The "Advocate"

A rather turgid sonnet on "Evangline" begins the number; then, after the editorials, a rather powerful story, the treatment of which is new, though the phraseology is somewhat stiff and threadbare. Following are three sweet, dreamy stanzas, entitled "Homeward." They improve on second reading, and with the couplets headed "Another Answer," bring the verse of this issue much above the average. Between the these two intervenes a not very pointed and somewhat cynical story, "Broen's Mistake." It has one fatal fault that it is not true to nature; now who does write truely cannot act truely, and his work is evil.

The "Wanderings of Alexis," which have become more and more dramatic, come to a blood-curdling conclusion. In this, the last chapter, the outlines are very strongly drawn, but there is too little detail. The memory of the story is better than the reading for that reason. Next are some verses entitled "Valentine;" very sweet, though the subject is not of yesterday.

The description of a burial at sea, "A Sketch," is diappointing. The subject is so good that nothing but most excellent treatment could be tolerated, and unfortunately the treatment is mediocre.

"Love" gives its title to a second sonnet, of which the music is rythmic and the rythm melodious, but the wording is stale, flat and unprofitable, and again a subject is only new when expressed in fresh language and a genuine appreciation.

Of a very different nature is the last essay which deals with Macaulay's Writings. One or two inaccuracies there are, and, for instance, the statement that he left no great amount of literary work behind him. Did Sheridan leave more? All the essays, the poetry, the unfinished history, which I confess seems to me much of the partisan hackwork style of literature, make up a considerable bulk of remains - and then much of his work was in the form of speeches. For the rest, the essay seems to me good, especially as I agree thoroughly with the writer, and never more so than when he implies that Maculay just missed being very great.

A book notice, the "Items" and the "Brief" end a number especially strong in verse.