Glyr - Booss. — The Brownies Abroad. By Palmer Cox. (T. Fisher Unwin. 6s.)—Mr.
Palmer Cox, who has already pictured the Brownies for us by pen and pencil in various circumstances, now takes them on their travels. He first brings them to England, where they see the wonders of the Zoo and other things, and afterwards to various places on the Continent. Their adventures and emotions make, ae before, good material for the artist's pencil ; his pen we cannot think quite so successful.— Fiz Bay'nets ! By G. Manville Fenn. (W. and R. Chambers, 5s.)—" The Regiment in the Hills " is the sub-title of this story, the "Hills" being, it must be understood, the mountainous region on the northern frontier of India. The particular enemies with which the regiment has to deal are the Afridis. The story is fall of spirit and dash, hurrying one on at a breathless pace, so to speak, with fighting enough to suit the most voracious appetite. Smg' readers will be inclined, it may be, to wish for an occasional pause, but Mr. Manville Fenn presumably knows the taste of his readers. Gedge is a fine specimen of the " Tommy Atkins" species, and may be not improperly ranked with Mr. Rudyard Kipling's creations. Every one who follows his career will be glad to see the " three stripes " with which it is rewarded. Bracy is a finely drawn contrast. One thing may be noted with matisfaction, for Mr. Fenn may be relied upon not to write with- out authority. This is the improvement of the markmanship of the English soldier. The habitual grumbler, who is figured by Major Graham, is very contemptuous of the "boys" whom the War Office, he thinks, ought not to have sent out on such a campaign. But the boys are wonderfully steady and shoot admirably.— d Loyal Little Maid. By Sarah Tytler. (Blackie and Son. 2s. 6d.) —This is a good specimen of " Sarah Tytler's" work. The story is of the '15, and the heroine a delightful specimen of a Scottish girl. The author seldom fails to please ; but she seems to us particu- larly happy when she finds her foot on French soil. The picture of the refugee family in Paris is very good ; but we cannot help being glad the Crieffe, who is fortunate enough to win Betsy's love, was for King George.—Beyond the Great South Wall. By Frank Savile. (Sampson Low, Marston, and Co. 6s.)—Mr. Savile's strong point is his imagination. But he must not let it carry him out of bounds, and the bounds, we take it, must com- monly be drawn within actual human experience. Monsters such as " the great god Cay " ought, we think, to be barred. Apart from this, there is plenty of good work in the story.
The Rosebud Annual, 1900. 4J. Clarke and Co.) —The provision which the Rosebud makes for children is mostly of the amu sing kind, and very good some of the fun is, especially when it is in the form of verse, " Pussy's Address to the Mummy Cat," for instance :—
" Did Egypt's dark Princess Shave her eyebrows In distress When you died ?
They laid you 'loath the palm Wrapped in spice and wax and balm When she cried 'Farewell, my pussy sweet, I shall never, never meet Such another.'
So they burled you in state Our very, very great Grandmother."
The pictures, too, are full of fun.—Princess Fairy. By Lily Martyn. (W. and R. Chambers. 2s.)—Is this an insidious attempt to prefer scientific to literary education ? The Princess makes herself ill by posing over her books ; thereupon the Royal physician issues an edict that she must read no more for six months. So she is sent into the country, and is there taught to see some of the marvels of Nature, both living creatures and flowers. Let us hope that Miss Martyn has no ill design, for she has a distinct literary faculty of her own.----Mr. Leicester's School, by Charles and Mary Lamb, appears in a very charming reprint (J. M. Dent and Co., 5s. net). The illustrations are by Miss Winifred Green, and may be best described by saying that they are of the Kate Greenaway school, pleasing little figures and faces, effected by a few simple lines, with well- harmonised colouring. Altogether the " get up " of the volume is worthy of its authorship and reputation.
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