NOTICES OF BOOKS.

Evening Star, Issue 3509, 22 May 1874, Page 3

NOTICES OF BOOKS.

Trolly's Wedding Tour arid Story book, by Elizabeth fetuart Phelps, author of “ The Gates Ajar,”. &c. London : Sampson Low, Marston, Low, and Searle. Dunedin ; Keith and Wilkie. • The above is the title of a light and pleas* ing book by an author whose reputation is fast gaining ground, and whose more ambitious works have excited considerable interest. That now under our consideration is evidently intended for young people, for it deals principally with children and their amusements and troubles generally. There is very little plot in the main story, which relates how the juvenile hero fell in love, defeated a rival, and prosecuted a courtship all, of course, after the play-fashion of children, but of certainly precocious ones. Writers of works of this class occasions ly forget their temporarily-assumed position, and put into the mouths of their youthful characters remarks, which show top great an amount of reasoning' power for their untrained minds. This is the only blemish in the • account of Trotty’s adventures, if' we except a few thorough Americanisms which grate rather harshly on the unaccustomed ear—such as “feeling of a thing,” “Squirming,” and “ quirking,” Ac. ■ The stories are ingeniously introduced, and some of them are very naturally and pathetically written, notably Hotel,’? “ Hpw June found Massa Linkum,” and “ Deb ” The book is well got np, being printed on ihned paper, has a haudbinding, and will well repay the reader —whether young pr old. 4 Book of Mining and Quarrying. By J. H. Collins, F.G.S. * Dates and Events m English History. By the Kov. Edgar fl. Band, B.A. Places and Facts. — lbid. —London: Lockwood and Co. Dunedin : Keith and Wilkie. We have received the above three works from Messrs Keith and Wilkie, all of them belonging to Weale’s Educational Series. The author of the first-mentioned has —as he states iu his preface he intended—given in a simple style a general outline of the prin-: ciples of the mining and quarrying industries. The shbie'ets ife handled in the manner which might be anticipated from the experience of Mr Collins, who holds the position of lecturer to the Miners’ Association of Cornwall and Devon, and the illustrations must greatly facilitate a quick comprehenaiou of the various branches treated of. This f ork should have a large circulation in New eaiand—a country in which the mining industry is so largely developed. Of the Bev. r Mr Band’s works we dan speak very highly. They are prepared more especiaUy '“for the use of candidates in public and private examinations,” and are carried flpwn to almost the tain respeptively perhaps every item of infonpatfop that- coold be required, and aTe so areanged (by means of fables and paragraphsjthat each item stands forward clearly