Belforest. By the Author of Mary Powell. (Bentley.)—A readable but
very unequal novel, in which the author seems to have been pene- trated with a wish to imitate Miss Mitford. The story opens admir-
ably, introducing us to quite an original character, a grave little girl, daughter of a village postmaster, who thinks herself bound to be a lady because she has received a legacy of 301. a year, and develops a real genius for art. Her talk, and ideas, and adventures promise ex- ceeding interest for a few chapters, when the notion of working her out is abandoned, and the author glides of into the regular novelist's style, making uninteresting people fall in love with each other and got con- verted. Of course a manly curate becomes the hero, and the author,
besides foisting into her story some desperately unreal "religion," breaks into a wild appeal to the young men of England, who are so worldly that they will not become curates. We would strongly recom- mend her to take " Nessy " out of her surroundings, finish her, and gain from the success she will achieve courage to burn this book.
Previous page
