Overdue. By Harry Collingwood. (Blackie and Son. 3s. 6d.) -How
did the emigrant ship Mercury' come to be overdue? First her captain and two mates met with fatal accidents, and then a Socialist passenger persuaded his fellows to join him, and compelled the midshipman apprentice, who was put in charge to navigate, to make for some happy isle in the Pacifies where Socialist theories could be put into practice. What the rebels found, and what happened to them, may be read at large ; if paterfamilias discerns communistic tendencies in son or daughter, here is the romody.-With this may be mentioned The Invisible Island, by Alexander Macdonald (same publishers, 5s.) This also may be said to deal with a question of the day, the immigration of Chinese into Northern Australia. Possibly the story is not made quite,as plain as it might be-a reviewer is very sensitive on this point-but it is full of adventure, and written, it is clear, out of a knowledge of the subject.-Another story "palpi- tating with actuality" is On Foreign Service, by T. T. Jeans (same publishers, 6s.) This time we are sot down in the midst of one of the chronic revolutions of a South American State. Five British cruisers are sent to the place to look after British iatereats. 'Sub-Lieutenant William Wilson is an officer in one of them, and, by great good luck, has a brother engaged on the right side-if there is a right side in these matters-in the revolution aforesaid. Another stroke of good fortune is that the two brothers are very much alike. Here, then, are materials for an exciting tale, and our author makes good use of them. Such little touches as the description of the forest-men show that he knows what he is about. We are to suppose that various parts of the narrative come from different actors. This is not exactly easy to-manage, but when well done it is effective.-What Shall It Profit? By Annie Swan. (S. W. Partridge and Co. 3s. 6d.)-James .1teden is offered hy a certain firm in the City a piece of business in Central Africa which should lead to great profit. It is supposed to be connected with rubber ; but Roden has suspicions that there is something underhand and illicit in the affair, and he declines the offer. But there is another clerk in the office who eagerly takes it. Annie Swan makes a powerful story out of the contrast between the after lives of the two men.
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