LITERARY.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXII, Issue 185, 17 August 1901, Page 2 (Supplement)

LITERARY.

In the "Cornhill Magazine" for July Mrs. Hodgson Burnett continues her /'Making of a Marchioness," and Mr. Stanley Weyman contributes a further instalment of "Count Hannibal." Mr. Ernest Myers sends a poem of "Alfred of England," whose centenary is just about to be celebrated. In the "Family Budgets" £1800 a year is the income which is spent, and Mrs. Earle, the authoress of "Pot Pourri from a Surrey Garden," has described the spending. There is a short story entitled "Lost and Found" by Mr. Frank T. Bullen. Dr. Fitchett, in his "Tale of the Great Mutiny," tells of the relief of Lucknow presidency by Havelock. The "Londoner's Logbook" run?: its course, and Urbanus Sylvan writes n provincial letter from Lincoln. An article on "Investment and Speculation" throws some light on recent financial crises, and the

'.Votes of an Octogenarian" contain some early Victorian reminiscences.

Mr. Fisher Unwiu has brought out a New Zealand novel, the plot of which is laid entirely in Wellington province. Ellen Taylor, the author, is evidently much better up in her knowledge of the topography of the country than many writers who attempt to steer their characters through colonial surroundings, and in this respect no fault can be found. In other directions much is left to be desired, for the stamp of the amateurish workman is on the novel. "A Thousand' Pities," as the story is called, is at the worst readable, and the. work of n writer who should in time do better things.

Of the historical novel there is apparently no end; and for the matter of that if the tale is well told we do not quickly tire of the historical romance. One of the latest is 11. C. Bailey's "My Lady of Orange," illustrated by G. J. Jacomb-Hood, and issued by Longmans'. The period is that of the crucial time in the struggle of William of Nassau's ill-provided and small following against the mercenary horde under the brilliant leadership of the cruel Spaniard Alva.* John Newstead, the central figure of the narrative, is a dashing freelance, whose bravery makes you glad; a brave lover to whom reward comes all too slow.. The auction of women by Alva's men, the usual end of his forays, is a splendid bit of description. Gabrielle de St. Irond would be justified in loving a villain, misshapen and old, who could fight with -iieh dash for her, there and elsewhere. But the hero being brave, honourable and comely, love's honours are easy. As a novel "My Lady of Orange" takes high rank of its kind. A copy of the book reaches us through Messrs. Upton & Co.

"The Life Story of Dinah Kellow," pubiishedj by Ward, Lock and Co. in their colonial library, is a rather pathetic human document. It is not calculated to cheef one up, but as a faithful picture of English village life with its considerable burden of sorrow and petty and transient joys it is something out of the common. The author, Christopher Hare, has made other and equally successful attempts at depicting the life of the working classes of rural England. Along with "Dinah Kellow" are some half dozen short stories of a similar character. We acknowledge receipt of a copy of the novel from Messrs Wildman and Lvell.

Joseph Hocking pursues a subject with commendable persistence. He worked pretty exhaustively the vein of the young literary aspirant, and more recently he has been having repeated digs at the Roman Catholics. His most recent book, entitled "Lest We Forget," is a story of the burning atrocities and religions persecution under "bloody" Mary. It is, as are all Hocking's books, well written and interesting. Richard^ Hamstead, who sets out to make his name in the service of the notorious Stephen Grainger, is a sprightly and captivating specimen of robust English manhood, even if exasperatingly cursed with a dull pate in emergencies where the reader feels that he would like to advise him distinctly for his good. It is not a matter for wonder that Richard should not sympathise very fully with the burning of heretics, and* when it is the pretty Faith Bedford that is in danger it does not come as a surprise when he throws over his service summarily and constitutes himself her champion. Some pretty tight corners the youthful pair get into, but the reader is saved from

undue fears as to their escape by the knowledge that as it is Richard who purports to tell the tale he can hardly have met an untimely cud. The novel is distinctly one Avorth reading. We acknowledge "Lest We Forget" from Messrs Wildman and Lyell.

We hardly imagine that, in New Zealand at any rate, there is a very extensive public interested in fish culture, but such as do make a hobby of the subject will find a very useful little book in C. E. Walker's "Amateur Fish Culture," which Messrs A. Constable and Co. have just published. The book mainly concerns itself with the rearing of trout, and appears eminently practical.

Mr Fisher Unwin has just published another remarkable American success, viz., "Quincy Adams Sawyer" by Charles F. Pidgin. It is a novel of New England life, and its success in America has been such that it is said to have made the name and fortune of a new and unknown firm of publishers.

Messrs Ward, Lock and Co. have sent us a copy of "The Story of a Baby," by Ethel Turner. This newvolume of 343 pages is produced uniform in size and appearance with the favourite Australian writer's other work's, and contains in addition to "The Story of a

Baby",,twelve shorter stories, some of which now appear in book form for the first time. There are eight illusrations by leading artists, and the volume is well worthy to stand side by side with "Seven Little Australians" and those other stories which have charmed and delighted so many readers.