23 NOVEMBER 1918, Page 17

Leaves in the Wind. By Alpha of the Plough. (Dent.

5s; 6d. - net.)—This is an agreeable volume of light essays, collected for the most part from the Star, with illustrations by Mr. Clive Gardiner. The author deserves credit for having written such pleasant papers in war time with so few references to the war. "On Taking the Call" is a good piece of ironic humour. He tells the story of the actor- manager who found his company standing in a circle and gazing at the floor ; when he asked for an explanation, they chanted in chorus "We're looking at a spot we've never seen before ; it's the centre of the stage." The author goes on to say that, as on the stage, " the art of politics is the art of taking the call.' "