Deacon Hope's American Stories. (Remington.) — The name of the author of
this collection of American stories is not given on the title-page ; whoever he is, he can hardly be described as a new and great Transatlantic humorist. He is not incapable of shooting some of the follies of his fellow- countrymen as they fly, as is demonstrated by " The Coming Election for President," and the most ambitious story in the volume, " The Pipley Family in Europe." But he takes an unconscionably long time in coming to his point, whatever that may be. Thus, some twenty pages are spent, or misspent, before the Pipley Family get near Europe at all. Then " Whiffin v. 'Sniffin " is a clever story of its kind, and in it a sound moral is embedded in sarcasm. Yet it is spoiled by the author's over- elaboration in matters of detail. This is true also of " Mrs. Perkins's Thanksgiving Dinner," in which a wife is taught the .old lesson, how to respect a worthy husband who is, however, in his dealings with her, indulgent to the extent of weakness. If the author of Deacon Hope's American Stories is a new hand, it is highly probable that his second attempt will be better than his first.
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