The Cost of Wings, and other Stories. By Richard Dehan.
(William Heinemann. 6s.)—There have been, without a doubt, too many volumes of short stories issued in the last few months. They serve to keep their authors' names before the public, but are for the most part reprinted from reviews or magazines, and so sap little of the writers' energy, and call forth none of their best work. This complaint does not mean that the volume in question is a poor or undesirable specimen of its kind. Many of " Richard Dehan's " stories are exceedingly clever, in especial " The Delusion of Mrs. Donague," with its Gilbertian humour. They are varied in tone and intensity, changing swiftly from tragedy to farce ; but the fact remains that the short story, by reason of its condensed plot and freedom from detailed drawing of character, may cover a multitude of sins in the way of careless workmanship.
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