LITERARY.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXVII, Issue 72, 24 March 1906, Page 10

LITERARY.

j Another book by . Cliarles Wagner, j author -of "The Simple life,"' has been translated irito-English, and published by Sir Isaac. Pitman and Sons, Ltd. It is entitled "On Life's Threshold," and consists of talks to young people on character and conduct. In an introductory • note the author says: "The essential . thing is that our children should be i made to have an interest in their own character and conduct, and that they ■ should catch a glimpse, were it once only, in connection with whatsoever : event or lesson it may be, of the im- • mense interests of Real Life." -The book contains much useful information • j for the young, told in an attractive and I impressive way. < | . ■ j The March "Pall Mall Magazine'" is I stroner in biographical matter of inter- , est. John Burns, one of the most not- ', able personalities of the present Liberal ': (.overnment. is the subject of a sketch \ by Robert Donald; some glimpses of the jlife and work of Edward Stott, A.R.A., ! are afforded by Geo. R. Ilalkett: and the. j Eton days of 'the Rt. Rev. J. E. C. WellI clon. now Canon of Westminster, and j formerly Bishop of Calcutta, are hapI pily related by "An Old Schoolfellow." The new Parliament attracts further if indirect attention in E. T. Reed's cleverly illustrated "Ministers and Caricaturists," and Alfred Hinnlar's "The New Member." lan Malcolm gives i some casual impressions of one of Brii - ■ . . - ; rain s most picturesque possessions in j "Burma, the Lotus Land of A-jia." I'nj questionably the "Pall Mall" is catering j better than it has hitherto dove for j the popular demand for the short story j and the sketch. This March number I boasts among its contributors Lawrence j .Mote, Barry Pain. Jack London, CutclifF j H-yhe, Bernard Capes, and C- F. Keary. i ! "The Triumphant Tour of the New (Zealand Footballers."' from notes by j George W. Dixon, manager of the. team, has been published by Messrs Geddis and Blomfield. Besides comprising a complete record of the matches played, it gives an exhaustive history of New Zealand representative football, nnd photographic groups of every New Zealand rep. learn since ISS'2. There is a description of every match played in the Home Country, with thoughtful criticisms from a New Zealand standpoint, and comparisons of our players with the Britishers. The book is profusely illustrated with photographio and other - character sketches of the individual New Zealanders, snapshots from some of the most interesting matches, and photographic groups of the principal foams against which our men played. It will form a popular souvenir of the tour. The "Young Man" for March contains i a sketch of Dunedin. in anticipation of j the forthcoming Bible Class Conference I there at Easter. Among other interesting articles is one on Maori Prophets, in which the writer comments on the extraordinary faith still reposed Donatives in tobungas. He describes the deplorable condition ot affairs existing j in a Maori settlement in the Bay of ! Plenty which he visited recently, mainly j owing to the influence of these misl ehievous representatives of ail ancient 1 priestcraft. The whole tribe was "ilior--1 oughly demoralised, their crops were left to the pigs, while they simply ? wasted their days in their idle prae- " tices, a lid the death-rate was very high 1 —five deaths in little more than a fort- • night. The wide popularity achieved by " translations of those powerful his- ' t-orieal novels. "The Death of the Gods" 'and '"The Forerunner," has prepared - j 11 >o way for another vivid story by ! Merejkowski. ibe Russian novelist. The . j translation of . "Po.tera Alexis." pnb- >; li&hed by Archibald Constable and Co., i"J has" the imprimatur of authority, and ' j possesses the advantage of revision by >|Mr W. R. Morfill. Reader in Russian to . | the University of Oxford. A prefatory i note so lucidly describes the scope of -| the work that it may be advantageous- - ly quoted here. The story '"is a simple i J and earnest psychological study of the most moving episode in life of the I greatest of the Romanoff princes. It is I a sketch, vivid and true, of classes and conditions, of court and society, of I peasants and wild religious beliefs in i Russia at the beginning of the eighteenth century. As regards the bulk of the. population, she has not materially changed. Russia at that time lay in a position relative, to Europe precisely analogous to that occupied by Japan thirty-five years ago. The vaster country, as the reader will see, was beginning, -through the person of its sovereign, humbly to learn of the civilised West, just as Japan began to do so, also through her sovereign's efforts i in 18.S8. But in this book a strange I additional feature. Of interest for the i present moment is. a psychological feaITure. The character of the Romanoff family is a persistent one,, and iv the course of this novel, and its single terrific scene, dull indeed will be the reader who does not, step by step, more clearly discern in the- soul of the luckless Alexis the very lineament and complexion of Nicholas, the now living' occupant of the Russian J.hrone." The deplorable and eritieahcondition of Russia at the present moment gives this story a living and international interest. Mr Walter Winans, a marksman of considerable celebrity, and vice-presi-dent of the National Rifle Association of Great Britain, offers some practical advice to persons who desire to obtain proficiency in rifle shooting. In a little book entitled "Practical Rifle Shooting." j published at a popular price by G. °P. I Putnam's Sons, he lays down a method of instruction intended -to gradually train the novice into proficiency either j at fixed targets or on the hunting field. Mr Winans considers practice at fixed targets as furnishing a very inadequate training for practical marksmen, and his book shows how greater proficiency may be attained. He also deals with the hunting of various classes of game. i His opinions on the national importance of rifle-shooting are stated with °Teafc emphasis. ° J 'JJfe" for March contains an interesting account, of the salving of the P and 0. H.M.s. Australia, which was wrecked- outside Port Philip Heads in September, _<.__ The Wreck was purchased by Mr J. G, Aikman, a Melbourne, draper, for £290, and the-cargo left by the underwriters for £60 The purchaser made many thousands of pounds put of his. speculation. Ten tons of Muntz metal recovered in a day realised £750, and SOO tons of bar iron, bar steel,' too] steel, and shear steel recovered were sold at an average of £10 a.ton. T_e material of the yesI sel itself returner a golden harvest. i$?S ;gpto o% *$$$$* i%£om* 3sfc4f

j Black Australia" is this month devoted to a sketch of life in Fiji. Dr. V. H. Fitchett contributes an account of the architectural splendours of Agra. The various regular departments contain a varied and well-chosen selections of original and selected literary matter.