13 FEBRUARY 1897, Page 25

Joe Smith and his Waxworks. (Neville Beeman.)—This is said to

have been "written by Bill Smith, with the help of Mrs. Smith and Mr. Saunders ; with pictures by Mr. Pitcher." It has every appearance of being a genuine record, and in some parts is distinctly interesting. When Joe goes to work to repair the very damaged stock-in-trade which he has purchased we are evidently in the hands of an expert. Other things in the book are readable ; some would have been better away. Altogether, it is a curious description of a part of the population which presents as difficult a problem to the social reformer as it is possible to imagine.