Brownie; or, The Lady Superior. By Eliza F. Pollard. (Partridge
and Co.)—The heroine Brownie makes her appear- ance in a Welsh village under somewhat tragical circumstances,— her father dying without leaving any information as to what her social rights are. In the last half of the book, the family go to live in France, and the early history of the supposed foundling gradually shapes itself, and eventually is cleared up to the satis- faction of all. The story, though somewhat prolix, is well written, and the latter part, which brings the Cure Rouget, Madame de Pas, and Reginald Crawford on the scene, is distinctly interesting, —the Cure with his final mastery over self, and Madame with her unrelenting hatred, acting as foils to each other in a striking manner. The earlier chapters, while they describe the heroine's early life and surroundings with some charm, and possess in the stern Calvinistic widow a dramatic figure, lack the vivid and restrained interest of the later scenes. There is much power in Miss Pollard's story, and we can recommend it to older readers.
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