observations, as expressed in _The
Real Mexico: a Study on the Spot_ (HEINEMANN), I should at once discover
an important engagement to prevent my accepting his kind invitation. Mr.
FYFE'S narrative is, however, too graphic and his description too real
to admit of doubt; I am glad that there was no competition and his
subject has been left to be dealt with by the best man for the purpose.
Given the title of the book and the name of the author, there is no more
need of recommendation to the English public; but I beg Messrs. WILSON
and BRYAN (of the U.S.A.) to read, mark, learn and, if their physique is
capable of the feat, inwardly digest it. They should know, in glaring
detail, the ills general and individual resulting from what the American
resident in Mexico calls their "grape-juice" policy.

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Four imprisonments of varying lengths, one of them including forcible
feeding, presumably give Lady CONSTANCE LYTTON a right to record her
experiences, and the chronicle she presents in _Prisons and Prisoners_
(HEINEMANN) is telling through its very simplicity and directness. Such
a tale would be hardly likely to prove other than "an indictment of our
existing prison system" (as orators have it); but Lady CONSTANCE LYTTON
is careful to punctiliousness in her recognition of the kindness and
natural sympathy of many of the officials, even while she condemns the
rules and regulations which tend to cramp and stifle the gentler side of
human nature. Still, our prison system has had to stand a good deal of
attack before this. We should most of us be thankful to change it if we
knew how, and I need never despise hints in this direction. The interest
of the book, however, is by far the greatest when it is regarded as a
running commentary on the modern feminist movement. It is impossible to
read such a book seriously without feeling a strong admiration for the
courage, self-sacrifice and resolution it reflects, and at the same time
a quite appalling sense of waste. When a way has been found to apply to
the needs of our bewildered country the powers of such women as form the
heroines of Lady CONSTANCE LYTTON'S book, I for one shall not be
surprised if things begin to happen. But at present the results that
they have achieved, even upon their own showing and apart from all
criticism of methods, seem quite incommensurate with the amount of
trouble and pain.

* * * * *