On Both Sides. By Frances Courtenay Taylor. (Lippincott, Philadelphia, U.S.A.)—This
is a very clever and amusing satire on American and English peculiarities, the authoress taking good care that the English dogs should have the worst of it, though she wields a fairly impartial lash. We must own to not being able to recognise all the peculiarities attributed to us. .1 propos, for instance, of a supposed want of reticence in English people, it would be as sur- prising in an English as it would be in an American drawing-room to hear a man say, on the subject of shoplifting being introduced,— `‘ Queer thing, isn't it ? My aunt was had up for it in London." On the other hand, some of the sketches have a very natural look. "Mrs. Sykes," for instance, is a specimen of the worst kind of English traveller very graphically represented. Per contra, we may put the American child, whose amiable peculiarities are portrayed with delightful candour. As there are more children than travellers, the balance is more than redressed. Even that admirable creature, the American young lady, has a word in season addressed to her. She eats too many sweets, is a terrible flirt, and shamefully idle. We do not care much for these social satires, but this is good of its kind.
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