axp Woxpers. By J. D. Beresford. Golden Cockerel Press. 5s. act). it is in the portrayal of uncerteinties that this generation excels. In one of the best and most amusing sketches in this volume Mr. Beresford draws the picture of an "extrovert," that is, of a man "who has never questioned himself, never doubted the infallibility of his own gospel, never known fear." He is noisy in his positiveness. Ie is not right that he does not need to shout about it; not so sure that be dares to be silent. And this man's noise, his "barrage," sets Mr. Beresford wondering whether his simplicity, his assurance, is not less than that of his kind in earlier years. "Is the man of intense convictions and rigid principles become so much of an anomaly in this new world of ours that the development of the} barrage has become necessary as a means of assertion against a people who will question even such a simple premise as that two two invariably produces foun"' If you are one! whom doubt of so obvious an axiom enrages, you had better avoid th for nearly all its studies are concerned with people who feel pas. sion ately that you cannot be cer-tin that two and two make four.
the sketches and stories are of unequal value. Some are satirical slimpws, almost grimaces at things and persons who annoy Mr. Beres! tord, Others are, formally, near, the ordinary short story, but w an odd twist in their attitude which leaves the reader wondering what the author is at. explain to much.
3 always had pedagogue in him; "The Perfect Smi mination that we shall pot point. Too often, indeed, we are left wondering if Mr. Bi net confuse mystery with magic, the merely supremely clever the wisdom of the initiate. seotns too anxious that we learn, learn about things truth has never come with observa. tion, but is revealed secretly at night, or in a moon so brilliant that the witnesses and the initiate himself are dazzled, "The Miracle," which tells how a shell-shocked man, after lying for long weeks uncon: scious, comes to life, is this passion for explanati desire not to be true but to seem lucid. The same fault, but not so prevents the real fineness ight of Creation" from making its full impression.—'The beginning of this tale, which is by far the Tongest in the book, could net be bettered: Mr. Beresford builds delicately a wonderful contrast between the eager commonplace of the clever, discussing peoplo and the tense wisdom of the dead and the living. The fidgety intel¥ectualism of the man who hates! the possibility of spirits or recenants is admirably shown; but
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.