26 JUNE 1897, Page 10

The Garden of Time. By Mrs. Davidson of Tulloch. (Jarrold

and Sons.)—When Daffodil says to 'Koko,' the black poodle, "What is it you are looking at ?" and ' Koko ' replies, "I am watching the Minutes and the Hours as they fly past," we know what we are to expect,— something of the "Alice in Wonderland" kind. We do not say that The Garden of Time is copied from Mr. Lewis Carroll's book, but it certainly suggests, as scores of other books do, the comparison, and, in common with them, it suffers by it. The fact is that unless an extravaganza of this kind is really extravagant, unless it is full, as " Alice " is full, of irresponsible, irresistible fun, it is nought. A grown-up writer, however, should speak with reserve. It is quite possible that children may be amused with what seems tedious to him.