The Literary Sense. By E. Nesbit. (Methuen and Co. 6a)—
This is not, as might be inferred from the title, a critical essay. It is a collection of short stories, ingeniously constructed on a principle which gives them a certain unity. It would not be easy to explain what this principle is. A girl is going to meet her lover. Her "literary sense" suggests to her the propriety of surroundings which are not actually available. The rendezvous is at Cannon Street Station, whereas it ought to have been in a wood. He is a little late; she is very glad to see him, but the ".literary sense" dictates a certain coldness of demeanour. He confesses to having kissed another girl ; she is ready to forgive, but the " sense " forbids, and soon. Sometimes this ruling passion brings disaster, sometimes it has a happy result. The stories are varied, if not in character, yet in tone. There is light and there is shade, and they are all clever, as one expects. But wo must own that there is too much of the tour de force about them to snit oar taste
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