Vert de Vest's Eton Days, and other Sketches and Mentoirs.
By A. G. L'Estrange. (Elliot Stock.)—We do not know whether this can be said rightly to belong to the class to which we have assigned it. Still, a book which both boys and their elders will read with pleasure cannot be very wrongly placed. Tim paper which gives a title to the volume is its chief attraction. Mr. L'Estrange gives a picture of Eton as it was some thirty years ago, patting his own experiences and the experiences of others in an autobiographical form, and " embellishing " them, whatever that may mean. The Eton stories, however, do not seem to have been mach toached-up. The sketches of Cookealey, "Mad Moses," and Dr. Hawtrey are particularly good. Of the stories told of the latter, the following may be given as a specimen. He was particularly hard on card. playing. Executing one day a young offender, he found the victim wriggle, and thus proceeded .—" ' Play whist, will you ?' (swish). Odd tricks, indeed !' (swish). 'Oh, yes—all right—you shuffle and I'll cat !' (swish)."
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