Sunshine and Haar. By Gabriel Setoun. (John Murray.)— This pleasant
and graphic volume is the sequel to a careful study of a Fifeshire seaport and mining village, which its author published some time ago under the title of "Barncraig." Some, indeed, of the heroes of the earlier book—miners, and the like— figure in the later. At the same time, Sunshine and Haar attempts something different from " Barncraig." As its author very truly says, " villages, even more than their grown-up neighbours, have their times of collective rejoicing, and their seasons of collective sorrow, when, for a space, the individual ceases, and with one voice of lamentation or of joy the whole community lives one passionate life." It is this collective life more than the life of any individual that is described in this book ; and it is admirably described. Only one chapter in the book has even the appearance of melodramatic strain. That is "The Return of Big Wull." Love is no doubt accountable for strange things in mining villages as well as in the backwoods of Canada and the boudoirs of Mayfair. The attempted revenge of Big Wull upon his successful rival is, however, a trifle too transpontine. But the pleasure and the pathcs of first-footing and other Scotch ceremonies, and the dangers of the sea, are all set forth by Mr. "Setoun " with care and ease. The second half of his book, which deals with the curious relationship between Lowrie and Linty, is decidedly the better. The poor old village poet—his character is of the best, though his verse is of the worst —is one of the most vivid studies in Scotch life that we have had for a long time. His active benevolence in the interest of the boy whose nickname is " Linty," which ensures that lad's having the benefit of the higher education, is affecting without being tinged with sentimentality. Mr. " Setoun" plays upon feelings of a different kind from those which Mr. Barrie, Mr. Crockett, and "Ian Ilaclaren " have touched to such fine issues. But his execution is quite as genuine as theirs.
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