The Advocate.

The Advocate is at hand. The opening poem, "The Desert Warrior," is a stirring war-song from the Arabic. It is smoothly and powerfully written, and there is a wild ring in the concise lines which adds double force to the warrior's savage and boastful song. "A Country Frolic" is a jolly life-like sketch, almost making one see the party at the "Forge." There would have been no diminution of the general effect of the sketch, if the conclusion had not contained the almost inevitable and common reference to a marriage. "Uncle Joe" is a sweet little story on a rather threadbare theme. However, it has the merit of not containing mechanical sentimentality and stilted dialogue, which are the common characteristics of college literature of this kind. The daily themes do not seem so well selected as those in the last number, although they are interesting on the whole. In the "Wanderings of Alexis" an interesting story is told in concise and brilliant style. An intensely realistic picture is given in language suited to the subject, but it is questionable whether this nervous style should not be at times modified in order to avoid monotony. "Otto III" is a powerful piece of historical description. "In a Theatre," is the name of one of the brightest sketches that has appeared in the Advocate for a long time. A more clever description of the scenes at the theatre, or a more acute and amusing delineation of the people in the audience, it would be hard to find. The verse is up to the usual standard in this number.