So rarely are we given an opportunity to pay into the private lives of our college professors that we should consider this charming novel of travel brought to us by Dr. Walter Starkie, professor of Spanish at the University of Dublin, an invigorating experience. In Raggle Taggle, an crudite man of letters doffs his pedagogical trimmings and sets out with a fiddle and a camera on an audacious tramp through the rougher regions of the Balkan countries. From its beginning this fascinating tale is one continuous entertainment, expounding adventure after adventure among the dark-skinned, musical vagabonds of Europe's gypsy clans. It is most amusing to see our pedant brushing elbows with the more truculent half of life, as well as with the dusky female species whose advances he passes off with tactful gentleness, always taking his romance with a grain of salt and never once forgetting his station in life. We follow this troubadour and his disguise, waiting for him to betray himself and his vocation and we are not at all surprised to catch him meditating upon the companions of Xenophon when he comes upon the shores of Lake Balation.

After reading this pleasant book of travel you will be more prone to appreciate the latent qualities, and feel more kindly towards the sometimes stern, dogmatical figure on the rostrum in your lecture hall.