Tales for the Marines. By Walter Thornbury. 2 vols. (Sampson
Low, Son, and Marston.)—Most of the tales in these volumes have already appeared in All the Year Round and Chambers's Journal. As the title indicates, they are rather of a wild and, iii the author's inten- tion, humorous character. But humour is not exactly his strong point. The fun is forced and the personages in low life remind us rather of the stage than of nature. Mr. Thornbury is more at home in a serious story ;.here his command of language, power of description (when he does not make too desperate an effort to be graphic), and in short general knowledge of his business, stand him in good stead. In "Burnt to Death" we have an illustration of his strength and weakness. It is simply the account of an inquest in the Inns of Court that contains "Lignum's Hotel," but it is worked up in a,highly laudable manner. Wo get, it is true, at first the conventional beadle and laundress, who are not very fanny ; bat afterwards, what with the awe that is diffused over the inn, the pale chambermaids that hang from the balustrades, and the minute description of the low-roofed room, the four-poster, and the brown-black ceiling, we become quite excited, and feel ourselves on the threshold of a mystery that should Nave the esstomary three volumes -to elucidate it.
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