CATERING FOR BUSY READERS.

King Country Chronicle, Volume VII, Issue 538, 1 February 1913, Page 7

CATERING FOR BUSY READERS.

SOME SPECIAL "LIFE" ATTRAC. TIONS. The February issue of "Life" is such a good all-round number that it is difficult to decide at first which is the most important feature. There is, for example, a very fine review of the situation arising out of the war in the Balkans, in which the editor summarises the results of the fighting that has taken place, and indicates how to map of Europe may be re-cast as a result of the war. An interesting travel sketch is contributed bv Major the Hon. R. A. Crouch, who describes with pen and camera the new way home from England to Australia, via Siberia, and empasisea the value from a military point of view, of the trans-Siberian line. In lighter vein, J B. Cooper writes about the great Australian bogie, and tells the story of the histjrical canard in which the skull of a foal was solemnly pronounced by a body of scientists to be the remains of the mysterious bunyip. In this issue of the "Life" Mr Carlyle Smytbe continues the entertaining story of his tramp abroad with Mark Twain, illustrating it with a number of portraits taken during the famous humourist's visit to Australia. There is also a profusely illustrated review of the life of the late Phil May; and it may be a surprise to Bome people to know that Phil May came to Australia under engagements to the Sydney "Bulletin" at a salary of £IOOO a year . On the fiction side of "Life" two detective stories of an exciting nature are balanced by an historical tale of Napoleon and a fine sea story. The departments of this excellent magazine are quite up to the standard, which is to say that they alone are worth the sixpence for the magazine.