1 DECEMBER 1888, Page 24

The Earls of the Village. By Agnes Giberne. (J. F.

Shaw and Co.)—The " earls " of the village are tradespeople, and a very unhappy time they seem to have. Affairs finally improve, though not till one of the " earls " has killed his wife and run away. Otherwise, the story is a lively one, more so than the writer's stories are generally wont to be. The dialogue is brisk, and some of the characters, notably Miss Jane, are fairly typical. It is distinctly a healthy village tale, with plenty of vigour and life about it.