Linnet's Tried Two volumes. By the author of "Twice Lost."
(Virtue, Brothers, and Co.)—Linnet is Miss Leonora Osborne, who marries Yore Forester at the commencement of the story. His plan is to sell out of the army and devote, himself to art, when unfortunately the Indian mutiny breaks out and he has to leave his wife with his father. With him goes young Selden, the son of an old friend of the family, as a subaltern. In consequence of a blunder with the troops under his command 'Pere Forester incurs the accusation of cowardice, and refusing to defend himself sells out. The disgust of his family may be imagined, and this is Linnet's trial. Eventually young Selden after winning the Victoria Cross is killed in battle, and it then comes out that the cowardice was his, nobly redeemed by his subsequent exploits. His father writes to the Times, and the Times writes an article, and Linnet's trial is over. There is also an underplot between Rose Forester, Vere's sister, and a certain Lionel Brandon. To this slender thread the author has attached a very interesting story. The discrimination of character is really remarkable, and quite without visible effort. Vere, like most heroes, is rather a stick, bat we do not see much of him. His father, a kindly, narrow-minded, Evangelical father, is a capital picture, as also is his daughter Rose, at first oppressively missish and without an idea beyond papa, but developing into a thoroughly nice girl. So, too, Brandon's bantering aimlessness of character is well drawn, and as lighter sketches Mr. Osborne the refined man of pleasure, old Selden the refined recluse, and Mr. and Lady Philippa de Bragge the rich parvenu and his high-born wife, equally stingy and vulgar, are of first-rate excellence. There is also considerable power of description displayed, and the tone is essentially genial and, without intrusive allu- sions to religion, even Christian. It may be recommended for the youngest of young ladies, being not a novel, but "a tale." Our lady readers will understand the distinction.
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