Duck Lake. By E. Ryerson Young. (R.T.S. 2s. 6d.)—There are
some good studies of character in these sketches of life in the neighbourhood of a Muskoka lake. Muskoka, a land of forest and lakes in Ontario, is a great holiday resort ; but there is nothing about holiday folk in these stories, which concern only the settlers, the keeper of the saloon, the preacher, the teacher, and sundry children. While there is no pretension to literary form, perhaps because the presentment of character is not dependent on this, the people of Duck Lake are real human beings, and appeal to us. Hewitt, the missionary, is a fine character ; so is the teacher, though, we are made to understand, on a different plane. Old Miller is a grand old Christian. Chubb, a thorough backwoods boy, is delightful, and his determination that "the cow shall feed with the bear" is worked out to the bitter end, and furnishes considerable amusement. He takes the prophecy of Isaiah literally, just as Miller takes the commandment to "love your enemies" literally, and saves Dave Dodge from his burning hotel, never relaxing his forbearance towards that lifelong enemy. The repentance of Dodge is perhaps the most moving part of the story, for Dodge, who is a very truthfully drawn portrait of his class, is a man of strong character, and his conversion is the more convincing from his iron determination to show it. The scenery, with the wild animals belonging to it, forms a suitable background for the natural figures who move in the pages. Duck Lake will charm many readers, and its moral should appeal to boys, for here are genuine boys and men, good and bad, and practical religion is brought home to them with unerring force.
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