A NEW ZEALAND NOVEL.

Auckland Star, Volume XXII, Issue 247, 17 October 1891, Page 2

A NEW ZEALAND NOVEL.

The reviewer sitting down to Mr Tom Cottle's New Zealand novel, "Frank Melton's Luck," has the wind rather taken out of his sails by the author himself in the preface. That gentleman states that lm aim has been a realistic and truthful description of station life' in New Zealand, together with a faithful depiction of the historical incidents woven into the story ; and in this ho has already been creditably informed that he has achieved success. When believes in his success—and Mr Cobble evidently does—there is little to be said. Ho J'-' p!oaf>-;.S, n-"i it- would hn ungrs. ci'ous to"interfere with thab pleasure. H must nor, be understood by this that r.e. differ from Mr Cottle'., kindly cri.i.--. "Fraok MelKnV- Luck " is an una.-_.ummg reasiable ..iory "f station life, with some exciting war incidents worked in. The characters of the book are firmly drawn, and bhe author has a facile pen, a pleasant fancy, and c-howp qyery- now and then a facility for descriptive writing and word pictures. The same sort of story lias been to»d fairly often' before, but Mr Cobble tells ib in a new way, and has one advantage over -evera! authors whoso names are 'hotter known—thathe has had aknowledgeof what he was writing aboub. Frank appears to us a sufficiently pleasant,young fellow, and aH things considered, he is an interesting one. He has a decidedly susceptible heart, and falls in love as often as practicable before lie meets his special'affinity,- Fanny by name, on board tho steamer on the way from Manukau Heads to Wanganui. bhe turns oub to be his cousin, and the course of true love does not run by any means smooth. A perfectly outrageous cad namedGroflvonor is the principal stumblingblock in Mr Frank's way. This young .nrier of the aristocracy is most certainly as contemptible a personage as it has been our privilege to come across. Mr Cottle is very successful over the character, but it ' SH rely stretching a point bo make bhe vouiio- man talk the language of bhe lower pi.-.-e'i- Even a baronet's son would -rarcel'v talk about the " likes of us." A description of a cattle muster is very realistic and distinctly diverting. Ib is moreover very true to life, as many a cadet could tell. Poor Frank gets unmercifully . h .. Ed about his croppers, and the usual incidents of a muster when new chums are about are graphically describe:]. The decription of the war at Patea and the rl.i-Ii of Yon Tompsky are about tho b_«t specimens of fine descriptive writing ;„ a book that is by no means deficient in jrood descriptions. A capital Sea is given of the Thames go d fever and of the doings on the Auckland Alining Exchange in the good old days The book is throughout, in fact, full of vivid pictures of New Zealand life. Few of the conditions are changed so mucn or *o len" that it could not be said that many of .hcdiavacters, especially the minor one no .1. verly introduced, arc veritable portraits. One thing ie 'certain Mr Cottle has written a book that is faithful and true. It is also interesting and amusing, and eoually so to the old settler, his sous and daughters, or the new arrival who wishes to i-'now what sorb of place he has come to. V The book can be obtained from all stationers and booksellers throughout New Zealand. Price, Is.

Some get married because they think it ; s -tho best way r.o live. Thi. is like the fasting mar,—starving him.elf to earn his daiiy bread.