The "Advocate."

The advance sheets of the second number in the present volume are out, and they promise us a number fully up to the good standard set by the new board in their first issue. We even wish there were more sheets than there are. Indeed, another short story, as good as the first one, could have a taken the place of the batch of daily themes. The practice of publishing these choice bits of literature is good, but five is too many for a paper of the size of the "Advocate." "A Fool's Revenge" is hardly a story, for there is no plot; but the author has taken a series of incidents, hackneyed by long use in college productions - a railroad train, a rescue, two falls and a young lady, with a handsome military hero and stupid rival - and has by clever arrangement made a very interesting sketch. The denouement is particularly happy, and by it the reader's attention is held to the last. We wonder, by the way, what perron in Monaco the hero found so familiar.

The "Legend of Chocorua" we are glad to welcome among college writings, for it is an attempt at something different from and higher than the usual class of literature. It is after the style which made Hawthorne famous in his short tales; but, to use an old saw, we regret to say, it is a long way after. The author has obtained some of the effects he was evidently striving after, and one or two good conceptions are worked out. As a whole, however, the "Legend" is strained, and the vagueness and mystery in it, instead of giving color to it, are carried to far and make it utterly meaningless. The poetry in this number is good. "Flowers." the translation from Paul Bourget, is well rendered, and gains in effectiveness by being put into blank verse. In ' O Tempora," a pretty idea, well expressed, is hurt by faulty metre. A second strong poem, of deeper thought, is burdened with the pedantic and heavy title "Address." The fourth poem is a clever bit, announced as coming all the way from Laselle.

Before leaving the number we wish to express our pleasure from reading the editorials. They are well written, manly and fair-minded. We would only question the judgment in the choice of champions among the New York journals.