one who gets possession of
it with a mildly insane determination to keep it. An honourable man
steals it and a nice woman smacks her baby for holding it, so you can
see how really baleful its influence must have been when you consider
that they were both Miss COLE'S characters. A very little of the
occult will excuse a good deal of improbability, and the small amount
that has crept into _The Cypress Tree_ does not spoil the effect of a
truly "nice" tale.

* * * * *

As an admirer of the _Spud Tamson_ books it irks me to have to say
that _Winnie McLeod_ (HUTCHINSON) contains too much solid sermon to
appeal to me. I gather that R. W. CAMPBELL wants to show how dangerous
life may be for a poor and beautiful girl, and as a warning _Winnie_
can be confidently recommended. But sound and wholesome as the
preaching is it seems to me more suitable for a tract than for a
novel. Moreover it is not easy to feel full sympathy with a hero who
is frankly called an Adonis, who "played a good bat at cricket,"
and also in a strenuous rugger match "dropped a beauty through the
Edinburgh sticks." Altogether the picture suffers from the prodigious
amount of paint that has been spent on it; yet I am confident it will
afford edification to many people whose tastes I respect but cannot
share.

* * * * *

"Ninety-six per cent. of men employed in the gas undertakings
voted in favour of a strike. Four per cent. were against
such action and the neutrals formed an infinitesimal
number,"--_Daily Paper._

A mere cipher, in fact.

* * * * *

"Required, immediately, man with intimate knowledge of colours
to call on consumers with ochres from the French Alps."

_Daily Paper._

Personally, we always prefer to consume raw umbers from the Apennines.

* * * * *

[Illustration: _Customer._ "BUT IF THESE WATCHES COST TEN BOB TO MAKE,
AND YOU ARE SELLING THEM AT THE SAME PRICE, WHERE DOES YOUR PROFIT
COME IN?"

_Watchmaker._ "WE GET IT REPAIRING THEM."]

* * * * *

Transcriber's Note:

p. 1.: 'say' corrected to 'says' ... 'says a Government official.'

***END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK PUNCH, OR THE LONDON CHARIVARI, VOL.
158, JUNE 9, 1920***

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