The Way She Won Him. By Mrs. Houstoun. (F. V.
White and Co.)—Mrs. Houstoun is one of those writers who think that the best way to bring a pure character into relief is to paint others black in as strong language, not to say coarse, as may be con- sidered necessary. Her puppets are always the same; the men have led stormy youths, the women have made a mistake ; the only variation is when the writer forgets the particular phase of character allotted to one performer, and immediately invents another for him or her. To us, it is nothing less than marvellous that Mrs. Houstoun, having written a certain number of novels, has not acquired more variety in treating of society life. The sameness of her method becomes sickening ; to give the men the proper flesh-tint, some coarse references to the demi-monde follow as a matter of course ; and the young women, to have any interest, must always be in love with married men. The taste which calls forth such writers as Mrs. Houstoun must, indeed, be worthy of the extraordinary society she describes. We can only think of one touch of nature that redeems The Way She Won Him ; other- wise it is badly written, slovenly, and tainted with a grossness which is as unnecessary as it is exaggerated and untrue.
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