15 NOVEMBER 1884, Page 22

Good Stories. By Charles Reads. (Chatta and Windus.)—Some of these

stories are very slight, little more than scraps of anecdote. The longer ones have much of the writer's characteristic merits. "Pit for Tat," a remarkably vigorous picture of Russian Life, strikes ne as being the best of the whole. "Born to Good Luck" has some genuine Irish humour about it ; and " Ras " is a really admirable sketch, evidently drawn from life, of a shrewd English farmer. The dialogue between Mr. Moore and the lad from Cholsey, who wants ten shillings a week and three pounds at Michaelmas, is particularly admirable. Mr. Moore thus tells the result :—" Bought him at my own price [six shillings], but' (with sudden gloom), a wool have two pounds Michaelmas, the risolnte to-a-d.' "