The Old Garden, and other Verses. By Margaret Deland. Decorated
by Walter Crane. (Osgood.)—This is a pretty volume to look at, every page being daintily decorated with fantastic designs in colour. Mr. Crane's pleasing art may be almost said to obscure the letterpress, which has the additional misfortune of being printed in German text. The poems themselves are pictorial in character, and the art displayed is more fanciful than imagina- tive. But Miss Deland has considerable command of the rhymer's craft, and she catches sometimes very successfully the quaint tone of our earlier song-writers. The book is full of graceful verses, which need no cunning devices of the artist to commend them. One lyric, entitled " Inconstancy," may be quoted. Though not
superior to many others which might be selected, it has, to our advantage, the merit of brevity :—
" You ask me, does Love's flame
Burn still the same P And if unchanged quite. It cheers The lengthening years With soft and tender light P If ityet shows the old, warm, ruddy glow?
And I must answer, 'No l' It is not still the same, Yet spare me blame!
For thoinzh to change be wrong, It will Be changing still, To grow each day more strong! Oan you such sweet, inconstant Love confess P I pray you answer, ' Yes !' "
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