been made, which it is right to mention, for the sake of those who believe that a ready-made coat must be worn without alteration, even if it does not fit. In one single scene Kirsánof's character has been slightly mended, better to suit the American ideal of man. A very few Russian words have been retained, in cases where there was nothing corresponding to them in English. Such are sufficiently explained in the text. Tchernuishevsky's style is often exceedingly awkward. He sometimes strove after originality, at the expense of wisdom; but it cannot fail to be recognized that "A Vital Question" deserves a high rank among modern novels. Those who begin it will not be likely to lay it down unfinished.
Nathan Haskell Dole.
S. S. Skidelsky.
Philadelphia, June 4, 1886.
