22 DECEMBER 1888, Page 26

judicious mixture of fiction and truth, of fun and earnest.

Robert Hall, the hero of the first story, is a genuine boy. It is very boy- like, for instance, to say, after mentioning his hopes of being a station-master,—" I do not see what happier position a man could hold. Except, of course, a professional cricketer. But one must not dwell upon such a thing as that, or it will make one discon- tented." Heroes of stories are seldom so candid ; but probably four boys out of five, at least of the athletic sort, would choose to be cricketers. There is a paper about "Dreams," a story of Tasmania, "The Black Bloodhound," and, with other things, "At School with the Blue-Noses."