Military Mosaics. By John Augustus O'Shea. (W. H. Allen and
Co.)—Mr. O'Shea has compiled a volume of very readable stories. He writes in a pleasant, easy style, and is always interesting. Some of his tales are exceedingly amusing, such as Mr. McGilli- cuddy's mishap at the "little dinner at Kiko," and the true story of the " Gineral." The last, too, with all its absurdity, has a goad deal of pathos. By-the-way, we are a little surprised to find that Mr. O'Shea looks on "Guy Livingstone" as an ideal to be held up for imitation. We cannot by any means agree with him in this. Indeed, to say of any one that he approached nearly to the standard of that hero of fiction would seem to us a serious imputation on his character. Mr. O'Shea has not confined himself merely to the pleasant side of a soldier's life. And so, as most of the stories are founded on fact, we see both sides of the case,—that is, as far as is possible from a series of slight sketches.
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