The Conscience of Roger Trehern. By E. Everett-Green. (R.T.S. 3s.
6d.)—We may regard this as a gift-book for older children; boys and girls would scarcely be interested in the story of a man who, on the eve of ordination, has doubts on the subject of revealed religion. But the story has a strong interest. Roger Trehern, with his sterling honesty of purpose, is a very attractive person. He goes through a year or so of storm and stress ; listens to Socialists, atheists, and what not ; does much good to the great proletariat ; and finally his light shines clearly, and he obeys his call. The subject, the many arguments, the heart-searchings, are handled with delicacy and tact, and the story itself is eminently readable and well written. It has been a pleasure to read it.
Mr. Alfred H. Miles continues, with the help of a number of contributors more or less well known, to carry on his admirable series of "Fifty-two Stories" (Messrs. Hutchinson and Co.) We had long since lost count of them, but we see from the list
appended to the various volumes that they already number forty- one. Very likely he will be able to square, or even cube, his magic number. We have now before us Fifty-two Stories of School Life and After for Boys (5s.)—this "and after" is a happy phrase, so wide is the horizon which it suggests—and Fifty-two Stories of Animal Life and Adventure (5s.), both, we may venture to say, keeping up to the high standard of the series.—Under the same editorship and from the same publishers we have also A Thousand and One Animal Anecdotes (3s. 6d.) The chapter on "Our Cousin the Ape" might have been appropriately introduced by what Samuel Rogers said on a visit to the Zoological Gardens: "Let us go and see our poor relations."—From the same publishers we have re- ceived One Thousand Poems for Children, edited by Roger Ingpon, with illustrations after pictures by Sir Joshua Reynolds (6s.) The editor has not been content with commonly accepted favourites. Under his guidance the children will make acquaintance with some unfamiliar names, Charlotte Smith, for instance, and Colley Cibber. On the other hand, the old friends are not forgotten. There are, as there should be, scores of "Nursery Rhymes,"—after all, the "poems for children." Among the other authors who have been laid under contribution we see the names of Charles and Mary Lamb, Longfellow„ Mary Howitt, Mary Elliott, and William Blake. Altogether, a delightful gift-book.—Yet another book for children "and after" is The Book of Indoor Games, by J. K. Barron (C. Arthur Pearson, 5s.) There are five parts, "Toys and How to Make Them," "Games for Children," "Card Games," " Puzzles " (of which there are enough to drive the whole human race into madness), and "Con- juring." We see that in the "Card Games" bridge occupies the first place, and is said to have "won such popularity as practically to displace whist." That displacement we cannot help regretting; but a further acquaintance with bridge has largely changed our feeling about it. It gives, indeed, greater scope for gambling; but then it is just as interesting if the score above the line is left out of account, and the game does not seem to drag as whist drags when honours are not scored.
We have received new editions of Uncle Philip, by Stella Austin (Wells Gardner, Darton, and Co., 2s. 6d.), and Other People, same author and publishers (2s.) ; also of Strangers in the Land, by Ethel F. Heddle (Blackie and Son, 6s.), an interesting story of life in Java, with illustrations by Mr. Harold Copping. Of these the fifth, "He stood looking at her after she had walked away," seems to us to be the best,—to be, in fact, on a wholly different , plane from the others, though these are of quite average merit.
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