A Great Mistake. By the Rev. T. S. Millington. (Religions
Tract Society.)—Mr. Millington has now acquired a considerable reputation as a writer about and for public-school boys. His new book will add to that reputation, if only on account of the originality of its plot and the peculiarity of the adventures he allows to his soaps. grace heroes, Charles Alderson, Andy Bryan, and Ben Chalmers. He whisks them away to France at the time of the national agony there that followed the collapse at Sedan, and all because they think it necessary to flee from school and the tyranny of Dr. Woolley. No snob necessity existed, it is Erne, for their chum, Roots, whose death they fear to be accused of, is not really dead. Their escapade, how- ever, enables Mr. Millington to show his familiarity with ballooning in Paris during the siege, and the pigeon-poet, and the sortie of Vinoy. The poor boys have innumerable hairbreadth escapes, and in the course of their adventures get separated from each other. But Providence and public-school pluck pall them through, and they are reunited, even although en one occasion—when he is de- nounced ae a Prussian spy—it is very nearly all over with poor Alderson, who is supposed to tell the story. Mr. Millington has evidently studied very carefully the period he has chosen for his boys adventures, for his pictures of both Germans and French, and in particular of a Republican hag who is fit to be a pdtroleuse, are exceedingly lifelike. Au element at ones of pathos and of romance ie introduced into A Great Mistake by the discovery of Roots'e father. As regards exciting incident, Mr. Millingtores new book will compare favourably both with its rivals of the present year, and with previous books from his own pen. Perhaps he is a little too prone to digres• alone and classical quotations; otherwise his style is unexceptionable.
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