EXTRACTS FROM SOME PRESS NOTICES OF MALCOLM. "We are glad to acknowledge the pleasure with which we have followed the fortunes of the fisher-boy, and the fidelity with which isolated bits of the real life of the far North have been generally treated. No educated reader can fail to be touched by such landscapes and characters as abound in the book. In three very honest volumes, Mr. Mac Donald finds room for instances both of pathos and humour."-Athenæum. There is a delightful Highland piper, who is so very pleasing that it is rather hard to quarrel with the book that contains him. He has a dream in which the ghost of his especial bête noire, Campbell of Glenlyon, appears to him, and this ghost is very nice indeed."-Academy. "Mr. Mac Donald takes care to provide an ample store of matter for exciting suspense, conjecture, and surprise. His latest work, in short, will at least sustain, if not rather enhance, the reputation he has gained as a novelist."— Illustrated London News. "The contrast between the frank, manly, straightforward bearing of Malcolm, the flighty, capricious conduct of Lady Florimel, and the dark, designing actions of Mrs. Catanach, is displayed with all Mr. Mac Donald's accustomed skill and ability. Independent of his sketches of life in the Highlands, which are boldly and accurately drawn, the author presents to us many beautiful pictures of the grand and rugged scenery of the Western Isles. No one will rise from a perusal of the book without a strong hope that Mr. Mac Donald will delay as little as possible in opening out the future history of his hero's life."Leeds Mercury. "Full of high teaching, the author's individuality is pervasive. He colours all that he touches with the fine light of his character, and most often generously transforms it. Such is the force of his sympathy, that he generally makes the commonplace poetic. He elevates the low and grovelling, and finds an element of mystery and growth in dulled and dwarfed souls, and even transfigures to the mental eye the poor misshapen body of "The Mad Laird," who plays such a touching part in the three volumes, with his painful cry and ceaseless effort to escape as though from some haunting and evil presence. Some of the characters are remarkably well developed. The Marquis himself, and Miss Horn, and Mr. Graham, the teacher, being especially well worthy of praise. It is hardly needful to say that Mr. Mac Donald's descriptions are poetical and suggestive; that his dialogues abound with pawky humour, and that now and then he reaches a profound pathos. There is much fancy and humour in the work, as well as a high lesson, and we have read it with no common pleasure.”— Nonconformist. 'Perhaps the author's best production. The moral teaching is good, the characters are generously dealt with, and the interest never flags. The blind piper's great love of "te Gaelic an' te pipes," with his hatred of " Clenlyon," are very exciting. The delineation of his and Lord Lossie's characters is especially good."-John Bull. HENRY S. KING & Co. 1 |