Shower and Shine. By Guy Fleming. (Longmans and Co. 6s.
net.)—Of Mr. Fleming's sketches several are concerned
with the war, amongst them a poignant account of an English soldier as he fought in the French lines, and an amusing dialogue on the now obsolete question of the Russians in England. A little satire concerning "a society which was established for the express purpose of befriending young servants'" is better adapted to the writer's style ; it treats the well-meant efforts of such societies with unnecessary bitter- ness, but it is delicate and effective, and shows that its author has discovered the value of the short sentence in the writing of a short story. Although be falls sometimes into the kindred danger of using it for truism and false paradox, it is due to this discovery that he is able to impart an unusual vividness to his work. There is seldom a word too much, whether of tragedy or comedy or farce. This is, however, the third volume he has given us of stories and sketches of extreme brevity and lightness; and we hope that soon he will attempt something larger and more ambitious—a lengthening out of his many ingeniously twisted devices.
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