LITERARY NOTES.

Auckland Star, Volume XXI, Issue 48, 27 February 1890, Page 5

LITERARY NOTES.

(FROM OUR LONDON CORRESPONDENT.)

The third of the series of four novels, which the indefatigable Miss Braddon has undertaken to write for Mr Leng, of the "Sheffield Telegraph " syndicate, was commenced on Saturday last. The title, "Whose Was the Hand?" is sensational enough in all conscience, though it somehow soundsfamiliar. In the course of theyearthis syndicate will publish "The Secret of the River," by the prolific Dora Russell ; " Blind Fate," by Mrs Alexander; and a new romance by Ouida.

I saw a copy the other day of the " colonial edition " of Mrs Campbell Fraed's new novel, " The Romance of a Station," which is to be issued ab two shillings forthwith in your part of the world. This, to bo candid, is quite as much as the book ia worth. There's no harm in the story, but if. Mrs Praed had never written anything better she would scarcely command the terms she does.

"Montague Williams' Reminiscences " are hanging tire for some reason or another, and 'tis said publication may be postponed till next autumn. That would be both a pity and a mistake, as there is no book really "the fashion , ' just now, and a racilytold volume of recollections would almost certainly catch on. • David Christie Murray's younger brother Henry, who claims to have written the greater part of that excellent detective story "A D.mgerous Catspaw," has now produced a semi-sensational novelette of liia very own called "A Game of Bluff." It is a readable tale enough, but without a tithe of the cleverness of "A Dangerous Catspaw." The plat is old and none of the characters particularly original. In his preface to Wilkie Collins' posthumous novel, " Blind Love," Walter Besant explains that though he finished off a portion of the third volume, the story is from first to last the author's own, Mr Collins had drawn out such an elaborate scenario of the plot that all Mr Besant had to do was to fill in a few unimportant details. Most people, indeed, will find it impossible to determine where Wilkie Collins laid down his pen and Besanfc picked it up. The sale of Browning's " Asolando " has been much larger than that of Tennyson's "Demeter." The former is now in its seventh edition, whereas only some 2,000 copies have been issued of the Laureate's volume.

Black's new novel, " Prince Fortunafcus," is the story of the numerous love troubles of a phenomenally handsome and popular young tenor of the " Tottie " Coffin School. The likenese to this gentleman is carried pretty close, as you will realise when I tell you that the Mr "Lionel Moore" of the scory makes a great hit in a comedy opera, called the " Squire's Daughter," by singing a wonderful serenade known as " The Starry Night." More of this book anon. The second number of the "Speaker" is a great improvement on the first. Gladstone, Sydney Webb, George Augustus Sala and J. N. Lockyer contribute interesting signed articles, and the " Notes of the Day " are particularly well put together. From all accounts Wenyss Reid is making up these initial issues very cheap, the majority of the contributions being New Year'a gifts. Both Mr Wm. Morris and Mr Watts, R.A., attended Dr. Charles Mackay's funeral, bub neither attracted so much attention as a very old white-haired Henry Russell, the veteran musician and composer of a score of old-world songs. Russell set numbers of Mackay's verses to music, notably, "Cheerßoys, Cheer," " A Life on the Ocean Wave," "Woodman, Spare That Tree," " To the West," etc., all of which he sang and played himself in a showy and effective style. Mr Russell was hanging on the arm of a bronzed, wiry man of middle age, who proved to be his son, W. Clark Russell, the nautical novelist. '