The Lost Ball. By Thomas Cobb. With 4 Illustrations by
A. H. Buckland.—Mrs. Barberry's General Shop. By Roger Ashton. (Methuen and Co. 2s. 6d. each.)—These two story- books for boys and girls appear in Messrs. Methuen's pleasant and sensible series of "The Little Blue Books." The Lost Ball- Ithaepp‘y` probable and lifelike incident, some interplay of character, and a interesbetaliningaltbealy. etIhonef school life, with a good amount of fairly the other tishenrot ah,crlificreke. cricket-ball, Barberry, of tbohey—villisaagne shop, having gone to London for a week, and her daughter being called away to attend a sick son, the necessity of closing the shop is averted by the energy and enterprise of the young daughter of the vicar of the parish. Pho3be Sinclair takes her place behind the counter, and acquits herself creditably as a vendor of slippers, jam, brandy-balls, and "swabs." Needless to say, she gets amuse- ment as well as kudos out of her good deed. Stories like these fill what was lately a gap in the book supply. They are calcu- lated to interest children without flattering the wayward element in child character, as so much of the fantastic nonsense written for the nursery does to a most mischievous extent.
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