Tom Tufton's Toll. By E. Everett-Green. (Thomas Nelson and Sons.)—A
stirring story of the eighteenth-century highway- men. The hero, who is driven to the " road " partly by the injustice of others, is well drawn, and his adventures, struggles, and ultimate reformation are graphically described. We confess we should have liked a little more light on the subject of the mysterious "Lord Claud" who plays so large a part in the nar- rative. We fancy that the author has committed an anachronism in making his right to that title uncertain. Such a thing is, no doubt, conceivable in our day ; but it would have been almost impossible in the age of Anne.
We have received The George Meredith Birthday Book, selected and arranged by D. M. (A. Constable and Co.) It is needless to say that there are plenty of good things in the volume. How, indeed, could it be otherwise ? And there are people who would prefer to take this particular literature in small portions. But it would be a trifle rash to offer this volume for inscription. You have an aunt, say, short, stout, and of a certain age, from whom you have expectations. Would it be agreeable to find that her birthday is January 9th, and that the appropriated motto is, "Rarely had the world seen such union of princess and sylph as in that lady's figure" ? It would be wise to exclude all descriptions of personal appearance. We can take credit to our- selves for the highest mental and moral gifts, but from the looking-glass we must learn something.
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