Books Of The Day.

BOOKS OF THE DAY .

— : o : — Books , Music , & c . Intended for review , should bo addressed to the Editor of the Freemason ' s Chronicle , at Fleet Works , New Barnet . — : o : — Miss Cleveland ' s Companion . A novel . By Adeline Sergeant . —F . V . White and Co .

A GOOD , brisk story , excellently narrated . The plot is skilfully constructed , and is gradually developed without any undue violation of probability . Miss Cleveland is as clever as she is amiable , and the passages in her life which called for the exercise of her cleverness and amiability were many . Her grandfather , a gentleman of very singular characteristics , left behind him a

still more singular will . By that will Miss Cleveland might inherit an estate worth twenty thousand a year , by marrying her cousin , Mr . Devvient ; if she refused him she would receive but a pittance . There were other complications in that will ; but the conditional inheritance was in itself sufficient to give rise to many incidents . Devrient chivalrously consented to marry Miss Cleveland before

he had seen her , but the lady in question was by no means so sure of the desirability of the compact . In several interesting chapters , filled with bright dialogue and incident , the author shows how , by those small happenings which often cause the large issues of life , Miss Cleveland and Mr . Devrient are eventually brought face to face , to find it quite possible to accept each other for better , for

worse . But t is difficult to give any adequate idea of the skill with which this novel is written in the space of a brief summary . The writer introduces many characters more than we have named . There is Miss Tressel , the young lady companion who , in compliance with Miss Cleveland ' s whim , impersonates her , thereby causing much temporary heart-ache in several quarters ; there is Frank Tressel , who is " wanted" for embezzlement , by Mr . Reckitt ,

the well-dressed cad who wishes to marry Miss Tressel , whom he supposes to be Miss Cleveland ; and there is Mr . Valentine Saurin , the son of Miss Cleveland's lawyer , who is much at sea during the period of the impersonation , but manages to arrange matters to his satisfaction , and to that of Miss Tressel , after he has fallen over the cliffs in the embrace of Mr . Reckitt , and been picked up for dead . Messrs . White should find no difficulty in disposing of this novel in large numbers .

New Century Library ( 2 s net per vol . ) . —T . Nelson and Sons . The Works of SIR WALTER SCOTT , BART . Vol . i ., Waverley . The Works of CHARLES DICKENS . Vol ix ., American Notes , and A Child ' s History of England ,

ENTER Sir Walter Scott , Bart . He is always entering , yet , paradoxical as it may seem , he never quits the stage . We could name many editions of the Waverley Novels now in course of issue ; we do not care to hazard a guess as to how many editions have been published during the last twenty years . "The greatest living novelist" comes and goes , but Scott goes on for ever . Byron , in

his " Childe Harold , " called him the Aroisto of the North . To very many he is more than that . Mr . Swinburne has reminded us how foolish in the eyes of Scott was that appreciation which likened him to Shakespeare ; but the most extravagant laudation is pardonable from one who has just read " The Heart of Midlothian , " " The Bride of Lammermoor / ' or " Ivanhoe . " All was gist that came to

the mill at Abbotsford . All that had lived in our annals and looked green in song became fit material for a prose fiction when once Scott had turned his attention upon it . It is hardly necessary to say that in the opinion of most readers " Waverley " is not one of the finest romances from the pen of Scott . Yet it is a very fine romance , and—we speak from experience—will bear many

reperusals . It is matter of common knowledge that an eminent critic who is wont to moralise at " The Sign of the Ship" considers " Count Robert of Paris" better than any novel written since its publication , and he could hardly deny that " Waverley" is a finer book than " Count Robert of Paris . " There is a splendid opportunity now for all who wish to refresh their memories in regard to the " Waverlev Novels "; for Messrs . Nelson are providing us with

so good a pocket edition that the man who seeks a better is likely to be disappointed in his search . Though printed upon India paper , this first volume almost belies the fact , for the pages are quite opaque and there is hardly a visible trace of the print on the reverse side . If any of our readers have never yet read " Waverley " we can promise them abundant entertainment when they do so . A portrait of Sir Walter Scott is prefixed to this volume .

EVERYTHING from the pen of Charles Dickens is distinctl y good . But time changes the value of many things ; and nothing but the great name of their author could now keep alive the " American Notes " or the " Child ' s History of England . " Both books have been superseded , though for different reasons . The former work gave much offence to the Americans when it first appeared , and some

English authorities have admitted that it is somewhat overcoloured ; the latter was an excellent little volume for the purpose for which it was written , but we question whether many , even among the warmest admirers of the great novelist , read it now ; and yet it bears upon almost every page some mark or marks of the genius of Charles Dickens . The unessential is skilfully eliminated , the made to stand

strong points are out prominentl y , and the picturesque ones surrounded with a suitable setting , and it is evident that the hand that draws some of the portraits is the hand that drew Fagin , and Pinch , and Quilp . Messrs . Nelson ' s exquisite reprint of these books in one small volume will be welcome to many , particularly to those who possess the earlier volumes of this issue . '

Books Of The Day.

Bones and I , or The Skeleton at Home . By G . J . Whyte-Melville . Illustrated by A . Forestier ( new edition , 3 s 6 d ; . — Ward , Lock and Co ., Limited . WE have usually a skeleton in our cupboard . Apparently Whyte-Melville had his , for we can hardly help thinking that this book is largely autobiographical . Be that as it may , we have here

several brief but sententious colloquies between the novelist and the skeleton . Nobody acquainted with the novels of Whyte-Melville could ever doubt that the versatile story-teller was likewise a philosopher ; but a perusal of these essays , strung together under the title " Bones and I " is perhaps necessary before we can test that he was also a critic of rare acumen . The chapters entitled

" Through the Mill" and " Gourds" contain weighty reflections well worth pondering , while " Rus in Urbe " is distinguished by its shrewdness , and its touches of admirable originality . But the last chapter is , we think , the best . The writer takes " Guinevere " and bares her character before us as few men save Tennyson himself

could have done . The pity , the pathos of the whole story is touched by a master hand , and revealed , with fresh insight , in sentences truly inspired . Messrs . Ward , Lock and Co . have had this book printed in a large , bold type , and its appearance is worthy of its contents . We should like to know it will be widely read .

A work sure to attract much attention is to be issued by Mr . John Long . Its title will be " The Master Sinner , " and it will be dedicated to " those Inspired Persons who quarrel amongst themselves whilst attempting to instruct the world by means of religious novels . " The author prefers to remain anonymous .

Messrs . Macmillan are to publish "Highways and Byways in East Anglia , " by William A . Dutt . The book is , we believe , singularly rich in historic and literary associations , arid can hardly fail to be appreciated highly bv East Anglians . Messrs . Digby , Long , and Co . announce cheap editions of " The Loyal Hussar , " by Alan St . Aubyn ; " The Jolly Roger , " by Hume Nisbet ; "The Lost Laird , " by J . E . Muddock ; and "The Desire of Men , " of L . T . Meade .

" The Story of Art in the British Isles , " by J . Ernest Phythian , is to form the next volume of Messrs . Newnes " Library of Useful Stories . " The same firm will also issue " First on the Antarctic Continent , " by Mr . Borchgrevink , commander of the expedition undertaken in " The Southern Cross . "

Mr . Grant Richards has just published a new and cheaper edition of " The Evolution of the Idea of God , " by the late Mr . Grant Allen . This should be a boon to many , for there can be no question as to the extent and variety of curious information gathered bv this writer of superhuman perseverance and versatility , whatever may be thought of many of his deductions therefrom .

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