⸺ SON OF A PEASANT. Pp. 342. (_Arnold_). 1897. A great advance on _Misther O’Ryan_, _q.v._ A tragic-comedy of life among lower middle class people in a small provincial town. The “son of a peasant” is Clarence Maguire, an obscure young schoolmaster, who in the end comes in for great wealth and all but wins the daughter of Sir Herbert O’Hara, an impoverished gentleman. A sub-plot is furnished by the love affairs of Constable Kerrigan and his determined efforts after promotion. The plot affords the Author scope for many genuinely humorous scenes, especially those in the Flanagan family, which are admirably done, and for the clever portrayal of some of the meaner aspects of human nature—class pride, servility, the worship of the moneyed man, time serving, &c. The plot largely turns on an absurd superstition about changelings. This leads to the hideous tragedy of the close. The book is marred by a travesty of the brogue. Otherwise it is not anti-national. ⸺ MAUREEN. Pp. 343. (_Arnold_). 6_s._ 1904. Of the same type as _Misther O’Ryan_. One of the priests introduced trades with a miraculous statue on the superstition of the people; the other is a sleek, smooth fop, thoroughly and heartlessly vicious. There is little else besides this in the book. ⸺ MRS. MULLIGAN’S MILLIONS. (_Hurst & Blackett_). 6_s._ 1908. A broad farce, with Irish people (of the worst stage-Irish type) as actors, and a small, vulgar Irish town for scene. Mrs. Mulligan is a very low species of tramp. She is supposed suddenly to come in for a fortune, and her relations tumble over one another in efforts to gain her favour—until the bubble bursts. There is much caricature of Irish traits and manners. Local journalism is specially ridiculed.—(_News cuttings_). =M’SPARRAN, Archibald.= ⸺ THE LEGEND OF M’DONNELL AND THE NORMAN DE BORGOS. Pp. 213, close print. 16mo. (_Gill_). 1_s._ [BELFAST, 1829]. Still in print. Writer (1795-1850?) was a school-master in Derry, who emigrated to America in 1830, where he published _Tales and Stories of the Alleghenys_ and _The Hermit of the Rocky Mountains_. A tale of the struggles between O’Neills, O’Donnells, O’Cahans, M’Quillans, M’Donnells, and other Ulster septs. Scene: northern portions of Antrim, Derry, and Donegal. The work of a half-educated man. A rambling story marked by frequent lapses from literary good taste and numerous grammatical mistakes. The peasantry talk in broad modern brogue, full of “arrah,” “musha,” “tare-an-ouns,” &c. Shows a considerable though undigested knowledge of Irish history and topography. The book had considerable vogue both here and in U.S.A.