e are always pleased to
encourage juvenile talent, but we would suggest that our young friends
might have done better had they kept to their picture-books a little
longer before launching out into literature on their own account. In
the words of the poet we might say--

"Babies, wait a little longer,
Till the little wings are stronger,
Then you'll fly away."

"Nevertherless, we would refer to one or two of these interesting
attempts. Take, for example, the essay on the `Character of Julius
Caesar,' by one who signs himself Raleigh. This is very well written.
Pains have been taken about the formation of the letters, and some of
the capitals are specially worthy of praise. For one so young, we
rarely saw the capital D so well done. Dr Smith, were he alive, would
be pleased to see his remarks on Caesar so well and accurately copied
out. Master Wren gives us some verse--a translation out of Horace. We
wonder if Mr Wren is any relation to the late Jenny Wren who married
Mr Cock Robin. We should imagine from these verses that Mr Wren must
be well acquainted with _Robbin_. Take one more, Master Loman's `A
Funny Story.' We are sorry to find Master Loman tells stories. Boys
shouldn't tell stories; it's not right. But Master Loman unfortunately
does tell stories, and this is one. He calls it `A Funny Story.' That
is a story to begin with, for it is not funny. We don't know what
Master Loman thinks funny; perhaps he calls being run out at cricket
funny, or hitting another boy in the mouth when he's looking another
way. In any case, we can't make out why he calls this story funny. The
only funny thing about it is its title, and his spelling `attach'
`attatch.' The last is really funny. It shows how partial Mr Loman is
to _tea_. If this funny story is the result of his partiality to tea,
we are afraid it was very weak stuff."

Loman, who had already been made dreadfully uncomfortable by Simon's
poem, made no secret of his rage over this number of the _Dominican_.
He was one of those vain fellows who cannot see a jest where it is
levelled at themselves. The rest of the Sixth had the sense, whatever
they felt, to laugh at Anthony's hard hits. But not so Loman; he lost
his temper completely. He ordered the _Dominican_ to be taken down; he
threatened to report the whole Fifth to the Doctor. He would not allow
the junior boys to stand and read it. In short, he made a regular ass
of himself.

Undoubted