16 OCTOBER 1869, Page 20

Lost Footsteps. A. Novel. By Joseph Verey. (Tinsley Brothers.)— The

genius of the studio is such a well-known hero of modern novels that these form a class by themselves ; but Lost Footsteps is not quite a typical specimen, for no less than three artists figure therein, and it has, besides, other very remarkable characteristics of its own ; its dealing in scraps of sentiment, morality, and philosophy, and now and then even aiming at satire, is not perhaps very new ; but it is new to hear of an immense business carried on successfully by a not dumb but speechless gentleman, principally in his arbour by means of occasional nods and shakes of his head to his clerk and customers ; and it is certainly not every day that an English youth carries off a beautiful young Dutch lady—(daughter of the aforesaid remarkable man of business)—believed to be dead, from her own chamber in her father's mansion, moved by the noblest and purest of motives, bringing her back to life in his lodging close by, without being followed by the husband or discovered by his own landlady, and restoring her so rapidly by mes- merism and "his own slender knowledge of medicine," that after she• has been hovering for days between life and death and been regarded as a corpse for more than twenty-four hours, they converse on the terms of her marriage settlement on her first opening her eyes, and in a " few hours " more she takes a voyage and journey, and enters warmly into- her companion's raptures about the scenery. After this our readers will not be surprised to hear that there is little reality or nature in either the characters or incidents, most of which are inconsistent anti absurd, and to use an expression appropriate to this tale of art, altogether out of drawing.' We think we detect a very young hand, with a kind heart and good principles, and as there is evidence, or some- cultivation and some imagination, we may perhaps be able to praise a. future attempt.