War was
over that its story was made known to the public at home in _Tales of
Talbot House_ (CHATTO AND WINDUS), which received a warm welcome in
the review columns of _Punch_. This was followed recently by _The
Pilgrim's Guide to the Ypres Salient_ (REIACH), a little book compiled
and written, as a labour of love, entirely by ex-Service men. Besides
being actually a present-day guide to the Salient, it contains special
articles illustrating the life that was there lived during the War by
various branches of the service. And now we have the annual of "Toc.
H."--_The Christmas Spirit_--to which the PRINCE OF WALES has given
a foreword and a host of brilliant authors and artists have freely
contributed. Here are RUDYARD KIPLING, STEPHEN GRAHAM, G. K.
CHESTERTON, E. F. BENSON, IAN HAY, GILBERT FRANKAU, W. ROTHENSTEIN,
"SPY," DERWENT WOOD, HEATH ROBINSON and, of _Punch_ artists, F. H.
TOWNSEND, LEWIS BAUMER, G. L. STAMPA, GEORGE MORROW, G. D. ARMOUR,
E. H. SHEPARD, "FOUGASSE," WALLIS MILLS and H. M. BATEMAN.

The four contributions of F. H. TOWNSEND include a "first study" for
a drawing that appeared recently in _Punch_ and a delightful sketch
of "The Christmas Spirit," as typified by a St. Bernard dog from whose
little keg of brandy a traveller, up to the neck in snow, is reviving
himself.

Out of the great scheme in whose aid this remarkable annual has been
published have already sprung two Talbot Houses, one in Queen's Gate
Gardens, and one in St. George's Square. There is still need of a main
headquarters in London and hostels for its branches, more than sixty
of them, spread all over the country. "'Toc. H.,'" says its Padre, "is
not a charity. Once opened our Hostel Clubs are self-supporting, as
our experience already proves. In Edinburgh, Liverpool, Manchester,
Bristol, Newcastle, Birmingham, Leeds, Sheffield, two thousand pounds
will open a house for which our branches in each of these places are
crying out. It is only the original outlay, the furniture and the
first quarter's rent, which stand between us and a whole series of
such houses in the great provincial centres. Fifty pounds will endow a
bedroom, where a lad can live cheaper than in the dingiest lodgings,
and know something better of a great city than that it is a place
where all evil is open to him and all good is behind closed doors....
'Toc. H.,' we repeat, is _not_ another recurrent charity. It is a wise
way of helping to meet our debt of honour; it i