OTHER NOVELS.
Stephen Calinari. By Julian Sturgis. (A. Constable and Co. 60—The quality which will first strike the hardened novel- reader in Mr. Julian Sturgis's new story is the unusual pains and care which have been lavished on its construction and "finish." The chief dramatis personae would make a record of imposing length were novels prefaced with a list of characters ; yet the minor personages are delicately and minutely character-
• ised, some of them in their brief appearance presenting a • lightning sketch of figures well known some twenty years ago. The motto of the book might have been taken straight from Ecclesiastes, "Vanity, vanity, saith the preacher, all is vanity,"—were the exuberant and highly coloured hero not allowed to find out before the end that work and love are respectively the antiseptic and redemption of life. The whole story is an elaboration of the character of the hero,—there is hardly a scene in which he does not appear, or if he is not actually in evidence himself, he is, at any rate, the main theme of• con-
versation. His youthful cocksureness, his pride and oonfidence in himself, are admirably painted, and as long as Mr. Sturgis la dealing with what may be roughly called the worldly set among hie characters, all the other persons are as well and definitely drawn as the hero himself. When, however, Mr. Sturgis attempts the more difficult task of portraying his good and unworldly per- sonages, his hand loses a little of its firm mastery of outline, and though we understand in what light he intended them to appear, we are not convinced. Also "Coop," the name of the unworldly ones (who all belong to the Flame family), is toe redolent of the poultry-yard to be attractive. But this is perhaps ungrateful criticism of an author who has spared no pains in the entertainment of his readers, and whose efforts ts that end must be pronounced to be entirely successful.
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