LITERARY MOTES.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXI, Issue 124, 26 May 1900, Page 2 (Supplement)

LITERARY MOTES.

It were not advisable for anyone unfamiliar with Rudyard Kipling's work, suppose such a one exists, to take up "From Sea to Sea," his latest volume, and accept it as iho author at his best. As a matter of fact, the publication was in a manner forced on the great man. So considerable has the Kipling boom been that enterprising publishers, domiciled for the most part in that progressive country, the United States, took it upon themselves to issue all sorts of unauthorised collections of Kipling's earlier contributions to newspapers, chiefly the "Civil and Military Gazette" and Allahabad "Pioneer." So Kipling was prevailed on to himself attend to their collation, and under the title of "From Sea to Sea" Messrs Macmillan and Co. have added two very nicely g-ot np volumes to their Colonial Library. The book is very largely a record of impressions of travel. Here and there glimpses of the matured Kipling are obtainable, and the writing throughout may be justly described as graphically descriptive. Talce as an example, picked entirely at random, and without a view to drawing on the book for any of its gems, the following:—

"It is good to be free, a wanderer upon the highways, knowing not what to-morrow will bring forth —whether the walled-in niceties of an Knglish household, rich in all that makes life fair and desirable, or a sleepless night in the society of a goods-cum-booking office-cum-pareels clerk-, on fifteen rupees a. month, who tells in stilted English the story of his official life. while the telegraph gibbers like a maniac once in an hour and Ihen is dumb, and the pariah dogs fight and howl over the cotton bales on the platform."

Too long a sentence to be attempted by anyone not a very fair master of English, and yet strong, clear, and, in a sense, incisive. A -copy of "From Sea to Sea" reaches us through Messrs Champtaloup and Cooper.

With the average reader of fiction the historical romance stands high in favour. Fashions with which we are unfamiliar, tricks of speech not of our time, and the adventursome spirit characterising the life of the Middle Ages combine to lend a glamour to even a comparatively commonplace story. But nevertheless the historical romance with all its advantages has its drawback from the author's point of view; it is difficult in the telling. Quaint English without felicity of expression strikes modern ears with an incongruity that is unpleasant. In this particular we have rarely met with a book combining more fully the essential of being pleasantly written with the other good points of the historical novel than "By Order of the Company." It is a narrative of 17th century life in the New World, displays gr.eat ingenuity in plot, and possesses that strong love motive which predominates in nine-tenths of romances of the sort. The name of the author—Mary Johnston—is but little known; still the merits of the book should earn it a place in the favourite volumes of fiction of the year. Messrs Archibald Constable and Co. are the publishers.

Readers of the "Pall Mall Magazine" will be pleased to learn that Mr H. B. Marriott Watson is, a contributor to the. May number, under the title of "The Outlaw.'Tle is to be responsible for a series of short stories, which, complete in themselves, are yet, all linked together by the personality of "The Outlaw." The first gives promise of an interesting series. Fiction on similar principles by Harry Lauder commences _in the same number, the title being the "Prince of Fame." The most interesting of the articles contained in the May number are: — Hampton Court Palace, Arts and Crafts in the Seventeenth Century. IT. The Passage to the Great North West (a well illustrated article on the Canadian route to the Yukon) and the Army and lis Badges, I. W. E. Henley and G. S. Streets contributions are as usual readable. Besides those already mentioned the following are contributors to the fiction: — IScTnard Capes, C. Kennett Burrow, Marion Elliston, Edwin Sharpe Grew, Helen F. Helheringfon, and Flora Annie Steele (The Hosts of the Lord). A return from the present style of illustration, bordering as it does on the impressionist school, to the former, even if more ordinary illustration, would, we are sure, with most readers, be welcome.

Critics may pull Guy Boothby's novels to pieces, and characterise them as a disgrace to a than capable of much better work, but the demand for them serially and in book form continues unabated. The author in fact commands as extended a reading public as any writer to-day. The cause is not difficult to divine. While his later books lack that touch of. sumptuous imagination which characterised the Nikola series, they are still thrilling talcs of love and adventure. The latest "A Maker of Nations" is typical. In many ways it is superior to its immediate predecessors; it is less improbable, more convincing, and yet not at a sacrifice of stirring incident. We would like to see Guy Boothby devote more care to his work, but at the same time are unable to name anyone who in the same line seriously rivals him. "A Maker of Nations," added to Ward Lock's excellent colonial library, reaches us through Messrs Wildman and Lyells.

Winston Churchill's book, "Savrola," could not have appeared at a more auspicious time. The author is one of the most markedly successful young men of his time; and at the present moment, despite occasional serious lapses of judgment, is the journalistic hero of the war. "Savrola" we referred to some weeks back. It bears the impress of the work of a young man. The revolutionary spirit, whose name figures as the title, is a young man's hero, physically intrepid, and, up to a certain point, morally courageous. The few days of revolution which the pages narrate are days of deeds as well ns words. Taken an throug.i, the book is thoroughly readable, although we think we are justified in looking for better things from Mr Churchill. Messrs Geo. Roberts & Co., of Melbourne, throgh Mr It. Mackay, have forwarded us a copy of "Savrola," which has been issued in Longman's colonial library.

W.. Clark Russell's narratives display a more intimate acquaintance with the sea, aid the. various ships that sail it, than any other writer; but Unless this is sufficient, irfcom-

mendation, it is very difficult to find anything else in favour of "A Voyage at Anchor." It is an extremely prosaic narrative of a holiday spent in an old vessel anchored off the Downs, '.the lunatic to whom this way of spending the summer occurred varies the monotony of what, judging by the book, must have been a truly awful (existence^ by taking the party various jaunts on shore. Those find the evcry-aay incidents nboard*the Calenture are told with a detail truly appalling, and one .is not soiry that a storm eventually drives the old packet on to the Goodwin Sands. "A Voyage at Anchor" has been added to Bell's colonial library, and a copy has been forwarded us through Messrs Wildman and Lyell. The "National Review" for April contains a series of highly interesting editorial nates on the war, not so much as regards the military situation as the consequences, settlement, and modifying effect on foreign relations that the struggle has brought about. The best articles in the same number are 11. W. Wilson's "First Lessons of the War—A Blow to Germany"; ''The Coming- Settlement," by Coloniensis; and "Official Assurances," by Lord Robert Cecil, Q.C. When 11. \Y. Massingham's recent differences with his proprietary, leading to his resignation, are remembered, his article, "The ethics of Editing," has a peculiar "significance. Leslie Stephen's ".John Ruskiu" is a fair if somewhat belated biographical note ou the great art and social ciitie: and an entertaining and, in its way, instructive account of the restrictions under which the Russian press labour is worth perusal. A. Maurice Low has again assumed the role he before ably discharged, namely .the magazine's commentator on American affairs. A list: of the contents of the "Windsor" for April will, as adequately as anything we can say, show the excellence of the number, it is as follows: "A Night March in the Desert" (frontispiece), from the picture by 11. Cafoii Woodville, jI.L; "The Italian Riviera," E. H. Selby and Carl Siewers; "With Tommy on a Transport to the Cape," Florence Burnley; "The Strong Arm," No. V., "The Needle Dagger," Robert Barr; "London, Ontario," Harry Furniss; "Long Live the King'!" (chapters xv.-xviii.), Guy Boothby; ".James Sears: A Naughty Person." William Allen White; "To Her Who Asked a Song" (verses), E. Nesbit; "Soldiers ofithe Press" (all about war correspondents and their work), Robert Machray; "Love in Our Village." No. TIL. "The Roses of .June," Orme Agnus; "Daffodils" - (illustration). A. L. Bowley; "London's Lost Tunnel." Ifarrv Thompson; "Bringing Up the (tuns" (illustration), \V. T. I'earee; "A Gentleman of the Road," Katharine Tynan. To "The Editor's Sera]) Book," E. Kenneth Brown. C. Pears, P. V. Bradshaw*. and- Louis Wain contribute. The April "Windsor" reaches us through Messrs Wildman & Lyell. The feature of "Chamber's Journal" for last month is undoubtedly some of Carlylc's letters, hitherto unpublished. 'While exclusively of a business nature, they are possessed of considerable value, and will be perused with attention. The other most interesting contributions are William Le Quex's serial, "Some Transvaal Reminiscences," "A Ramble Round a London Dock," "Some Noted Linguists of the Century," a story in two parts entitled "The W rit of Lauchlan Maeintyre." and a story, also in two parts, by W. H. Norway. Messrs Angus and Robertson have published at the moderate price of 1/ an interesting collection of Henry Lawson's prose sketches. The stories for the most part have appeared in the columns of the "Bulletin," "Town and Country Journal," "Freeman's .Journal," and "Australian Star" (Sydney), and the "West Australian" and "Western Mail" (Perth), but several now appear in print for the first time. The volume reaches us through Messrs Champtaloup &■ Cooper. Nearly everything that Archibald Forbes wrote was thoroughly good "copy," without rising to a much loftier 'level. The most popular of his books are in Maemillan's Colonial Library, and consist of collections of his magazine articles. Most readers know "Glimpses Through the Battle Smoke," "Barracks, Bivouacs and Battles," "Souvenirs of. Some Continents," and "Camps, Quarters and Casual Places." If not they should try one. They are thoroughly apropos reading for the present juncture. An odd incident of Forbes' career was the mysterious Metz telegram of the Franco-German war. This message described the fallen fortress after its capitulation, aud was a singularly striking Kiplingesquc picture which set everybody talking. It was reproduced by the "Times" with complimentary remarks, and Forbes' employers and friends exalted him on high. Presently, however, came an extremely cross letter from the war correspondent himself, disclaiming the honour. The telegram was not his. Whose then? Good-natured rivals of the Daily News hinted not, too obscurely it had been written up in Fleet street. But Sir John Robinson fortunately" had preserved the original telegram and made them apologise. He also managed to rout out thexsender. Many people think they knowxhis name, but, outside certain sanctums in Bouveriestreet, all is really guess work. It was an irritating jar for Forbes at the commencement of his career. Mr Rider Haggard has been unable to resist the temptation of another trip to South Africa, and will represent Pearsons new paper, the "Daily Express," at the front. The "Express," it should be mentioned, will not belong to the Pearson Companies, but to Mr Pearson himself. He is running a pretty big risk, as, bar the "Mail," none of the half-penny dailies are doing too well. The "Leader" has probably the largest sale. • Charles Williams does the "War Notes," and his views on current successes or catastrophes are better worth having than those of most "military experts." Apropos of the war correspondents, it has been discovered by "Literature" that Sir William Howard Russell was not—as generally accepted—the first of them, but only the first to become famous. He had two predecessorsCharles Lewis Gruneisen and Henry Crabb Robinson. Gruneisen "did" the Carlist War of 1837 for the ".Morning Post," and had ivonderful adventures. Crabb Robinson was sent by the "Times" to Corunna in 1808. But he was a poor, spiritless creature, and fell far short of the modern military expert. "Of the merits or demerits of the retreat," he writes, "and the mode fti which it was conducted T will not pretend to speak. Professional skill and most exact local knowledge alone justifies an opinion." S/nh modesty is indecent.