=The Referee.=--"Another little humorous book is 'That Fascinating Widow,'

by Mr S. J. Adair Fitz-Gerald, who can be very funny when he tries. The story which gives the t.i.tle to the book would make a capital farce. 'The Blue-blooded Coster' is an amusing piece of buffoonery."

=The Globe.=--"The author, Mr S. J. Adair Fitz-Gerald, has already shown himself to be the possessor of a store of humour, on which he has again drawn for the furnishing of the little volume he has just put together.

Among the tales included are several which might be suitable for reading or recitation, and none which are dull. Mr Fitz-Gerald frankly addresses himself to that portion of the public which desires nothing so much as to be amused, and likes even its amus.e.m.e.nts in small doses. Such a public will entertain itself very pleasantly with Mr Fitz-Gerald's lively tales, and will probably name as its favourites those t.i.tled 'Pure Cussedness,' 'Splidgings' First Baby,' and 'The Blue-blooded Coster.'"

=_Shadows._= A Series of Side Lights on Modern Society. By ERNEST MARTIN. (Dedicated to Sir Henry Irving.) Crown 8vo, art cloth, gilt tops, 2s.

=Phoenix.=--"'Shadows' is a very clever work."

=Western Mercury.=--"Clever sketches, intensely dramatic, original and forceful, based on scenes from actual life, and narrated with much skill."

=Weekly Times.=--"A series of pictures sketched with considerable power.

The last one, 'h.e.l.l in Paradise,' is terrible in the probable truth of conception."

=Northern Figaro.=--"Mr Martin's descriptive paragraphs are couched in trenchant, convincing language, without a superfluous word sandwiched in anywhere.... 'Shadows' may be read with much profit, and will give more than a superficial insight into various phases of society life and manners."

=_Death and the Woman._= A Powerful Tale. By ARNOLD GOLSWORTHY.

Picture cover drawn by SYDNEY H. SYME. Crown 8vo, 1s.

=Scotsman.=--"A cleverly constructed story about a murder and a gang of diamond robbers.... The tale never has to go far without a strong situation. It is a capital book for a railway journey."

=Star.=--"A good shilling's worth of highly coloured sensationalism. Those readers who want a good melodramatic story smartly told, Mr Golsworthy's latest effort will suit down to the ground."

=Literary World.=--"We do not remember having read a book that possessed the quality of _grip_ in a greater degree than is the case with 'Death and the Woman.' ... Every page of every chapter develops the interest, which culminates in one of the most sensational _denouements_ it has been our lot to read. The flavour of actuality is not destroyed by any incredible incident; it is the inevitable thing that always happens.

'Death and the Woman' will supply to the brim the need of those in search of a holding drama of modern London life."

=_The Fellow-Pa.s.sengers._= A Mystery and its Solution. A Detective Story. By RIVINGTON PYKE, Author of "The Man who Disappeared." Long 12mo, cloth, 1s.

=Whitehall Review.=--"Those who love a mystery with plenty of 'go,' and a story which is not devoid of a certain amount of realism, cannot do better than pick up 'Fellow-Pa.s.sengers.' The characters are real men and women, and not the sentimental and artificial puppets to which we have been so long accustomed by our sensationalists. The book is brightly written, and of detective stories it is the best I have read lately."

=Weekly Dispatch.=--"If you want a diverting story of realism, bordering upon actuality, you cannot do better than take up this bright, vivacious, dramatic volume. It will interest you from first page to last."

=Catholic Times.=--"This is a well-written story, with a good plot and plenty of incident. From cover to cover there is not a dull page, and the interest keeps up to the end."

=Glasgow News.=--"It is a thriller.... The sort of book one cannot help finishing at a sitting, not merely because it is short, but because it rivets.... The author uses his materials with great ingenuity, his plot is cleverly devised, and he very effectively works up to a striking _denouement_.

Ill.u.s.trated Books for Children

=_Nonsense Numbers and Jocular Jingles_= FOR FUNNY LITTLE FOLK.

Written by DRUID GRAYL, with full-page Ill.u.s.trations by WALTER J.

MORGAN. 4to, cloth boards, 5s.

=_The Grand Panjandrum_=, and other fanciful Fairy Tales for the youthful of all Ages, Climes and Times. By S. J. ADAIR FITZ-GERALD, Author of "The Zankiw.a.n.k and the Bletherwitch," "The Wonders of the Secret Cavern," "The Mighty Toltec," etc. Many full-page and smaller Ill.u.s.trations by GUSTAVE DARRe. Second Edition. Square 8vo, art cloth, gilt, 3s. 6d.

=Truth.=--"A decided acquisition to the children's library."

=Ladies' Pictorial.=--"Quite one of the brightest of the season's gift books."

=Spectator.=--"Well provided with fun and fancy."

=Morning Post.=--"Bright and thoroughly amusing. It will please all children. The pictures are excellent."

=Echo.=--"Of the pile (of children's books) before us, Mr Adair Fitz-Gerald's 'Grand Panjandrum' is the cleverest. Mr Fitz-Gerald needs no introduction to the nursery of these days."

=Times.=--"Very fanciful."

=Church News.=--"This is one of the most delightful books of nonsense we have read since we welcomed 'The Wallypug of Why.'"

=Scotsman.=--"Will make the eyes of readers open wide with wonder and delight."

=Lloyd's.=--"Will amuse all children lucky enough to get this neat and pretty volume."

=Pall Mall Gazette.=--"A charming little book. Simply written, and therefore to be comprehended of the youthful mind. It will be popular, for the writer has a power of pleasing which is rare."

=Literary World.=--"A handsomely bound, mouth-watering, in every way up-to-date volume, written especially for and on behalf of the toddler or the newly breeched."

=People.=--"A delightful story for children, something in the style of 'Alice in Wonderland,' but also having some flavour of Kingley's 'Water Babies.'"

=Sun.=--"Good fairy stories are a source of everlasting joy and delight.

Mr Adair Fitz-Gerald breaks fresh ground and writes pleasantly.... The book has the added advantage of being charmingly ill.u.s.trated in colour by Gustave Darre."

=Nottingham Guardian.=--"It is a merry book, and should keep the nursery in a good humour for hours. It is artistically got up, the ill.u.s.trations by Mr Gustave Darre being of a high order of merit."

=Manchester Courier.=--"It should prove a great favourite with young people, being written by one who evidently takes the utmost interest in them and their ways. The full-page ill.u.s.trations are very pretty."

=Weekly Sun.=--"Mr Adair Fitz-Gerald is a well-known writer of fairy stories and humorous books for the young. 'The Grand Panjandrum' is just the sort of book to please youngsters of all ages, being full of pleasant imaginings, and introducing its readers to a host of curious people."

Greening's Humorous Books

=_The Pillypingle Pastorals._= A Series of Amusing Rustic Tales and Sketches. By DRUID GRAYL. Profusely Ill.u.s.trated by WALTER J.

MORGAN. Crown 8vo, art cloth, 3s. 6d.

=_The Pottle Papers._= Written by TRISTRAM COUTTS, Author of "A Comedy of Temptation." Ill.u.s.trated by L. RAVEN HILL. Fourth Edition. Crown 8vo, cloth, 2s. 6d.

=THE POTTLE PAPERS=, the fourth edition of which is just ready, is a really funny book written by Saul Smiff, and ill.u.s.trated by Mr L. Raven Hill. "Anyone who wants a good laugh should get 'The Pottle Papers,'"

says the =Sheffield Daily Telegraph.= "They are very droll reading for an idle afternoon, or picking up at any time when 'down in the dumps.' They are very brief and very bright, and it is impossible for anyone with the slightest sense of humour to read the book without bursting into 'the loud guffaw' which does not always 'bespeak the empty mind.'" =The Pall Mall Gazette= says it contains "Plenty of boisterous humour of the Max Adeler kind ... humour that is genuine and spontaneous. The author, for all his antics, has a good deal more in him than the average buffoon.

There is, for example, a very clever and subtle strain of feeling running through the comedy in 'The Love that Burned'--a rather striking bit of work. Mr Raven Hill's ill.u.s.trations are as amusing as they always are." The =St. James's Budget= accorded this book a very long notice, and reproduced some of the pictures. The reviewer said: "Who says the sense of humour is dead when we have 'The Pottle Papers'? We can put the book down with the feeling that we have spent a very enjoyable hour and laughed immoderately. 'The Pottle Papers' will be in everybody's hands before long." H.R.H. the Prince of Wales honoured the author by accepting a copy of his book; and the =Court Circular= remarked: "The Prince of Wales has accepted a copy of Saul Smiff's delightfully merry book, 'The Pottle Papers.' The Prince is sure to enjoy Raven Hill's clever sketches." This funniest of funny books is published at 2s. 6d., strongly bound in cloth.

=_Dan Leno, Hys Booke._= A Volume of Frivolities: Autobiographical, Historical, Philosophical, Anecdotal and Nonsensical. Written by DAN LENO. Profusely ill.u.s.trated by Sidney H. Sime, Frank Chesworth, W. S. Rogers, Gustave Darre, Alfred Bryan and Dan Leno. Fifth Edition, containing a New Chapter, and an Appreciation of Dan Leno, written by Clement Scott. Crown 8vo, art cloth, gilt edges, 2s.

Popular Edition, sewed, picture cover, 1s.

=DAN LENO, HYS BOOKE=, is, says the =Liverpool Review=, "the funniest publication since 'Three Men in a Boat.' In this autobiographical masterpiece the inimitable King of Comedians tells his life story in a style that would make a shrimp laugh." This enormously successful book of genuine and spontaneous humour has been received with a complete chorus of complimentary criticisms and pleasing "Press" praise and approval. Here are a few reviewers' remarks: "Bombsh.e.l.ls of fun."--=Scotsman.= "One long laugh from start to finish."--=Lloyd's.= "Full of exuberant and harmless fun."--=Globe.= "A deliciously humorous volume."--=English Ill.u.s.trated Magazine.= "The fun is fast and furious."--=Catholic Times.= "It is very funny."--=St Paul's.= These are a few opinions taken at random from hundreds of notices. Says the =Daily News= (Hull): "The funniest book we have read for some time. You must perforce scream with huge delight at the dry sayings and writings of the funny little man who has actually killed people with his patter and his antics. Page after page of genuine fun is reeled off by the great little man."

=_Bachelor Ballads_= and other Lazy Lyrics. By HARRY A. SPURR, Author of "A c.o.c.kney in Arcadia." With Fifty Ill.u.s.trations by JOHN Ha.s.sALL. Crown 8vo, art cloth, 3s. 6d.

=_The Pottle's Progress._= Being the Further Adventures of Mr and Mrs Pottle. By TRISTRAM COUTTS, Author of "The Pottle Papers," etc.

Crown 8vo, 3s. 6d. (In preparation.)