Loyalty George. By Mrs. Parr. 3 vols. (Richard Bentley and
Son.)—There are some fine and powerful studies of character in. Loyalty George, and we are unable to decide to which we shall award the palm as the most vivid and lifelike. In Mrs. Coode we have the narrow-minded and Pharisaical mother, with that touch of nature which makes the whole world kin, in this case a. passionate, an absorbing love of her only son Roger. Roger him- self is a sailor, like his father, with the good qualities and the failings of a sailor. His character, however, seems decidedly wanting in that independence with which most of us generally credit seafaring men. Lastly, we have "Loyalty George," Roger's sweetheart, a wayward child of Nature, full of all the generous and passionate impulses of an untutored yet noble heart. If the outlines of Mrs. Coode's personality are drawn with the utmost care, and her mental characteristics fitted into the whole fabric of character with the minuteness of a mosaic, "Loyalty George," with her fine though strong nature thrown into relief by her vicious surroundings, is drawn with a freer and bolder hand, and appa- rently less effort. Dialogue occupies much of the three volumes, though some two or three stirring and dramatic scenes occur ; that which concludes the story is led up to and worked out with much skill, and reaches a painful termination. More than this we will not say, except that it should in no way prejudice the gentle reader, who will find, besides those we have already mentioned,. several other actors possessing much interest ; "Duncy," indeed, is very good, if somewhat strained.
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