Journalism has been called “a literary appetizer,” the hors d'oeuvres of a full literary meal. Its merit is to open rather than to complete inquiry, to be provocative of thought beyond all it has given. The essay, on the other hand, is-as the advertisement says about even a miniature flat-“self-contained.” It is a small-scale treatise, presenting a complete picture, though in miniature.In both these types of composition Mr. Churchill has contributed notably. Step by Step and Great Contemporaries may be taken to illustrate his talent in journalism and the essay at its best.