LITERARY.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXII, Issue 147, 22 June 1901, Page 2 (Supplement)

LITERARY.

'•There are certain tides of literary I fashion which it is really impossible to exp^in, except upon the theory of the "brain wave." Thus the "Chronicle' in opening a lengthy review of "EOSQ Amorosa: The Love Letters of a Woman," by George Egerton, just published by Grant Bichards. We si Merely hope the tide of love letters has turned, for during the past six months we have had enough and to spare of them, and George Egerton has by bad luck arrived with her book a day or two after the fair. Her letters were forestalled by that much-discussed, parodied and criticised . "An Englishwoman's Love Letters," and it is hard to do justice to the new-comer. Geo. Egerton's woman, judging by her letters, is one of the sort of women men do well to steer clear . of. Gentle reader of the male persuasion, just imagine yourself being addressed by the woman of your heart so: "Best beloved! You whimsicality in breeches!" "You thing of a hundred whimsies!" . - - "My Twin Soul!". . • "Dear thing!". '. . "Nicest man in the world!". . . . "Heart, friend, true lover and shaper of my- destiny! . "Dear, good little man!". . . "You dear, good man-thing!". . . "My very, very. Very dearest! My gofden-tongued little man!" And so forth. Just imagine your very best o-irl talking to you in this Strain per post:—"Shall I tell you how to keep this woman's love? Never kiss me from habit. Never let me feel ■ your lips touch mine without know- I ing that the heart and soul of you come along with them. Never demand of me as a right when I am your wife what you would have to sue for were you my lover or I your mistress." Or, if you prefer it imagine that you are married to the lady, and she begged you to say: "I am a little weary of you and your caresses. I would be free for a while to myself," rather than to "offer her a sedative lie"; or give you this for a breakfast dose: "I (like you; I am fond of you; I care dearly for you, I wish for you, yearn for you, ache for you; you are detir to mo, precious to me, rill the world to me, and when all these are added together they only mean—l leve you! and you me! Tell me, I am one wait to hear." An unoffending spouse thus addressed might be excused for descending to vulgarity and answering his exigent siren with the street boy's remark when he sees a particularly gorgeous specimen of femininit} r, "Oh, chase me!"

The premier place in the "Pall Mall Magazine" for June is worthily allotted to the Duke of Abruzzi's personal narrative of his expedition in the "Polar Star," which succeeded in making a new record in the periodical attacks on the North Pole. The story, told by the leader of the expedition is concise, simple and unaffected, 3ret, at the same time intensely interesting. "Feeding Lions at the Zoo" furnishes » text for several excellent sketches with pen and brush. "How the Welsh water comes to Birmingham" may be profitably studied by our city fathers. "Actor Managers and Their Work," by Horace Wyndham, introduces portraits and personal notes of London's most notable actors. "An Unpublished Chapter in the Life of Robert Louis Stevenson" sketches the struggles of this favourite author in San Francisco when working his way upward on the ladder of fame. There are several excellent short stories and poems, and the illustrations are superb.

"Cornhill Magazine" for May contains an appreciative memoir of the late Mr George M. Smith, publisher, by Leslie Stephen. Sydney Lee, in a luminous paper entitled "Shakspere and Patriotism," endeavours to show by an analysis of some of the great dramatist's historical creations that "Shaksperian drama powerfully enforces the principle that an active instinct of patriotism is essential to the proper conduct of life." lan Maclaren contributes a humorous character sketch under the title of "A High Ranger." Among the other -'notable contributions are "Cawnpore," by Dr. W. H. Fitchett; "A Londoner's Logbook,", and "Agricultural Settlement in the Transvaal and Orange River Colonies."

One can always rely upon getting full value in the "Windsor Magazine." The May number is well up to the usual high standard. It contains an admirable sketch of the Colonial Office by Frederick Dolman. Among the contributors of short stories are: E. Phillips Oppenheim, Frank Norris, Horace Bleackley, and J. Stoker. "The Whirligig," by Mayne Lindsay, develops some sensational phases. "Through the Thian Shan" gives readers a glimpse of innermost Asia; while articles on "The Midland Truant School," and "Modern Brushmaking" introduce the .reader to some interesting phases of life near at home, i "The Kaiser's Avenue of Statues" will interest art students, and the illustrations of the various stories and articles are excellent.

One of the most remarkable features of the great sale of the late Sir William Eraser's library at Sotheby's was an extraordinary series of caricatures and books illustrated by Thomas Eowlandson. The principal lot was an oblong atlas folio volume containing a collection of fifty-two original drawings in colours of humorous subjects by Rowlandson, many signed and dated. This made £433. Another collection of seventy-five original coloured drawings and studies by the same artist in a quarto volume sold for £ 160; a collection of 205 mezzotints by Robert Sayer and forty-seven line engravings by others, £151; and a complete set. of first editions of Sir Walter Scott, except "Waverley," which was the second edition, seventy-four volumes, brought in £61.

The dispersal of this remarkable library —the sale occupied Sotheby's for eight days, and the total amount realised was over £20,330 —gave abundant testimony to the acumen of Sir William Fraser in literary and artistic curiosities. Many of the volumes sold were "B^wdlerised," by Sir William, and achieved very high prices as, for instance, Lyson's "London," as it was in 1796. To this work ..Fraser added nearly 5000 portraits of celebrities of the day, and the 26 volumes he had made up fetched £335. His collection of Jest Books, which sold for £68, is said to contain every joke known to civilisation. Another "made" book, Mr

J. P. Kemble'9 Memoirs, with extra illustrations inserted by Sir William, achieved £131. Among other rarities sold were a collection of illustrations to Molicre's plays, which produced £316, the autographs of Thomas Moore's "Lalla Rookh," £330; Moreau le Jeune's "Monument dv Costumes Physique et. Moral," £67; John Shepherd Munden's Memoirs, £100; "Catalogue of the Sale of Napoleon's Furniture at St. Helena."' £86; "Naval Engagements," engraving's of .sen lights between 1707 m 1805. £235; "Pennant's Tour in Scotland/ extra'illustrated, £90; Alexander Pope's works, extended to five volumes, £205; Wycherley's Miscellany Poems, first edition and presentation copy to Henry Maxwell, 1704, £44; Napoleon the First's copy of Virgilius, Bucoliea, Georgica et Aeneis, folio, 1798, £25; a collection of engravings, portraits, etc., relating to Vauxhall Gardens, mounted in a folio volume, £80; first edition of "The Newcomes." by W. 11. Thackeray (author's own copy); 1854. £53; Dean. Swift's works, arranged by T. Sheridan, Thackeray's copy, 1803, £51; Byron's "Hours"of Idleness," 1808, extra illustrated, £238; H. Alkeu, British Sports, etc., 318 engravings, £225; J. limb's "Club Life in London," extended to 17 volumes by the addition of upwards of 10U0 portraits, caricatures, views, etc., £500; collection of female costumes. 30 fine plates, £130; collection of G37 caricatures, 6 vols., folio. £120; costumes of British army and navy, etc.,- £96; Lord Byron's letters, etc., in ~3 vols., quarto, extensively illustrated with upwards of 2SOO portraits, views, etc., £80.

The following is a portion of the "Litany Nigelli" of the late Professor John * Stuart Blackie, whose "Day Book" was published a few weeks ago: From beggars for my clients, from fools for my worshippers, and from sluts for my servants, Good Lord, deliver me.

From the impertinence of youthful critics, from the vanity of small poet?, and from the unreasoned giggle of silly young ladies, Good Lord, deliver me.

From the barren subtlety of lawyers, from the slippery shiftiness of politicians, and from the blind restlessness or calculated selfishness of commercial speculators, Good Lord, deliver me.

From a man that simpers sweetly, from a woman that laughs loudly, and fiom a young woman ambitious to play tho young man, Good Lord, deliver me.

From a scholar who smells of books, from a sportsman who tTOflls or horses, and a mother who smells of babie3,

Good Lord, deliver me.

From genius without sense, from talent without love, and from creeds without humanity, Good Lord, deliver me.

From a spinner of fine phrases, a spinner of senseless rhymes, and a woman who paints. Good Lord, deliver me.

John Bunyan, if he were alive, would have been rather astonished that a first edition of his "Pilgrim's Progress" sold at Sotheby's for £ 1475, the original selling price probably being a shilling' or two. So rare is this first edition that in 1854 Macaulay wrote: — "The 'Pilgrim's Progress' stole silently into the world. Not a single copy of the first edition is known to be in existence. The year of publication has not been ascertained." The essayist's words have since produced the five known copies, including that now soid, which bears the date of 1(578, and was printed "for Nath. Ponder at the Peacock in the Poultry, near Cornhill." The next big price at the same sale was for a part of the original autograph MS. of Sir W. Scott's "Ivanhoe," which fetched the large sum of £340. This was a portion of MSS. of Sir Walter Scott sold at Evans' in 1831, where it realised £12 only.

Mr Fisher Unwin announces the publication in his Colonial Library of "The Maid of Maiden Lane," another of Mrs Amelia E. Barr's charming romances of Old New York. The main theme is the love story of an Englishman ifor an American girl, a love which ran away for a long- time but oame to a happy ending.

Various stories concerning the manner in which Mr Kipling's "Recessional" was sent to the "Times" have been at large on either side of the Atlantic. "Literature" does its best to set the matter at rest by printing the letter which accompanied the poem. Mr Kipling wrote: "Enclosed please find my sentiments on things which I hope arc yours. We've been blowing up the Trumpets of the New Moon a little too much for White men, and it's about time we sobered down. If you would like it, it's at your service—on the old conditions, that I can use it if I want it later in book form. The sooner it's in print the better. I don't want any proof. Coiildn't you run it to-night, so as to end the week piously? If it's not in your line, please drop me a wire." It was "in your line" and appeared in the next day's paper.

The recent gigantic Stock Exchange operations on Wall-street, New York, have put all previous records in the shade. A few years ago cheques of five million dollars were kept aa souvenirs. Now cheques for ten million ' dollars are not uncommon, whilst those for seven million dollars are so common as to pass without notice. The majority of these huge cheques represent a variety of aggregate transactions in connection with the formation of numerous trusts. Among the peculiar features of the recent mad rush to Wall-street may be noted the astonishing increase in the number ,of women speculators. Even the Chinamen have been drawn from their quarters to Wall-street to speculate in the steel market. The rush of business was so tremendous that the commission houses refused to stop loss orders, thus placing the bucketshop men at a tremendous disadvantage. Mistakes by hurried brokers were of hourly occurrence. One man lost $10,000 on one deal, because in his excitement he sold instead of bought. Another speculator cleared $40,000 in forty minutes in Union Pacifies. The effect of all these dealings was apparent in all directions in the city of New York. Jewellers, res-taurant-keepers, florists, all tradesmen, in short, who cater "for the luxurious, were jubilant over the tremendous afflux of business. The costliest dinners known for years were of nightly occurrence in fashionable hotels and restaurants, and everyone, down to the waiters, who were receiving prince-like douceurs, reaped a rich harvest. Of course, when the inevitable collapse came, as it did early in May, thousands were ruined.