13 APRIL 1895, Page 25

Good Style, Small Expense. By Ben Holt. (Published for the

Trade.)—Ben Holt's humour is of a light, one might almost say, fleecy nature. There is plenty of it, but it is very quiet and is embodied in an easy, somewhat diffuse style. He professes to describe a visit to the World's Columbian Exposition as a member of a "Banner" excursion, whatever that may be. He is barely able to take care of himself, somewhat of a prig, and has no -definite notion of how to set to work. It is impossible to describe the nature of the style, but the humour approaches a sort of mixture of W. D. Howell's and Mark Twain, Howell's largely preponderating, but it is distinctly American and, moreover, quite readable. Many people will find it scarcely substantial enough to appreciate, but there can be no denying the literary element in it.