Passages in the Lift of an Old Maid. By "T.
C. K." (Saunders, Otley, and Co.)—This book has sufficient narrative power to induce regular novel-readers to forgive—if indeed they do need any induce- ment to forgive—the impossibility of the incidents; but the only salient characteristic of the author's style consists in his pretension to be con- sidered a wit. His efforts in this direction are mainly confined to giving comic names. The doctor is called Pillbolus, the solicitor's firm is "Hopkins, Popkins, and Fopkins," the High Church clergyman is Ponsonby Plausible ; the Low Church, Dr. M'Mealey ; the villain is the Rev. Mr. Toadhnnter, and the hero the Rev. Arthur Glenlevon. Still the work is not entirely devoid of ethical principles. It lays down as a rule that, while a few ugly men are of birth and station, "we never see a really aristocratic-looking man who has not some good blood in his veins." Grammar, we believe, is not aristocratic, but is it not going rather too far to write of "clothes . . . . stained with blood, all efforts to remove which stains having proved abortive." (p. 75.)
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