent of Sunwich Port. But then we are glad to see Kate Nugent again, or some one as like her as may be. It, is not a case of continuation. Kate Nugent married some one, and though married women are far more important and valuable and —shall we say ?—agreeable people than unmarried, they do not serve so well for the purposes of fiction. No ; let Mr. Jacobs go on showing us these sprightly maidens and crusty captains, and all the rest of his marine troupe. We do not wish to have them changed; they are all that can be wished as they are.
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