Her Own Way. By Frances Armstrong. (Griffith, Farran, and Co.)—The
step-mother of modern fiction is, for the most part, wholly unlike the well-known character with whom the ancient poets have made us familiar She is not "perfidious "and "cruel," and all the rest of it, but a model of goodness and patience, who has to put up with a good deal from her step-children. The second Mrs. Bertram constantly has to put up with much from her step- child Kitty, who is introduced to us in the character of a veritable vixen. There is a fund of goodness and affection in her, neverthe- less; and after making every one unhappy at home, and getting into a considerable scrape at school, whither she has perforce to be sent, she shows these qualities in a very effective way when the occasion comes. The money matters in the story are a little confused, without, however, much affecting its tenor. If Mr. Bertram died, as it appears that he did, without a will, the house would have descended to the son, with a right of dower to the widow, who appears to have had no settlement, and the per- sonalty would have been divided between the widow and all the children, Kitty included.
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