_Brother Leo_ is not a fantastic dream of some unreal place. It is a simply beautiful story of a monk who had known no other life than that in his monastic retreat on an island near Venice. There, in a sort of heaven on earth, in a life of extreme simplicity, the young man, untouched by the world, developed all that should characterize us in our daily lives. For one day he goes out into the city, comes into touch with its veneer and dishonesty, and goes back joyfully, without the slightest regret, into his calm retreat. The story, or character sketch, has no startling event. The young monk moves in the soft light of kindliness, a beautiful, dream-like figure presented to us with sufficient realism to give verisimilitude. How much better to show this modern, idealistic figure in modern surroundings than to picture some one in the distant past, or in the still more distant future! Phyllis Bottome was born in England. Her father was an American clergyman and her mother an English woman. She has spent most of her life in England, although she has lived in America, France and Italy. She has written many short stories, some of which have been collected in a volume called _The Derelict_. =Torcello.= An island six miles northeast of Venice. =Saint Francis.= Francis of Assisi, 1182-1226. The founder of the monastic order of Franciscans. =Poverelli.= Poor people. =Rembrandt.= 1607-1669. A great Dutch painter. Some of his pictures,—especially _The Night Watch_,—show wonderful light effects. =Poverino.= Poor little fellow. =The sin of Esau.= See the Bible story in _Genesis_ 25: 27-34. Esau sold his birthright in order to satisfy his hunger. =St. Francis’ birds.= St. Francis loved all animate and inanimate nature, and once preached to the birds as if they could understand him. =Per Bacco, Signore.= By Bacchus, Sir! =Signore Dio.= Lord God. =Veramente.= Truly. =Il Signore Dio.= The Lord God. =Piazzetta.= An open square near the landing place in Venice. =The ducal palace.= The palace of the Doges of Venice, built in the fifteenth century. =Chi lo sa?= Who knows? =The column of the Lion of St. Mark’s.= A column in the Piazzetta bearing a winged lion, the emblem of St. Mark. =Saint Mark’s.= One of the most famous and beautiful church buildings in the world, originally founded in 830. Its attractive Byzantine architecture and its wonderful mosaics have always given delight. =The Piazza.= The chief business and pleasure center of Venice. =The new Campanile.= A new tower that takes the place of the fallen Campanile begun in the ninth century. =Frari.= A great Venetian church built for the Franciscan Friars, 1250-1350.