26 MARCH 1921, Page 23

The Love-a-Duck and Other Stories. By Stacy Aumonier. (Hutchinson. 8s.

6d. net.)—Mr. Stacy Aumonier endeavours in his foreword' to spike the gun of any reader who wishes to oriticize his book of short stories by claiming- for them no originality at all and acknowledging the difficulty of making the short story successful. Most of the studies included in this book are, at any rate, amusing—" A Source of Irritation," though incredible, being exceedingly diverting. On' the whole, the three War stories are the best, the one mentioned above, "The Great Unimpressionable," and " Them ()there' being all good reading. An ironic fiss?our runs through the book, to the great advantage of the sentimental passages.