lipoli campaign, from the landings
until the evacuation, and anything more adventurous it would be hard
to imagine. In reading this story of _The Orphan, The Lamp-post,
Bubbles, The Hun, Rawlins and The Pink Rat_, one feels that the author
actually knows these "snotties," with their high courage, animal
spirits and elementary humour. It is in fact history spiced with
fiction. Of all the characters my vote goes to _Kaiser Bill_, for
although, being a tortoise, he performed no deeds of actual gallantry,
he carried good luck with him wherever he went. Besides, his name
might annoy the ALL-HIGHEST. Mr. JEANS made an extremely good shot
when he drew his bow at _A Naval Venture_.

* * * * *

You would hardly believe what a remarkably unprincipled set of persons
make up the cast of Mr. WILLIAM CAINE'S newest story. He calls them
_Drones_ (METHUEN), but that, I feel, is a charitable understatement.
There was _Eric Wanstanley_, rising young sculptor, who, because he
didn't rise quickly enough, was capable of borrowing the savings of
his friend's parlourmaid to work a system at roulette. The friend,
_Austin Jenner_, was also an artist and also rising. His little
failing was concealment of the fact that he was almost wholly
supported by remittances furnished by his hard-working brother.
Incidentally he was engaged to _Eric's_ sister, but abandoned her
without a qualm for the beringed hand of one _Mrs. Meldrum_, a rich
widow, known as The B.Q. (Biscuit Queen). Need I say that _Mrs.
Meldrum_, moving in these circles, and with ambitions as an art
patroness, lived in Cheyne Walk? Indeed the setting of the whole
comedy is inevitably Chelsea. Having regard to the number of bad hats
among the _dramatis personae_, you will probably not be astonished to
be told that their goings-on are excellently entertaining; though
I cannot but think that to give both his leading lady and his
_soubrette_, or Singing Chambermaid, the handicap of morally deficient
young brothers, does look like laziness on the part of Mr. CAINE.
Surely there exist other avenues to calamity. But it's an amusing
rogues' comedy.

* * * * *

[Illustration: UNPUBLISHED INCIDENTS IN ANCIENT HISTORY. PANOPEUS
EXPLAINS HIS MODEL AT THE WAR OFFICE, ATHENS, DURING THE TROJAN WAR.]

* * * * *

FOR THE SAVING OF CHILD-LIFE.

Mr. G.K. CHESTERTON will lecture on "How Dickens' tales cam