Dulcibel's Day - Dreams. By Emma Marshall. (J. Nisbet and Co.) —This
story has the definite aim of showing what opportunities of doing good may be lost by dreaming of great things, and scorning the little duties which occur in daily life. This is Dulcibel's failing, and the story of what she loses by it and how she is cured, or put in the way of being cured of it, is well told. Her longing to do some great action is gratified in a way, for she helps to save two young friends from drowning; but she finds that, for the most part, the occasions of duty are not heroic. This is quite up to the average of Mrs. Marshall's tales, and for a lady who writes so much, this is no small achievement.—Bishop's Cranworth (J. F. Shaw) is by the same author. The moral is less pointed, but there is more plot, though the plot is not exactly of the kind that connects the story with real life. These reappearances of people who are supposed to have perished, scarcely commend themselves to one's taste. Still, it is distinctly effective, and Mrs. Marshall has thrown more than usual skill into some of her characters. Winifred, Mr. Worthington's eldest daughter, is an excellent study, and the other figures on her canvas are well drawn.—Oliver's Old Picture (J. Nisbet) is a second edition of another of Mrs. Marshall's stories.
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