Vivia. By Florence Wilford. (Wells Gardner, Darton, and Co.) — This "modern
story," as it is called, has an old-fashioned grace about it. The motive is one sufficiently familiar,—the "little aversion" which develops before very long into not a little liking. The heroine is a girl with a great capacity for self- sacrifice ; the hero, a young soldier who, with the not uncommon English aversion to effect, carefully conceals any indication of the earnestness and good feeling which he really possesses. Ger- vase begins by thinking Vivia a busybody ; Vivia looks upon him as an empty-headed fop. The minor characters are excellent, and go to make up a most effective dramatic company. The eccentric Lord George, with his favourite gorillas ; Lily, whose vivacity is in such pathetic contrast with her impinding fats ; th.3 old ladies who take such troublesome care of Vivia,—are among them. Vivia is one of the best stories of its kind that we remember to have seen ; and any one may read it.
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