15 NOVEMBER 1890, Page 43

which does not bristle with adventures, pleasant, readab le, and

instructive. And such a story is that of Fred Hallam, a Scotch farmer's son. The details and the ordinary routine of a school- boy's life in a wild part of Scotland, the narrative of his strivings to become a commercial success, and his college life, have, it is true, nothing adventurous in them, but they are never dull. We get a homely picture of the hero's home, of the farm-life, and the animal life, both tame and wild, of the farm and the moors. There are plenty of pets as well, and the whole forms a happy picture of a happy family, and last, but not least, of an earnest and sensible Scotch household, honourable and independent, and with a proper notion of the value of thrift and " bawbees." The writer is always bright and cheerful, his characters talk and act naturally ; the dialogue, with the clearly expressed love of children and animals, indeed, constitutes the chief charm of the book. 'Twixt School and College contrasts happily with the wild and highly improbable tales which are considered necessary to tickle the palate of the average schoolboy.