The Cross - Roads. By Charlotte M. Yonge. (National Society.) —This is
a story intended—so the title-page informs us—for "young women and elder girls." Substantially, it is the story of a young woman who promises to marry a groom, but breaks off the engagement when her lover takes to a public-house, or rather country inn, which an uncle has left him. The young man, who has all along meant to do right, finds that the life is distasteful to him, gives it up, and naturally has his reward. As one might expect, the story is well told ; Miss Yonge always writes sensibly, not to speak of her literary power, and she enlivens everything with touches of gentle humour. But her book raises a difficult question. If there are to be no more inns or public-houses, the matter is simple. But if they are to continue, is every decent man to be warned off from having any concern with them ? They would then become worse off than ever. And yet one cannot but sympathise with Emmeline Osborne's resolve to have nothing to do with a home so objectionable.
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