SEES MORE MATURITY IN MARCH ADVOCATE

Prose dominates this month's issue of the Advocate-a prose that is in general rather more mature than usual. Such an impression, of course, is helped materially by Dr. Murdock's article on the tribulations and philosophies of "the office", in which he points out some of the more or less unsuspected points of contact between administrator and undergraduate, and pleads wisely for a sense of humor and more truly representative expressions of the opinion of "the student body." This sanity, too, is reflected in the editorials that thrust neatly, though somewhat smugly, at the prevailing critical attitude toward the University.

The fiction is a bit difficult to categorize. Its entire freedom from the plot-and-story complex will puzzle a few, but its artistic handling will please more. Mr. Smart, for example, writes merely a series of biographical anecdotes and analyses which he labels a "Pilgrimage"; but his rich and nicely turned style leaves the reader with no desire for dramatic ingenuity. It seems to me that Mr. Smart might some time try his hand at actual rather than fictitious literary criticism with decided success; the Advocate could do very well with something of the sort. Mr. Edmonds, in his "Lilace", risen to fanciful heights-but he shows a tendency to stay up for too long at one stretch. which gives a slight touch of the "precious" to his work; he does, however, put his final point across with neatness. The "Parable of Poetic License", by Mr. Leonard, is good imaginative fooling.

Whitney Cromwell carries off highest honors in the poetry. The picture of Pan pressing his "twisted thumb against his nose" is delicious-and it is painted with well-swung movements of the brush. What is more, it is a generous relief from the devil-in-the-inkpot type of verse. Mr. Hope's "Ballad" is symbolic and severe, as much a ballad should be; but then Mr. Hope can usually be counted on to produce good work.

As for the famous contest for a prohibitionist nickname, it will be sufficient her to say that the name has been found, and that it is surely "catchy". Taken all in all, if the Advocate keeps up to the high standard of the three issues which it has been my distinct pleasure to review this year, it will surely win back for itself the reputation and enviable position as the leader of the University's literary taste and thought that it once held