Stories Jolly, Stories New, Stories Strange, and Stories True.
(Skeffington.)—Perhaps there is no such thing as novelty in gift- books; otherwise we should have said that the idea which has been worked out in this book, as in others issued by the same pub- lishers, is not only a good one, but as original as it is good. It is that of getting a number of well-known male and female writers for boys and girls to make up a volume between them. When, among the names of the writers given, those of Mrs. Macquoid and Mrs. Molesworth, Charlotte Yonge and Agnes Giberne, R. M. Ballantyne and G. A. Henty, G. Manville Fenn and H. C. Adams are mentioned, enough has been said to prove that the contents of the book are not only entertaining, but of high literary quality. Mr. Baring-Gould shows, for the author of "John Herring," a marvellous lightness of touch in his story of "The Master," in which a bright girl confounds a baby with a bailiff. " True to her Charge" is a very good example of the special skill of Mr. G. A. Henty ; and " Cheri's Second Escapade " and " Neigh-bour's Fare," by Mrs. Molesworth and Miss Yonge respectively, will be generally recognised as fair specimens of two different but equally excellent styles. Mr. R. M. Ballantyne does not show to very great advantage in " A Gallant Rescue," which is a story of the saving of a mother by her son ; he does not. indeed, appear to have elbow-room in a short tale. Practically the same thing may be said of " Jackie's New Dodge," by Agnes Giberne ; experimentation with chloroform is a rather grue- some incident to take for a story intended for children. Curiously enough, some of the most readable stories are by writers of whom we have heard little, such as the humorous " Fox Family " (this story, by-the-way, is admirably illustrated) and the gently pathetic " Peter," both by Fanny Barry. There is not too much of the fairy element in this little volume, but what there is is good.
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