The Mission of Margaret. By Adeline Sergeant. (John Long. 6s.)—"
The Mission of Margaret" is one story in a volume of stories all turning upon Christmas. And seldom, if ever, have we 'read a book that left us with such altogether comfortable and seasonable feelings towards ourselves and our kind. There is nothing strained, nothing subtle about Miss Sergeant's situations, though that of the title-tale—in which a love affair interrupted in England is taken up again on an island of the South Seas—is boldly original. But all are ingeniously wrought. Let us warn the very clever readers, however, that these tales are not meant so mach for them as for the merely human people who are not too biases to take pleasure in reading about heiresses who quixotically hand over little sums of £70,000 to poor relations, Christmas hampers that go wrong in delivery and bring about reconcilia- tions between affronted rich uncles and honourable poor nephews, and other homely and happy contrivances of literary talent and beneficent Providence to promote goodwill and peace on Christmas Day.
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