Dean Briggs Reviews Xmas Advocate

This year no one will allege that the Christmas Advocate neglects Christmas. It contains a Christmas leader, two Christmas poems, and five Christmas stories. Moreover, except for two or three editorial paragraphs and three short poems it contains nothing else.

The best piece of work in the number is Mr. Townsend's "Lord and Lady Bountiful," which has genuine humor and much felicity of detail. Mr. Powel's "up to the minute" story is a wild burlesque, of considerable merit, with a preface which might well be reduced to a title, and a postscript which in spite of its kindly spirit might well be omitted. Mr. Schenck's "Missing Mistletoe" is slow in getting under way, and sudden ever afterwards. Much of the dialogue lacks ease, but, the sudden part is diverting. Mr. Warren's "Lost Christmas" is a story of sorrow, told creditably yet lacking power. Mr. Whitman's "Chamburlesque" I cannot estimate fairly without reading the work it parodles--and this, if the parody is just, I should be sorry to do. If I were judging the story by itself, I should be tempted to call it capable but vulgar.

The editorial articles are short. The first, which is mildly cynical and not particularly well written, treats of the Christmas spirit; the second discusses the holiday trip of the Musical Clubs with a gayety not quite spontaneous; the third and last gives a friendly welcome to the Class Day officers, whoever they may prove to be.

Of the verse, Mr. Tinckom-Fernandez contributes a Christmas sonnet in dignified yet not quite comfortable English; Mr. Greene a quatrain, which, like most attempts at packing poetry, wants ease and life; Mr. Aiken a longer poem ("The Spirit of Christmas Eve"), which shows little individuality, and not much responsiveness in vocabulary. Mr. Wheelock appears twice in this number, neither time in a Christmas spirit and neither time at his best. "The Return after Death" is ambitious and in spots effective, but suffers from want of metrical skill and from occasional weakness of word. The "Song," though less faulty, is also less interesting. It is noteworthy that both poems tell of a love which shall be "not as before."

As a whole the number is readable, seasonable, and surprisingly varied. Like other numbers and like most of our students' publications, it would be the better for accurate proof-reading