The Grins House. By Mrs. Molesworth. (Nisbet and Co. 5s.)
—Mrs. Molesworth is always fond of a little mystery. Ghosts are very much to her taste, and if a ghost does not suit the occasion—and it hardly does when one writes for. the young—then some secret that affects the living will serve. In this case we have a family living secluded from the world, never treceiving a visitor, or even a letter. The young lady who tells the story is very curious; her young brother more curious still; they pene- trate into the grounds of the secluded house, and then the action of the story begins. It moves, we are bound to say, very slowly ; there is a great deal of talking ; and the surprise, when it comes, is just what one might have guessed. Mr. Molesworth always writes easily and well, but in this instance she has very little to write about. The incidents are few, and there is no attempt to draw character, except in a quite superficial way. We cannot give The Grim House the welcome which we have been glad to accord to some of Mrs. Molesworth's earlier work.—Nancy's Fancies, by L. C. Haverfield (W. and R. Chambers), is a pretty story " about children," and " grown-ups " also. If the world were populated by such good folk what a place it would be ! And it is pleasant to have a peep at the ideal now and then.
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