Book Review.

["Practice Papers" by Emil Charles Pfeiffer. Published by W. H. Wheeler, Cambridge, 1889.]

The publication of a volume of poems is a very formidable undertaking for an undergraduate, but it has been successfully accomplished by Mr. Pfeiffer of the senior class. Under the title of Practice Papers he has collected a number of short poems and prose sketches, some of which have already appeared in the college papers, but most of which are now published for the first time. The book is divided into two parts, the first, called "First Strokes" includes pieces written before 1882. Some of the poems notably "Sweet Sleep" and "Accusation" show good ideas and a delicate appreciation, but, as might be expected, as a whole the style is crude and unfinished. "Jerusha Slum's Trvals" is a series of letters in the Samantha Allen style of literature and "Caleb Dinsmore, Jr." is a romantic and elaborate but slightly improbable story.

The second part called "Full-formed Letters" is much better. The poems are mostly higly imaginative but there are many evidences of a deep sympathy both with man and with nature. By far the best thing is "Questions," addressed to a little child, which contains many beautiful sentiments, and is simply and smoothly written. The great fault in the style is a lack of coherency and unity which often renders the meaning very obscure.