A Journalist's Jottings. By W. Beatty-Kingston. 2 vols. (Chapman and
Hall.)—Mr. Beatty-Kingston, who decorates his title-page with several foreign orders of merit, has collected in these volumes a number of papers contributed to the Daily Tele- graph and other journals. The author has much good sense when he writes upon subjects with which he is practically acquainted, and he appears to be more at home on the Continent than in
England. On matters of which ho has no special knowledge, he 'writes in a jaunty style, and with a weak attempt at humour that is likely to depress the reader. There are upwards of sixty essays in these volumes, and the contents are very miscellaneous, "Dress," "Cookery," "Beer," "Smoke," "Mural Tablets," "Christmas Customs and Easter Observances," "Balloons," and "Toothache" are among the subjects upon which Mr. Beatty-Kingston dis- courses. Readers who crave for variety and the amusement of an idle hour, may find some exercise for their choice here ; but the author's jottings, which probably served their purpose well before appearing in book-form, cannot justly be said to merit republication.
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