In most stories constructed on the _Enoch Arden_ principle one of the husbands or wives (whichever it may be of whom there are too many) is usually a very nasty person. Miss SOPHIE COLE, in _The Cypress Tree_ (MILLS AND BOON), makes all three of her entangled characters quite attractive; in fact, though I fear she would not wish me to say so, I really liked the unsuccessful competitor better than the winner. Books made up of the little homely things which might happen to anybody and distinguished by their pleasant atmosphere have been Miss COLE's speciality in the past; this time she has, without abating a jot of her pleasantness, added a touch of the occult in the shape of an old black-letter volume which infects everyone 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.'