“The seventeen tales reprinted here from various periodicals ... embrace a variety of incidents and emotions, grave and gay, no one trenching upon the borders of another; and the characters are distinct types of Dorset-folk.... ‘Witch Ann’ gives a pretty and touching account of the way a harmless old woman came to be considered a witch.... ‘The spur of the moment,’ and ‘The worm that turned,’ present amusing pictures of unromantic rustic wooings. ‘A woodland idyll’ and ‘Postman Chris’ are charming love-stories.”—Acad.
“There is something in it better than cleverness and skill: the truth, charm, and goodness of it leave a grateful memory of pleasant hours in delightful company.”
| + + + | Acad. 68: 494. My. 6, ‘05. 480w. |
“All the stories are well worth reading.”
| + | Ath. 1905, 1: 716. Je. 10. 200w. |
“They are fascinating from their unpretending simplicity, their pure goodness, and their warm, human interests.”
| + + | Cath. World. 81: 543. Jl. ‘05. 130w. | |
| * | + | Critic. 47: 477. N. ‘05. 20w. |
| N. Y. Times. 10: 371. Je. 10, ‘05. 340w. |
“The movement of the tale is slight, but not without its dramatic incidents and occasional tragedies.”
| + | N. Y. Times. 10: 395. Je. 17, ‘05. 140w. |
“It has a charm and interest.”