AN English reader sends the following amus ing clipping from a London newspaper : A juryman whose verdict would be worth hav ing, if it could be got, has made his debut before the County Court of Sleaford. He patiently listened all the forenoon to a case, and when Judge Shortt rose for luncheon he calmly strolled away and did not return, leaving the plaintiff and defendant to finish their dispute as best they could without him. He was a miller, and went home to see whether the water-wheel was running smoothly. Next day the judge had the truant brought before him summarily, and de manded the reason of his absence. The miller stared at him in wonder, and replied that, as everybody went out of the court, he thought the business was over. " But what about your ver dict? " asked his Honour. " Never had such a thing in my possession," protested the miller, earnestly, as if anxious to clear himself of the imputation of dealing in unlawful articles. " I do assure you, sir, I never had one in my life — indeed, I was never in a court before." " But surely you know what a verdict is? " continued the judge, with a smile. The miller again as severated, as strongly as he could, that he had never heard of the word before, and had never seen the article, if such it was. The Court could not help laughing at the man's mingled earnestness and naïveté, but quite believed him when he added, '•' I should be the last man to do wrong if I had known, but I thought the business was over." His Honour then explained to him the etymology and meaning of " verdict," and told him he would have the opportunity of impressing that lesson on his mind by acting as a juryman a second time, when it was to be hoped he would not again con found the word with luncheon. Happy rustic innocence! THE retort of a little boy to an attorney in a justice's court not long ago, created some amuse ment. The lad, being on the stand as a witness, was questioned concerning a certain dime novel, alleged to have been stolen. "What was pictured on the cover," asked the attorney." "Two Indians," was the reply. "What were the Indians doing?" "I didn't ask 'em." answered the boy.
LITERARY NOTES.
TRUTH DEXTER' is a modern society novel, pic turing rather laboriously, the up-to-date Boston social world, and, in much easier manner, the life on a southern plantation. The fascinating leader of the " smart set, " beautiful, brilliant, but thoroughly unscrupulous, is pitted against an uninstructed little Southerner, strong chiefly in her honesty and simplicity, in a struggle for the love of a hero with a very long name and a strength of character shown more in his friends opinions than his own actions. The young girl, guided by a charming grandmother, an oldfashioned lady of the South, the most attractive character of the book, wins the battle. The dialogue is never tiresome and much of it is brilliant. The style is clear, and the story moves rapidly.
THE HERITAGE OF UNREST a is a rather inter esting story of life among the army officers on the Indian reservations. The heroine is an Apache half breed : the hero is an Australian of convict ancestry; and both are cursed by the hereditary lawlessness that poisons all civilized life for them. The story moves along at a fairly good rate in spite of some unnecessary incidents. The local color is good and some of the minor characters very well drawn, especially the Yan kee preacher, who has an interest in the flora of the country, fine charity, and a remarkable stove-pipe hat, worn in spite of the rifles of his cowboy acquaintances. There is much blood shed, but fortunately few gory details. RECEIVED AND TO BE REVIEWED LATER : THE VORKING CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED KINGDOM. By Leonard Courtney. New York : Macmillan Company. 1901. Cloth, $2.00. WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE. Poet, Dramatist, and Man. By Hamilton Wright Maine. Yith one hundred illustrations, including nine full pages in photogravure, New York : The Mac millan Company, 1901. Cloth, $3.50. 1 TRUTH DEXTER. By Sidney McCall. Boston : Little, Brown & Co. 1901. Cloth, $ i. 50. 1 ГНЕ HERITAGE OF UNREST By Gwendolen Overion, New York: The Macmillan Co. 1901. Cloth. $1.50.
