Ernest Fairfield, by the Rev. A. N. Malan (Frederick Warne),
is a short story of school-life, by a practised hand at the writing of books for boys. It tells the adventures and misfortunes of an impulsive, warm-hearted, but essentially good lad, who at a large school falls into the hands of, and is victimised by, a " thoroughly bad lot," and being in consequence under a cloud, runs to sea, finds his way to the West Indies, and when he comes back, discovers that his father has died. Mr. Malan perhaps metes out to the bad boy of the story, and Ernest Fairfield's evil genius, too severe a punishment in the shape of hopeless idiocy, and he makes Maurice Elton, Ernest's good genius, too passive for the successful playing of such a rile. Otherwise this is an excellent story, agreeably told. The school scenes are very lifelike ; and the moral of Fairfield's experiences is all that need be desired.
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