The Life and Works of Charlotte Brontë and her Sisters.
Vol. L. "Jane Eyre." (Smith, Elder, and Co. 6s.)—This is the first volume of an edition which is to be called the "Haworth Edition." With the Life, it is to consist of seven volumes. Each of the tales is to have an introduction by Mrs. Humphry Ward, and the Life will be furnished with an introduction and notes by Mr, Clement K. Shorter. Mrs. Humphry Ward criticises "Jane Eyre" with much freedom. And, indeed, it is singularly open to criti- cism. Discerning reviewers at the time maintained that it could not possibly have been written by a woman. They were wrong, but they ought to have been right. The descriptions of dress, for instance, are impossible. What woman, too, it might be said, could have described a new-born babe as having eyes "large, brilliant, and black "P What an uncanny, changeling little creature it must have seemed! All young things have blue eyes. We cannot, however, go quite as far as Mrs. Humphry Ward. "Jane Eyre," as a novel, has one very fine part indeed. Jane's experiences in her flight from the Hall till she settled with the St. Johns may compare with anything of the kind. The
illustrations are particularly interesting. The portrait by G. Richmond serves as frontispiece, and there are also a facsimile of the title-page to the first edition, F. Walker's water- colour drawing of "Rochester and Jane Eyre," and eight views of buildings and places in the Haworth country which figure in the story.
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