Three Brace of Lovers. By Harold Vallings. (J. W. Arrowsmith,
Bristol.)—The most noticeable and distinctive part of this novel is the glimpse it gives us of life at a " crammer's." Bissett Pyne, who is the hero of the story in a way—as Delicia is, in a way, the heroine —is a tutor at one of the establishments so described. The crammer himself, who leaves, however, the actual opera- tion to others, is an excellent sketch. He is a parson, kind- hearted, eminently respectable, even with a character for piety, but strictly businesslike in his views. Mr. Vallings's satire on the crammer's method,—which, however, is often far more really educating than is here described,—is very subtle and effective indeed; as for the lovers, they are fairly interesting.—The Resident's Daughter, by Melati van Java (Henry and Co.), gives us a change of scene, for it carries us to Java and Dutch colonial life. The novelty can scarcely be said to make the tale highly interest- ing, but it is tolerably easy to read.
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