LITERARY.

Auckland Star, Volume LI, Issue 27, 31 January 1920, Page 18

LITERARY.

A very interesting little book, describing some of the achievements of "The Xew Zealand Division -, in the War lias been written by ex-Second Lieutenant 0. E. Burton. It describes the assembling of the forces and the hard training in Egypt, the memorable landing and subsequent fighting on Gallipoli. Apart from the fierce fighting on that inhospitable shore, the sufferings of our troops from the torrid heat, the plague of ilies, the venomous lice, and scarcity ] of water, can hardly be. realised by anyone who has not had some experience of these Egyptian pests. Among the trials of the army the writer sets down "dust, heat, flies, vermin, thirst, bad food, the terrible stench of the unburied or only half-buried dead, and then a new experience—the frightful monotony of war." He adds: "It may seem almost inconceivable to the ordinary civilian that a dangerous life is not necessarily an exciting one. Danger becomes part of the atmosphere. It is not something that can b e guarded against. It does not necessarily interfere with the hours of waking or sleeping, of work or of relaxation." The storming of Chunuk Hair in the August battle is described with the graphic power of one who took part in it. We have never road a better account. The book describes the evacuation of the Peninsula and the subsequent operations of the Xew Zealand Division in France at Armentieres, Messines. Ypres, and the brilliant military feat by which our intrepid soldiers closed up a cap in the British lines during the German offensive in March, lfllS. A clear and vigorous account is given of the subsequent part taken by the New Zealanders in the final defeat of the German*, concluding with the taking of Quesnoy and a thousand prisoners. Lieut. Burton may be congratulated upon his valuable'contribution to the story of the part played by 'the New Zealand Division in the Great War. An epigrammatist and aphorist, who hides his identity under the cumbrous nom-de-guerre of Epaphroditus JlcTavis'i. has written a number of "Meditations," which are published by Messrs. Whitcombe and Tombs under the title of - 'My Sou,' said the Philosopher." The writer may be either old. middle-aged, or in the years of youth, when cynicism often nourishes most strongly. There are very few people in the world who could evolve such a series of sayings and keep them to a uniformly high level, so it is not surprising to find a considerable decree of unevenncse. That marvel of varied, compressed, and well-selected information about th"c" affaire of the world, the "Daily Mail Year Book." is in its twentieth year. The current number, "wrhieh we have received Jroni the proprietors, ie perhaps more valuable than any of its predecessors, which is saying a good deal. The events of the momentous and anxious year following on victory are excellently sunrmarised, and there is a {Treat deal of useful information about British and Imperial affairs. As usual, the editor has enlisted the pens of a number of protainent people for special articles on important questions of the day. •The World of Wonderful Reality," by E. Temple Thurston (Hodder' and Stoughton). is a sequel to the author's '"City of Beautiful Nonsense." written ten years ago. the author tells us. "in ray small rooms over the tobacconist's shop." Mr. Thur3ton states that "the ■whole story of John Grey's love affair with Jill Dealty is intentionally a symbol of the power of vision, the susceptibility to dreams, which carries so many with "a look of youtjb. in the eyes through to the ultimate deliverance." Tile development of the love story between John Grey and Jill proceeds in a desultory sort of way. Grey maintaining a poetic and dreamy view of life, while Jill finds it difficult when away from his presence to entirely dissociate herself from an inborn appreciation of comfortable things or to cheerfully accept the doctrine that for love the ■world is well lost. In the end, when Jill, through the unexpected inheritance of a fortune, is ready to marry Grey, on the condition that he will forsake his land of dreams and enter into the comforts of a well-to-do conventional existence, she finds that the idealism which she has been unable to understand is reality to him, and that it has little in common with her own more practical outlook on life. The story in '"Sisters," by Kathleen Xorris (Murray) opens with a pretty domestic scene in the rural home of Dr. Strickland, in a valley on the slopes of Mount Tamalpais, near San Francisco. Xhe doctor's two daughters and their cousin Anne, living in the happy bonds of sisterhood, and mutual affection, are all interested m the person of a young engineer, Martin Lloyd, who has come recently into their lives. He carries oil Cherry, the youngest, who, in the drudgery of married life in an ugly mining hamlet, soon becomes disillusionised, Anne marries a young lawyer, and Alix finally links her 'life with that of Peter Joyce, a neighbour who has known them from childhood. The death of the father is followed by other disasters. Anne's husband lays'claim to the greater part of the estate on the strength of an old debt from Dr. .Strickland to his brother; Cherry returns to her sister's home, with a determination not to resume marital relations with lier husband, and an old affection, which had existed before marriage, between herself and Peter, is fanned into passionate love. She' is about to elope with her sister's husband when a tragedy changes the entire course of events. "The Desperate Marriage," by Marjory Koyce (Hoader and Stoughton) docs not turn out to be so very desperate after all. Violet liedley, a rather colourless and commonplace girl, conceives herself to be in love with Jim Hackworth, the father of the little girl she ie looking after a≤ nursery governess. Hackworth is married to a frivolous and unfaithful wife, and they agree to what-is tacitly a separation, he proceeding to India on a mission connected 'with* the Munitions Department, while Violet returns home. There she meets with Leslie Vernon, a young doctor, who, although not brilliant, is infinitely her euperior in every quality of head anl heart. ' He proposes to Violet, without being seriously in love with her, and she accepts him as a safeguard against 'her sentimental attachment to absent Hackworth. Leslie does his best to stir up some warmth in the heart of his young wife, but meets ■with a cold response. He finally goes to the front in France, and. naturally enough, falls in love there with an English war worker, who is. in beauty and charm. Violet's superior. Complications are avoided by Leslie's death at the front. The story incidentally deals with the uar work of Tvomeii in middleclass society.