27 SEPTEMBER 1902, Page 25

Pearson's Humorous Reader and Reciter. (C. Arthur Pearson. 2s. 6d.)—This

is a remarkably good selection. Of course the familiar pieces, " Bardell v. Pickwick," "The Little Vulgar Boy," "Bob Sawyer's Party," "The Jackdaw of Rheims," &c., are hero. But the compiler has gone far afield, and has found the way, we see, of overcoming copyright difficulties. Westcott (author of " David Hamm"), Bret Harte, R. Barr, Jerome K. Jerome, Barry Pain, Burnand, Eden Phillpotts, W. S. Gilbert, W. W. Jacobs, have been put under contribution. We are glad, also, to see humourists who are somewhat out of fashion, James and Horace Smith and Samuel Lover, for instance. There is an admirable sketch of Lover's, "Father Phil," which has just the touch of the serious at the end which makes humour more effective.