The Advocate.

The festive cover of the Christmas Advocate encloses a varied collection of stories and verses. "The Tangled Web that Allen Wove," by W. N. Seaver sets forth the dire results which inevitably follow a deviation from the path of truth. It cannot be denied that the author has contrived for the punishment of his hero a complication of exquisite tortures,--which are physical rather than moral. The story has little of the college atmosphere, however, and the six pages required to disentangle Allan might well be reduced to four. "Before the Engynes Came Through," by R. W. Page is a short dialect sketch without much structure. The best thing in the number is the last story, "Speedaway," by R. W. Child. Its dialect is natural and gives a real flavor to the whole story, which has the merit of saying little, but suggesting much.

Among the contributions in verse the most elaborate is "In the House of the Poet," by A. D. Ficke. Somewhat vague and fantastic, it is musical and gracefully done. "Holworthy Christmas Eve," a firelight reverie by L. Warner, and a quatrain, "Venus," by H. L. Warner are deserving of mention. "The Ancient Lovers," verses by W. Bynner, two editorials and a book review complete the number.