Sketches from the Border Land. (Kitto.)—This is the story of
the life of a governess ; what it has to do with "the border land," except that the lady finally settled down there with the "indulgent husband," with whom we leave her, we cannot say. The book contains nothing re- markable, except the marvellous beauty and goodness of the young ladies whom the writer had to educate, and except this interesting fragment of ancient history which, as it is a great improvement on the horrid stories of wicker images full of victims with which governesses sometimes terrify their charges, we quote :—" The coracle is a small wicker boat, said to have been used by the Druids. They would land at night, put their coracles on their backs, and, approaching the house by a postern door, would disguise their voices, and ask for relief. And then, when the heads of the family had been summoned, and had recog- nized them, how hearty was the laugh, how warm the welcome, how cheerful the supper and the song, protracted to the midnight hour, or till morning!"
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