A story of almost contemporary life, largely concerned with land troubles in Ireland. The heroine, a very attractive character and a woman of great resourcefulness, is the daughter of a rack-renting squireen, and is a contrast to the remainder of the family, which is weak, idle, and selfish. Other unpleasant characters are a villainous attorney and a bigoted and pedantic clergyman. Some of the duties which the R.I.C. have to perform are severely commented upon. The Author takes the popular side. The incidents are related with spirit and humour.
KING, Toler.
⸺ ROSE O’CONNOR: A Story of the Day. Pp. 173. (Chicago: Sumner). Second ed. 1881.
Rose O’C. and Tim Brady love each other. Tim has to go to America. Meanwhile the famine years come in Ireland. Rose’s family is reduced to extremities, and she is compelled to promise marriage to Tim’s rival in order to save it. But Tim returns in the nick of time. Locality not indicated. Purpose, to contrast the tyranny of landlordism with the refinement and gentleness of the Irish peasantry. The tone is Catholic, but not aggressively so.
KINGSTON, W. H. G.
⸺ PETER THE WHALER. Pp. 252. (Blackie: Library of Famous Books). 1s. Full size. Cloth. One Illustr. At present in print.
Peter associates with low company in his Irish home and gets into such scrapes that he has to be sent to sea. The rest is a fine series of adventures such as boys love. Here and there a good moral lesson is slipped in, not too obtrusively. K. was a great writer for boys. Allibone enumerates 161 of his works.
KNOWLES, Richard Brinsley. 1820-1882. B. Glasgow. Son of the dramatist, James Sheridan Knowles, a Cork man who ended as a Baptist preacher. Was at first a barrister, but took up journalism as a profession. In 1849 he became a Catholic. In 1853 sq. ed. of Illustrated London Magazine. Glencoonoge originally appeared as a serial in the Month.
⸺ GLENCOONOGE. Three Vols. (Blackwood). 1891.