A Lost Son, and The Glover's Daughter. By M. Linskill.
(T. Fisher Unwin.)—The two slight, quiet stories in a somewhat minor key Which this volume comprises, partake of the nature of moral tales or novelettes rather than of regular novels. Written in a spirit that some- times recalls to mind Thomas k Kemple, the book's doctrine is whole- some and its religion free from any trace of cant, and it can be recom- mended to those who like the particular class of fiction to which it belongs, though it is not lively enough to suit readers of another kind who care more for plot and incident than for moral tone and teaching. The most important of the two stories is A Lost Son. It is a sketch of the going-astray of a prodigal who begins as a grey sheep, changes rapidly to black, then vanishes for a while altogether, and finally reappears white ; but by what process the cleansing was effected remains a mystery, for though the author describes how his family grieved over him, she throws no light upon what adventures and misfortunes may have befallen him during the time of his absence. The Glover's Daughter is a very short and insignificant little tale, chiefly noticeable perhaps for the uncouth-looking speeches in North-country dialect which it contains.
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