LITERARY.

Auckland Star, Volume XLIII, Issue 167, 13 July 1912, Page 14

LITERARY.

A study of Victor Hugo's life and character, .by the late Mr. A. __ Davidson, supplemented by Mr. Francis Cribble, will be published- shortly by Mr. Evel-tigh Nash. Mr. Grahame-White, in conjunction with Mr. Harry Harper, is supplementing his valuable book on the aeroplane with another volume on "The Aeroplane in Wax," which Mr. Werner Laurie will publish. Mr. C. E. Wade has finished-for Messrs. Pitman an elaborate biography of Pym, whom he will represent to the world as the most long-headed and intelligent of the Parliamentarian party .that revolted against Charles I. Mr. E. T. Cook is to be the authoritative biographer of Florence Nightingale, the family of that noble pioneer of hospital nursing having placed the existing material in his bands, and requested the advantage of his co-operation. Messrs. Macmillan and Co. are about to inaugurate a series of handbooks, dealing historically and critically with the whole range of moral philosophy. The series is under the general editorship of Professor Sir Henry Jones, of Glasgow. Mr. Eveleigh Nash's attractive series of modern reminiscences will shortly receive a. spirited addition in the shape of Mr. Arthur Meyer's experiences of "'Forty Years of Parisian Society." The public that likes "piquant revelations" is here promised plenty of material to its taste. The "Poems and Songs" of Richard Middleton, who died at Brussels last year, will be published by Mr. Fisher Inwin. Many of them, will _c familiar to readers of the magazines. They have been edited by Mr. Henry Savage, and for an accompanying volume of stories, called "The Ghost Ship," Mt. Arthur Machen has written an appreciative introduction. The latest recruit to the ranks of the publishers is Mr. He-bert Jenkins, for more than ten years manager for Mr. John Eane. Associated with the new venture are Sir George H. Chubb, Bart, (chairman), and Mr. Alex. W. Hill, M.A. The new firm is -to be known as Herbert Jenkins, Limited, and the premises are 12, Arundel Place, Haymarket. Messrs. Harper and Brothers have in hand a, book on State socialism, under the general editorship of Mr H. G. Wells, which includes contributions by Sir, Ray Lankester, on the position of science, Mr Bond on eugenics, and Mr. Cecil Chesterton upon the claims of democracy. Tho position of women is championed byMiss Cicely Hamilton, while the training of youth will engage the attention of Mr. Herbert Trench. Other contributors are Mr. Roger Fry, Mr. E. S. P. Haynes, Mr. Chiozza Money, the Rev. Conrad Noel, and Lady Warwick. "The Yellow Pearl," a novel by Adeline M. Teskey, records the impressions of the daughter of an American resident in China who has married a Chinese wife. Both ' parents dying when their daughter was very young, she was placed under the guardianship of her grandmother in the United States, and looks upon the customs of fashionable society through unsophisticated eyes. The comparisons suggested with the customs of her native land are not all favourable to Christianity or Western civilisation. The book is published by the Mission Book Co., Ltd., Toronto. ''Between Heaven and Earth,*' a dramatic story by Otto 'Ludwig, translated by Wm. Metcalfe from the original German, has been published by Cowans and Gray, Ltd. The author achieved considerable distinction as a dramatist, and although this novel was published as far back as ISSG it is well worthy of the revival in English which this translation has given it. The story is laid in an unnamed German town and turns upon the love of two brothers for one girl. Fritz, the elder brother, succeeds by lying in winning her for his wife, but is subsequently harrowed by an almost insane jealousy, which drives him ultimately to the attempted murder of his brother Apollonius. This gives rise to several dramatic situations, in which -the working of human passion is powerfully delineated. "An Enemy to Society," by Ceorgn Bronson-lloward, narrates the career of an American millionaire's son, who has been kidnapped and trained as an expert thief. lie is artfully instructed in the doctrines of a revolutionary Socialism, which classed millionaires and the leaders of trusts ami combines as brigands, whose ill-gotten wealth might fairly be stolen and given to philanthropic objects. Ife thereby came to regard his operatiots as really in the interests of mankind, and by his magnificent gifts gained distinction as a philanthropist. In the- end be is caught in the act of robbing his father's safe, although ignorant of the relationship existing between himself anel the millionaire. Exposure and identification follow. The plot is cleverly developed. The publisher is Mr. L. Werner Laurie "The Sign," by Mrs Romilly Fedden (Macmillan's Colonial Library) is a novel of art life, with the scenes laid' in Brittany, and. with three English artists as the principal characters. The story not only illustrates effectively a theory of art and life, out is singularly successful in conveying a sense of tile strangeness and religious devotion of Brittany, to the intensity of which the author gives expression in many powerful passages from which we make one quotation: "With one great effort she rose in her bed, breathless, threw the covering from her and knelt, her hands clasped, her strained eyes gazing into the cottage room. It was that mysterious -hour before the dawn when, if ever, life touches hands with death; that hour when the veil wears 111111 between the eyes that see and the unseeable; that hour when souls are hound and souls arc freed. Over all ihe earth, in that ■hour, lies the deepest stillness; it is ■before the quiver of the earliest awakening. All growing things .are still, the moon children are silent, not a whisper is heard from flower en- grass, all the clans of the green world are as hushed as the 'bird on the bough. The wind does not whisper, and the water in the? pool is untroubled. This brooding depth of quiet lay over and about the cottage, wrapped and enfolded it. The last ember had fallen to ashes upon the hearth a cricket or still small sound was heated, the child and the old man slept. Upon this wide silence Monii- voice fell in broken words of agony, as she prayed for help to fight the human need of her youth and her womanhood, to he- made-one -yvith impersonal,''

The new half-crown edition of Maurice Hewlett's novels should tempt many buyers to choose favourite books, and some to the complete series. Messrs Macmilla-i and Co. have set a new example in publishing. The half-crown "New Canterbury Tales,"' for instance, is the same book that we have been buying for 3/6 — type, and' paper unaltered— a better cloth, binding, decorated in gold. In this uniform style Hewlett _ novels will make a regular library set. most acceptable. Eight volumes, including the classic "Forest Lovers": the superb "Little Novels"; that splendid study of a woman and a man. "Richard Yea-and-Nay"showing truthfully how typical woman presently wearies of romance and yearns for a good home where she can rear her children, no matter the colour of Othello's skin; and the fine and subtle Senhouse stories; these are already on sale, and the series-matures at two volumes » month. Aiiiong the new letters of Coleridge, which are published in a biography of John Kickman, just published by Constable appears the following pathetic reference to Lamb's -weakness:"lt is seldom indeed that I am -with Lamb more than once in the -week—and when at 'Hammersmith, moat often not once in a fortnight, and yet I see what harm has been done even by —what then if Hazlitt —as probably he —is with him five evenings in the seven? Were it possible to win C.L. from the pipe, other things would follow with comparative case, for till he gets a pipe, I have regularly observed that he is contented with porter— and that the unconquerable appetite for spirit comes in with the tobacco oil of which, especially in the gluttonous i manner in which he volcanizes it, acts i as an instant poison- on his -stomach and lungs." Captain -C. "W. J. Orr, __A. (late of tbe political Department, 'Northern Nigeria), gives us an interesting chapter of modem history in setting forth the story of Northern Nigeria, which has been published by . Macmillan. Speaking of the development cf the Northern Nigeria since the Protectorate "was established, 'he says: — "Judged by European standards, the country is immeasurably better governed than it -was before. And, judged by native standards, we can say the same with _ome confidence, because the government is still carried on by native ruler., and hence the conditions are capable of accurate comparison. Changes have been made, but the foundations Temain as before; the alterations are not structural. It is not as if machinery of an entirely different type had heen set up, and we claimed that the output was of a better quality or greater quantity in consequence. The improvement in results has been effected notwithstanding that the original machinery has been retained." "The Aeroplane: Past, Present, and Future," by Claude Graham-White, of which a colonial edition has been publisued by Mr. T. Werner Laurie, gives everything one need wish to know abotft flying machines up to date. The author is an expert aviator, who has made many successful flights, and is so much at home aloft that he recently proceeded to church for his marriage by this .risk/ means of transit. In the present volume, a concise history of the development ol flying machines and a clear non-technical description of their construction is followed by accounts of famous aerial competitions, illustrated by pictures of it-t----able aviators and the machines in which they have achieved their successes. Rome very interesting photographs, taken from aeroplanes, shew- the earth and its people as seen from aloft. The illustrations include pictures of some of the most interesting gatherings connected with recent aerial displays. Among these is a very characteristic portrait of Laffont anil I'old starting for their fatal flight ou December 2S, 1!)10. A list of aeroplane fatalities, with a- description of the machine used on each occasion, is also published, together with a synopsis of aerial law in various countries. "While entertaining great confidence regarding tlw useful employment of aeroplanes in the future, Mr. Grahame-White thinks that progress during the next few years will be somewhat slow, but that, ultimately aerial machines and navigation will be brought to Mich a state of efficiency that 'there will be more actual risk in" travelling in a very fast train than in passing through the air in the most approved type of passenger-carry-ing aeroplane, lie believes that by 1-20 regular passenger services by aeroplanes will be established, anil that by that time an aeroplane to carry four people will be purchasable at the same price as one now pays for a. motor-car of similar capacity", and that it will be more economical to run than a car, because then- will be no wear on tyres or on the upkeep of roads. Further, that the commercial field opened up will be much more important than was produced by the motor-car. Pra/il is a cotintrv of wonderful resource--, ami with a great future before il. Alter centuries of stagnation or slow progress, its people are now awakinT to an appreciation of the greatness of their heritage. They have transformed Rio Janeiro, and opened it up by the construction of one of the finest tstrcets in the world: and under the stimulus cf liberal land laws and railway construction, a steatly stream of immigration has set in to the country. The publication, therefore, of a handbook containing full ami accurate information relating to the a,.riciiliur-._, financial, (.■cmmerci. 1. and social condition of tho country is opportune, and this need has i been supplied by Mr -1. C. Oak. nfull, whose "BraziJ in 1-11" is a model of what such a book should be. It is published by Messrs Hntler and Tanner, of Frcvme, Vome.r_et, England. From this source- we learn that in 1910 the immigration into Kra-il represented a total of 53.5-4 persons, of whom -o.__7 were Portu-giese and '_..*-- Spanish: 1..10Italians, 390-2 Germans, and _.3l> Austrians. The Government afford security to the worker by making his wages a first call on an estate: anil to the rultivator of the soil bonuses are offered for the production of wheat and other crop.. Although the climate in most districts is tropical, there are highlands where the temperature ranges from .'i4eleg. Fahrenheit, to (iSdcg. In one of these districts, recently opened by railway, land i_ being disposed of at the rate of _•(*_ per lot of .10 hectares (1-17 acres). Free grants are made in various Stales under certain conditions. English enterprise is not very prominent in Brazil, but capital has been found for some of the railway and mining enterprises. The book under notice contains much useful information for the tourist as •well as for the intending settler or investor. It describes the mining operations for precious metals and gems. We may suggest that, for the benefit of English readers, the inclusion of a table giving English equivalents for the currency of Brazil .would be of .great -Service.