7 DECEMBER 1895, Page 13

The Blue Balloon. By Reginald Iloraley. (W. and R. Chambers.)—This

" tale of the Shenandoah Valley" takes us back to the early days of the American Civil War. The sym- pathies of the writer would seem to be with the South. At least, a Southern lad outwits with great success the Federal officers with whom he comes into contact. The "balloon," we should explain, is an invention of the hero, commonly known by the sobriquet of Grisly.' He hopes by help of it to see the fighting from a safe distance, but finds his calculations defeated. Hence a number of adventures which Mr. Horsley works up into a lively story.