An Unknown Country. By the Author of "John Halifax, Gentle-
man." (Macmillan.)—We have in this volume some of the latest as SOL118 of the wisest and kindliest writing of Mrs. Craik. She went in the late summer of 1885 with some young companions, as was her custom, to see Ireland with her own eyes, and to judge for herself. When we say to "judge," we would not be misunderstood. She does not make any pretence of being able, on the strength of the visit of a few weeks, to answer questions and solve problems that have per- plexed generations. Her object was to see both sides, and she started with the advantage of having no political prepossessions, perhaps we should say no party prepossessions, for she had, we can hardly doubt, a certain Liberal tinge in her way of thinking. We shall not attempt to extract any of the conclusions that she came to. It would not be fair to her book, or, we should think, accord with what she would have wished. Oar readers must go to the volume itself, which they will find full of entertainment, and, if they will accept it, of instruc- tion. We may add that, as a further attraction, it is adorned with some very striking drawings of scenery by Mr. F. Noel Paton.
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