The Harbour Bar : a Tale of Scottish Life. 2
vols. (Macmillan.)— The interest of the Harbour Bar is weakened by its being dispersed. The love affairs of Captain Main's son are only incidentally connected with the main purpose of the story, which is to set forth the joys and sorrows of the fisher-folk of an east-coast village. Young Main has nothing to do with the said fisher-folk, except his being the son of an old man and the father of a child who live among them ; his life and character are in no way influenced by them. Yet his story occupies quite as important a place as that of Bendie and his sons, and of Elsie, the flower of the village. Still the book is a very good one. A tale with such a title could hardly escape being a melancholy one, and sadness, though scarcely a literary fault, is certainly a drawback. Yet there are gleams of light. Mona, the darling of the stern old sea-captain, is worthy of being any one's darling, and though we are not permitted to know much about her, after she has grown up, we are quite sure that so charming a child must have developed into an adorable young woman. Old Captain Main and Kirstie, his housekeeper, are excellently drawn. So is Elsie, the village beauty, and that noble woman Maggie, Elsie's aunt. We recommend the Harbour Bar with more than usual heartiness.
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