The Little Alpine Fox-Dog. By Cecil Clarke. (Samuel Tinsley.)— In
order that this volume might be best fitted for the corner of our book-shelves most suitable for it, it should have been written in words of one or two syllables. Even then many intelligent children would find it tedious, as we have found it dull beyond all description. Writers in this journal cannot, we feel sure, be generally charged with indifference to the trials and sufferings of the animal creation, yet this " doggie's" life-story was not worth the telling, even to us. Nor are the specimens of human kind who claim our attention in turn with the Little Alpine Fox-Dog in any way remarkable or odd ; Basil's and Celestine's love-making is a very unromantic and matter-of-fact affair ; the only person in the book we feel any interest in is the City merchant, who engages Celestine on Brighton beach as governess to his children at first sight. He certainly excites our curiosity, perhaps more so on account of his princely generosity in paying his clerk's holiday expenses all the way from Plymouth to Cornwall. We are promised further details about the matures days of the "doggie,"—we hope the lavish Mr. Cart- wright will not be forgotten. On the other hand, we can well spare the Ope family, and the scenes in Brazenhall Market. The author will see that we have read her (or his) volume with some care ; we wish we could fairly ask our readers to follow our example.
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