The Day - book of Claudius Clear. By W. Robertson Nicoll. (Hodder
and Stoughton. 3s. 6d.)—Most of us know what Dr. Robertson Nicoll can do when, as one of his many activities, he takes up the essayist's pen. Many thousands of readers have found pleasure and profit in "Claudius Clear's Letters on Life," and they will be delighted to make acquaintance with some more of his thoughts on men and books and practical life. One of the best of the general essays is" Goodman's Croft." "Goodman" is a euphemism (on the "Eumenides" principle) for the Devil, and the "Croft" is a patch of ground which is left to lie idle, to be a sort of home for all the things, weeds, &c., that are adverse to prosperous farming. Many men have such a "croft" in their lives. They appear prosperous and seemly, but there is some evil corner in them of which the world knows nothing. Sometimes the dark secret comes out,—the eloquent preacher is found to be addicted to some hideous vice, the wealthy merchant is a swindling bankrupt. Many of the papers are interesting criticisms, personal and literary, of well-known men. The reminiscences of Professor Bain are especially noteworthy. Dr. Robertson Nicoll was an appreciative pupil of his. Mr. R. H. Hutton is the subject of another. It may be read with pleasure by any one who looks back with reverence and affection to that great man, save for one passage, where the writer reflects as it seems to us most unjustly, on Mr. Hutton's attitude towards Dissenters.
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