‘“The Ring o’ Bells” is a collection of short stories, some of which will make some people cry, and others have certainly made us laugh. The pathos of “The Ring o’ Bells” and of “The Doll’s Secret” depends a good deal on the sufferings of children, and there are tastes to which this kind of distress does not appeal in fiction. But here Mr. Sims has Dickens and probably the majority of readers on his side, and can afford to disregard the vote of critics who do not care for Little Nells and Little Dombeys.... In short, there is abundance of variety and readableness in “The Ring o’ Bells,” which will especially please students who like the theatre and desire to be pretty frequently reminded of Dickens in his Christmas moods.'—Daily News.
Mary Jane’s Memoirs. Compiled from her original MS. Post 8vo., illustrated boards, 2s.; cloth limp, 2s. 6d.
‘There are some pages in these Memoirs which it is impossible to read without laughing heartily, while the chapters devoted to the account of the Chelsea mystery are almost tragic in their intense realism.... Dickens never did anything better than “Mrs. Three-doors-up,” or “Mr. Saxon, the Author, and his Mother-in-law.” ... The book is full of unvarnished naturalism of a healthy, sensible, wholesome kind. It is quite the best thing Mr. Sims has yet written.'—Whitehall Review.
Mary Jane Married: Tales of a Village Inn. Post 8vo., illustrated boards, 2s.; cloth limp, 2s. 6d.
‘Told with admirable freshness and humour, and with the realistic touch which Mr. Sims unites with a kind of gentle poetry and pathos peculiarly his own. We have always thought that if Mr. Sims would seriously take to constructing a realistic novel he would beat Zola into fits. “Mary Jane” is one of his best English types, and both her slavey and the hotel-keeper’s wife are fresh, natural, interesting, and English—a real creation.'—Star.
Tales of To-day. Post 8vo., illustrated boards, 2s.; cloth limp, 2s. 6d.
‘No one knows better than Mr. Sims how to write a short story of sensational interest, and all these tales are good examples of his skill. All the stories are good, and the book will please readers of the most varied tastes.'—Scotsman.
Dramas of Life. With 60 illustrations by J. H. Russell. Post 8vo., illustrated boards, 2s.; cloth limp, 2s. 6d.
‘In “Dramas of Life” Mr. Sims shows himself a master of the art of telling short stories. Each is a little melodrama in itself.... He shows the self-restraint of a genuine artist; moreover, his tales are full of ingenious surprises, and we can hardly imagine a book better fitted to wile away the time.'—Manchester Guardian.
The Case of George Candlemas. Crown 8vo., picture cover, 1s.; cloth, 1s. 6d.