The Bookfellow.

Auckland Star, Volume XLII, Issue 287, 2 December 1911, Page 13

The Bookfellow.

(All Rights Reserved.)

I . By A. G. Stephens.

POETICAL EDITORS. Poetry belongs to youth, and youth to poetry. Jt is not a married man'? jab. Poetry is written from a bounding pulse, from the swelling eelebral veins of the lover who adores his lady at a distance, from the thrilling nerves, from '.he. high*,cnsioned nerves of the dreamer who has brooded under the sunlight and (joes forth to finger his delirious harp under the moC"*- Poetry is one of the phenomena of the universal turgescenve, the life-fore* that swells the apple a.ud rounds the orb. Properly seen, as compared with the flat mass of humanity, eery poet is a pustule: he has more en.Tgy than lie can find outlet for, and X- just naturally burgeon* into the excess of wild words that shock a business man, content in his humble groove of "1 have to acknowledge your favour of 1.-.th ultimo." So seen, the wonder is not that our editors., upon examination, have written little; the. marvel is that they nine written so much. Mr T. \V. Honey, editor of the "Sydney Morning Herald/ has published two hooks of poetry; but the only practising Australian poets who are also penpiislw'njr editors live in the West, where the great Bullfinch is paid (alas!) to be. following all the little Bullfinches down the hill to the valley of no-dividends. One editor is Mr C. A. Hayward, of Kalpoorlio; the other is Mr J.*E. Webb, of Perth. We owe to Mr Hayward the best, local verses on the camel, which ]~nir »i)' - has lost its Arabian flavour and possesses now as good (or as bad) an Australian odour as anybody. If it is still alien, and not a white Australian, in its uics the cainol is as good an Australian as it 'is able to be. Here, then: TO A CAMEL. Camel—quaint ungainly beast. Type of Pr loner. Labour's priest. Frum the storehouse of the East. With the door-mat coloured hide. Anil Hie iltisty I-.it ban «ul.Jc Standing lurljiiued at thy side. Thins of nei-k and joints and hump, Steed on Irciiiieut jolt and Jump. NuiuAd cisteru, vagrant pump . . , ■VVheresop'cr ilie lust of gold Ti-uipts the wanderer, charms the bold, Slroug or weak, or young or old — Wlieresoe'cr the pioneer cms his. way. devoid of fear. Desert ship, 'tis thine to steer. ... frfnture of the glossy roar. Sweeping tall and swan-like throat, Let mc "strike a. livelier Dote! . . . Sand you love, and sunny skies, If you also dote on flies. Here's* mi earthly paradise! r.o, I wish thee wealth of day?. Strength to lull and time to graze, j retire ami pleuty. Go ihy way*: I The ingenious epithets"the doormatcoloured hide." the -nomad cistern I vagrant pump,"—make one regret that Mr Hayward !uk not tilled more as>idu ously the hold of occasional verse. Once lin a wKle be will leave the daily task 1 the common scene, ami wander atield ii I Romance, afar in Memory: I.ci lire Rather a spray Iroai the tar away A i.'Vif from the lone "X" - ■ I riv,. voarn have i>.-i.-sc.t slure I saw .voi ln«l, Where the bodces were draped with snow : And tin- lawn lay whit.- In the waning liglii The lawn where the roses grow. I rau fool the thrill <"f the finders si ill In mine for a i-pncr that lay: They were soft ami f :iir as Iho suowflnkes thrro, They stole like the flakes awayAn ,l lUfio .-I..H' 1" '■">' D'-iWI soaic words that I said. And soiiK' l.mt 1 dared not say. Then , ! a Christmas more for the piled u,i Of with Us Strang linked chain: The nittUl falls black on die dry red Hack A^,"e O i,^^ r r , a^ : "r dark, dead days * Sink back in the uark again. ! That younger lion. Mr Webb, may live to pon us inn . v n rhyme: for h;s r , a -;' , !s tiS. and he was born in the Bulla hi district of S.K. Victoria. The buffalo U a type of energy: and every mans lif.' is profoundly inlluen.n>.l by the nnv/U of words—especially by that subtle ma n ';t of his own name, ami of the names th.it have grown into his life in the formal.v, period of boyhood. Mr Webb regards his od-.l verses a- "till lup jingle'—rhymes dashed off when the j rlcrht man wasn't available. In a rebuttal of this over-modest estimate we cite a! I once: THE ETERNAL FEMININE. For her the penrlo- seot-rs the ni-P.in lied, I"or I'pr the northern hunter leaves his ! kind. The osprey's nest is reft— the mother dead i Hit brood abandoned to tin? frorzlnt ' wind. i Men love her loveliness, her softness praise i I'nlnt in the savo'.ir of her syren breath ' And. at her rail, are bondmen nil t.helr days ', Ami myriad things are hurried Into dentil i She siiilf-s: and Marcus casts the sceptre down. !' She frowns: nnd there is universal war. l"nnumbered aro the vi.-tiins of her frown I Capricious Catherine! petulant I'otnpa 1 dour , . ! She makes the seer a fool, the rownrc] hrnvp 1 The hero weak. tlie jr-rt more that- human 1 Who will deliver us ;!tU side tlip grave? Eternal Paradox! i'.iiihaiurcss »oman If this example of Mr Webb's talen , jis merely '■fill-up jiiiilc." it is jinji. ;of a kind that has built up several All* J tral'ian reputations. Mr Webb's hruhi satirical vein is nit c.ininion, and hi j writes his swinging :;:.-. r-s with c.a«,\ I skill. An invitation of llonry Uuvson jnud a ballad of William l>amp:or ('•Bill I t!ie Hui-cnneer") mny be added to tin 1 leaves which Mr Web.), if he will, v.v twine by dr\srri>s into no unworthy wreath of spinifrx. HAMMERLEG. The priest hesitated a moment, then drovi I forward, usinj; the slack of the reins am I leaving long marks on the pony"? back. Hu! t!io liiislirainrer turned hi* own hors. broadside and blocked the road from nnj further passape by the holy fniher. ■•Tho Rir.i will koi-,1 be down." lie s.ii'i "and >on are thirl miles from t'.ie iicnros house." His voice was so rloan and civilise 1 tha the priest cocked his head likt- a parrot ii lisloniii:; to the accents, 110 noted, in addi Moil, that the bauds laid upon the bridle tlioucrh brown and 1: my. were of pom shape, were washed. i:ml bad a. certain ni of nobility aliout them. Thence 101 l ins his planer travel to tin a liiprli patrician nose, .-■■uinoth'plafid ti>mp!i>f< and a mouth full of wouderful sweet :.-s> .'. lizard, thick as an ancient jiardvi (hue restrained and correctel wherever i fiimcii -i 'i-si r to straiKle). covered thi whole of the lower features. Truly, ; queer thief of the bush. •■You do not take up your collection, iviih this';" s:;i'l tiji> priest, and ho tnppoi fearlessly on the bushranger's revolver, thi butt of which prcijcted In a hump unde the back of his com. "There are rare occasions," replied tin other, '-when I have of necessity to forci my demands." ~-... !■:■-! '""I

j "! am going to tell you -onu thing," he said. "In my breast p ■>■: > , a;e no ies* i than three hundred pom;.!- >.i notes. To : get that money, you must :.,i, mc." I The robber smiled, as ii m: were incredu- ! lous of any such story i...- said no uonl, | but his looks spoke plainly "Tuou lie.-i, vi priest." "See." continued the holy man, "1 show you one hundred." lie Held a buii.ile. of notes u'.Hicc iue patrician nose. But the other did iioi ti.ueli thorn '.-.a merely looked with great net..''.: ■■■ ■<■ I each bit of paper ad the p.. ; shunted the I lot through his strong uia.-.te. t.ii n.'.g ■:-. I "You are a great eaten," said the o..sai ranger at last. _ , , ••Then you will really till me?' ant.-l the priest, and he got slowly down oil ■-■■> pony and hitched it to a straight wiU.v ii;:htwood. "Come, I am ready. Tou had beet ; shoot while it is light. It to difficult to do anything thoroughly in the dark. " i Ilv ibis he had arranged himself under ' a tree, and stood solid and »«uare like a y °"Uod l 'Almighty," exclaimed the other, " "am I such a beast thai I could kill you unarmed and on footV" I His beautiful face v.a„ quite grey, and ! his eyes, hitherto so motionless, now raced I lrotu side to side, looking the priest ail ° The other smiled at hi» hesitation. ••.No, of course you couldn't," he replied, "your 'conscience prevents you." The robber tlit-w the revolver from his hip-pocket and levelled it dead in the other s : fa i-cruaps the priest faded in his checks, I ton there was uo tremor in the whole

out mere »m "« m..—— •- — ° f -Tbat^ al ight," he said. "There Is no belter place than between the eyes if you had aimed for my heart you might have spoiled the notes.'" , When he had spoken these words he looked upon the earth and seemed to hi waiting; hut the shot was never fired, The revolver wavered and dropped undischarged at the robber's side. ■•1 simply cant do It," came the explanation. S just what I said." replied the priest, with a note rather of disappointment than of exultation. "Your conscience overburdens you." ..„.). I The accent and the tone of this speech. ! maddened the bushranger, as, indeed, it I had been intended. ••__„..- _„,. I -Look here," he exclaimed, 'you re, mak- ! ing a fool of mc. I'm going to nave that ! three hundred despite anything you orreso--1 \ud he sprang irom his horse lull of resoI ,„,' Almost immediately it became dark (the sun having gone some tune), and a long cloud floated heavily over the "Tut through the threaded flood he could see "the pri^t"resignedly Waning once mo ......i,,«t tim iree flrmiCJ^ss 'in I the night, and his haU clasped across his black coat. slow," said his -nice and -you are very slow," said his voice, ana it sounded smooth over the space, ana unite fearless, "but you may gather deter initiation in these shadows. _.;.v.

;« HSrsns aura his sleeves, ran out to grip him. They met with a heavy Impact, and, on the lirst bout the bushranger went under; Inn more lithe tbau his adversary, he rolled over and above again, and, taking a grip on the priest's throat, pit-pared to break his neck. Then, with death visible in his ryes and his heart bursting with a cascade of blood, the holy man made his lust effort. Uμ-iii-rniiun saved him, for he successfully unseated his .nemy, and having pushed him well bark with his left Liauil, smashed him unmercifully across ihu face with mc right. ... Whereupon he leapt once more 10 UM f.ct and Isiuplif.l over the now >»"< "•■••■ » body lit l.y the moon which had i-i-ale out when the ir -hcrU,a recovered ei.unuh lv I,uU ', . .w t :, ~];■. IVel .he pain v, h.> h m>, ~..1 •• iimu-istand lln vii' '•i' > ' "' ''' '• "„ ' ~ oviT iilm atiil »s!:,d L.vi h -w lu-'B "•■ - " been lit the ifniii-. ? ,t««:u- r . ~,, ..J At llr-t ho i-iiul'l ?'•« . - ,1 - ""■ i [. I persaosioo, ■ nwi - ciev.ir nw..- u-j>.«. >■<- ■- ! Ui ""' l> " , 1 ■r-u-r l, .'f'"lix monlU*." ito sh"»tl «"n "niiarucHl lufliiV ! ■■>•„. uin I uii-UH-d J-uh cv a fair fo-it- ! Thnt w.,s o:ilf 1..,-a«. ; y..u I were tou .owiud'y 1" till we «h.u- ; -" 1 hail ihi- advaiit.ue." . . ••Don l }•<'« think it brave to unci » I ,ni -No-- "icuiiit?" in somn I'ticrf- . 1 rerUni'S in som.-* riifM • ! 1.,., not if it is uiciv.y m ifwmc Hie «■«■- I ■iimiHlhillty uf i oiisoii'JH-e." ••Why. what a .|Ueer priest you are I-i -nil not ii priest ... 1 »<" ''■'""•' '" IP-- ihp M.-nvMi.:-■•.-. X«.t v 11.i.-i i., ,iU- like • VoilistlC. l-ut a real out and i.uliT . • • S^e^ i "ri::"rw^,ir';?4 i ~'iv remorse of lo\c in the whole if m> I!,;. ' Th-'se Hollies 1 '■■■ok «arm off ihoVnrps,'. of a p.-lrsi this aftcru ; >on . . a>f- A £!t^rv^ir,^uou wL Wrse.l. but II .■an.H.t >- n B «I» •• • Mv rournilP pn-vi'ins t . out nnd the , lO(lT foil "like 7«rt imo\uc movhiß HUedoir of , the leaves. HUGH I'.cCUAE.

NOTES. "Law is law." «c were told in the loading- ease of Uulhim v. Boatem; "anl such and so forth, and nevertheless, and 'notwithstanding." But if law is law. i..n-ua..ro is language! and there .ue'-'voiiiids for demurring to a remark attributed to Mr. .lustkv Bring in th" Svdhev case of \\rh\:».\ v. Henry Bull (November 171. His Honor is reported savin-: that the words -prepared" and "adapted" meant practically the same thing. "Oh. no, your Honor —not oven practically. When your Honor's cook prepares your Honor's dinner, what i'loos she do? Simply, she prepares it ! (I.at. pr.tcparare. to get ready before- • hand). Hut before that dinner can be ! adapted (kit. ail., aptus. '.tied to), it •must have been trot ready." The ety- ' mo!o=ic.tl sense. dilTeritt.' often (as we 'admit;, is still here the practical sense. ! Preparation refers to a thine to come, a tiling still to bo mid-- and completed— lso that your Honor's dinner is still in i the balance, nnv still turn oi.t of the I oven well or billy. But adaptation refers jto things prosont. things thai really are I made and complied, and visible toI {jollier, so that ou'y after the prepiraion i- your Honor's dinner adapted 'to Mini" Honor's appetite, and (if tha ; go-is willi your '' Honor's appetite ■ adapted to your Honor's dinner. So | that, when 'your Honor declares that I-'preparing" rin.l 'v.dapting'' mean the same thitiT. your Honor may be eng.ig- | hit; to e.ti its dinner before that din I nev is cooked: Do not, do not. your •Honor. tab- the risk:— since it is so : difTcult to it'll the Supreme t'ourt • : lie; di worthily. i Whit does (he noble Wo-b-tcv say! ! The noble Webster Daniel! a Daniel! ''come to judgment, does nd dream of I denying tin- pr.vtic.il foivo of tho "l-"*e'' and the practical virtue of th • ".".I." : By the moiiih of the latest edition m" bis mammoth Dictionary. Dan'e 1 . ,-■'.. i your Honor to Psalm evil., rid; "i". • " they may prepare a city for b>" •■ , 1 ion."* Ami Webster refers voir 1! :i •■ • to Lord Macatilav: '"streets ill-s '■>•> •■ 1 . for the residence of wealthy person*." In ' the preparing case, as your Honor nY 1 serves, the oily is stPl to be built for > your Honor's residence; in the nd-ipt-l i case, the city is built, and the =tr.ots are waitiri for your Honor to wa'k along ! ( though Lord "Maomilay does not re f commend your Honor to reside in them. r , Will your Honor, on the plea of "pr-ie- ' tieally." defy the Dictionary that the £ jreat Professor Dowdcn himself deI lights to honour? The Noes have it—