3 SEPTEMBER 1864, Page 24

A Change and Many a Change. (Hatchard and Co.)—A very

plea- sant little tale, in which are traced the fortunes of Fanny Powell, her brother Harold, and Beatrice Lennox. The two latter are engaged very rapidly, and Fanny finds a lover in a neighbouring gentleman farmer, Edward Ledfir. Mr. Powell, . a Welsh clergyman, ruins himself by becoming surety for a sum of 20,0001.,. the, result of which is that Harold emigrates and his 'ship is lost, Flurry is jilted, and. Beatrice is miserable. Soon, however, a very rich officer who has distinguished himself in India marries 'Fanny. Hiirold comes home, having been picked up from the wreck, and in the course of two years at Canton made money ennugh to take a -tea plantation in Assam. It is also re- markable that during these two years the Nat-master-General's arrange- ments have been so very bad that not one of his numerous letters has reached home: Of course Beatrice returns to Assail with him. And by way of rendering poetical justice Edward Lear by some unintelli- gible hocus-pocus turns out to be the son of William Horton who ruined Mr. Powell, also Mr. Powell's nephew, also a 'ruined man 'and a forger. This is of coarse very satisfactory, and the story ends. If we notice the faults in the construction of the story it is because a little care will prevent similar errors in a future work, and the author of " Chaiige and Many a Change" has certainly sufficient mastery over character and dialogue to make her readers desire that she may write again.