LITERARY.

Auckland Star, Volume LIII, Issue 226, 23 September 1922, Page 23

LITERARY.

■■ 'a.-: written words of Henry Law- • «■ j'ovr. appear in the September :- ■:•* ••■ '*Au*isi.»." A passage from an ;ir: i .>! from his pen l.i ■••,*•••.* a spirit oi mtence melaneholv, sr.d shows that the poet knew that his diiy-7 were nuinSered. He wrote: "I've g >t such a lot of unwritten memories en.! so little time in front, that I often p<". sidetracked at the station of old things. . . I'm always driving at something in spite of cronies, beer and declining years—.driving back to the worse, truer and happier daj-B. The worse days were "Ac best I thd-nk." In the ea-ie ISSUP of "Aussie appears one of the last pie-i** of I-amson's verse. It carries a brighter spirit and is reminiscent of his happier days. Tho latest issue of "The Forum," the "Australasian Spectator," is noteworthy for the fine appreciation of Henry Lawson, contributed by Mr. T. W. Heney, !ate editor of the "Sydney Morning Herald," and now editor of the "Brisbane Telegraph " In the "Open Platform," the special feature of "The Forum," the question "Shou'd Public Sen-ants Come Tndcr the Arbitration Court?" is debated by Mr. E. H. Collis and Mr. F. C. Wilis, the general secretary of the Australian Public Service Federation. There is a large variety of other work in this number. "The Tncendtaries." by LieutenantOolnnel \V. P. Drury. C.B.E. (Mills and Booni. divides its incidents between England and India. It is a post-war story, in which German intrigue is depicted as still active in stirring up rebellion in India. A sanctimonious agitator becomes a willing tool in propaganda, stirring up Indian unrest, and he is patronised by a member of Parliament, well-meaning but fanatical, who does not realise the serious mischief he is doing by his public and monetary support of seditious movements in India. Of course there ia a girl in the case, who is wooed by an Indian Maharaja, and also by an able young Englishman, holding the position of Inspector of Police in Bombay. The reader's interest is divided pretty equally between political plots and the rivalries of the- two lovers. "The Hidden Force," by Louis Coup.ria (Jonathan Cope, per Whitoombe and Tombs) is a story of Java by a w-ritwr who is evidently familiar with the country and its people. The scene is a remote station, and the principal characters, a Dutch governor of the district, who has worked his way up from humble beginnings by natural ability and force of character. An 'B.tmce.pih«re of languor and sensuality, which affects society in the district, involves the governor's wife and family in immoral intrigues. Hie strong sense of duty does not extend to his family, and their disloyalty to him result in the destruction of domestic peace and the failure of his career at the time whan the greatest success was within hia grasp. Javanese cusaras and tihe reia,taaa=laiipß ensr&ug oet.ieen tha European and native inhaoiuam'LS cue <iai'in , aajr.ed' ia a w-av tluax gives vivid locai colour to the story. "The Grays," by Charlotte Bacon (Jonathan Cope, per Whitcom.be- and Tombs i, is a story which follows through seven significant years a group of people, wao are characterised, througn their own actions, speech and their judgments oi each other and their decisions in a common crisis.. The outstanding riguxe is the son of a college profeasor, endowed with a considerable amount oi literary abiiity, but intensely sen-centred, egotistical and regardless oi tae feelings of everyone who comes in contact with nim. He manages somehow to obtain the friendship of a man infinitely superior intellectually and the very aatd'Jaasia of himself morally, and through his influence obtains a looting in journalism, where his work ensures success within limitations. The friend is singularly blind to the flagrant faults of character which are obvious to everyone cUe, and encourages a marriage with hid own sister, a girl of intense sensibility. She k fated to be broken on the wheel of her husband's ruthlt sa selfishness ar.d inconsiderate tempt r. Gray's sister, a girl of daep understanding, provides the contrast to this very disagreeable young man. It is a, novel with insight, and retains reader's unflagging interest without importing into its narrative any incident outside the range oi the everyday lives of ordinary people. Two more volumes added to Mr. Murray's two shilling edition of Conan Doyle's works are "Tales of Adventure and Medical Life" and "Tales of Twilight and the Unseen." Each contains a'series of thrilling stories specially se'.ected by the author. In the same excellent form have now been issued The Vultures," "Flotsam," and Tomaso's Fortune," by Henry Seton Merriman. Tae opportunity for obtaining good edition* of these standard works of fiction is one that will be appreciated by that wide circle of young readers who have not hitherto explored the regions of romance opened up by the author of "The Sowers." As a story of Russian life, love and intrigue, ' Ihe Vultures" stands in the front rani 01 twentieth century fiction, while ' Flotsam' is a plain unvarnished tale of Anglo-Indian life. "\ Brisradier in France," by Harwav R. Cumming 'Jonathan Cope, per Whitcombe and Tombs) is a narrative of personal experiences during the Great \\ ar. BseM Mi-i-tal Sir Wlteu Robsfbacffl. w<ao contributes an introduction, states:— Ocarmaaaz was on* of the many officer,* wno. after sately smiiK* through the Great War, met his death at the hands of the Sinn Fewers at the time when ft was the polwy of His Mai&stT's Government to try and restore order in Ireland by the application of military force. The narrative he left behind him descriptive of the domgs of the brigades he commanded at different times on the West Front is an unvarnished record of achievements which reflect credit upon himself and the offiand men who served under him. Moreover, it tears the impress of accuracy, and therefore should, within its sphere, be as useful to the military Ftcdent and historian aa it will be interesting to those who in the arduous operations described." The writea. was appointed to command the BUt Infantry Brigade in the 7th Division ai November. 19ia, ajid tiiusee uo*ea oovw the operations of the division from that date onward to the close of the war. It especially active in the early part of 1918 during the German offensive, and took a distinguished part in the mever*.ants which resulted in the final overthrow of the enemy Between August "XAt and Xove-m-ber 11th. the division ciptnred 114 officers and ' 3758 other ri-.bs. The fighting is described in •.vaphjc language, and is iHnstrated hy a i ;-r**r of "sketch plans which assist I. atCTially in malting tha Tarioua stages la the German retreat eJe»r to laymen.

"Escape," by Jwffery E. Jeffery, (Ijjanard Parsons) is a wholesome antidote to the sloppy sentiment of "This Freedom.'' Its theme is the same, the story of a woman who, in spite of marriage, carves out a career for herself. It serves to rub in—if that were needed—the weakness of the "This Freedom" theme. Mr. Hutchinson's ■Rosalie dared work outside her home. Had she been left a widow with children would it hare been thy deadly am Mr! j Hutchinson makes it appear for Rosalie, j a woman bleet with a husband in the j fleeh, to have gone back into the working world she had made good in before marriage ? The heroine of "Escape"— Emily—is born into a family with a' mother, an unattractive elder sister and! a brother, all thick with suburban prejudice. She escapes as the title indicates via marriage with an elderly suburban bank manager, mellowed by i eonw human understanding. Circum-! stances are kind in removing the sub-! urban husband through pneumonia in-! curred on special constable duty leaving i Kmily after the Armistice with a email! boy and in comfortable —if suburban— circumstances. Emily, after her hmtoand's death, knows she is still pent in suburbia, and it is the thousht that Frankie, h«r boy. will want more than her just comfortable income will give him that drives her out into the world. Apart from the soul adventures of Emily, the book is a jolly history 0 f an enterprise which the author calls the London Middle Class Agency. "Finding houses, decorating and furnishing them, engaging servants, selecting schools for the chil° dren. choosing places to go to for the holidays, house-keeping, organising the | expenditure to meet the ineomy and getting the most out of it—everything, in I fact, connected with the domestic life j of a family, or of any household for the ' matter of that." How it gows on from I one success to another—on the practical | side—until its material swamps its moral I aims, one must read "Escape" to discover. Involved too in it is the moral ' and material progress of Emily. Her j momentary succumbing to worldly sue- j cess, and the ashen taste of it in her j mouth, her awakening to real values and the worth of the real man arc dolight-1 fully told. Kot least among the attractions of this novel are the discussions, j One on the evergreen topic ot love : closes tin book. There's Shaw's view. Woman that huntress blindly seeking a mate in order j that the inscrutabKj purpose of the Life Fores may be fulfilled; and there's the) ordinary view, accepted by the man in | the street and perpetuated in popular-'

fiction and in the cinema—the conquer- j ing male and the willingly dominated female. But I hate thwm both, for both imply coercion and exploitation." J "There's an element of cruelty, you mean?" "Yes, _ sort of . . . sort of mental' rape, as it were. But real love isn't cruel; it can't bt cruel." Stanley Paul and Co. are publishing immediately an exceptionally interesting addition to their well known Collectors' Series, "The A B C of Indian Art," which deals not only with the master handicrafts of the Indian Empire," but presents a wealth of information on many other subjects. The book opens up a new field for the ever-increasing body -of collectors, who would do well to give the subject cleee attention in view of a future demand. Dulcie Deamer's new novel "Tlie Street of the Gazelle." will be issued by Mr. Fisher Tbnwin on August 16. It is a romance of Roman days in Palestine, full of all the high lights, local colour, and atmosphere of which the authoress is such a master. The heroine is a Greek slave who falls into evil hands, and ia rescued after thrilling adventures, only to fall again into the hands of Rome, when by an act of sacrifice she saves her lover. With a background of the hated Roman domination the Ptory is crowded with exciting incidents. The English illustrated magatines for August and September, received from Messrs. Gordon snd Gotch, contain many attractive features. The September issue of the "London" is an enlarged holiday fiction number, and contain** n series of pictures depicting seaside sports, in which feminine pastimes make a gorgeous display. In the "Premier" Edgar Wellsce commences a new series of complete stories, entitled "The Worst Mm in the World." The "Red" magazine for August is a seaside number with a full budget of short stories. Tho "Yellow" for August has a cover suggestive of English summer days, which encloses a dozen stories by popular writers, and another instalment of Leslie Beresford's serial "The Way of Deception." "Pearson's" for July "is a special sports number, which figure* for -its cover a jovial policeman, illustrating Barry Pain's sketch "How to Make a, Policeman Laugh." A sports article, contributed by A. B. Cooper, •rives pictorial prominence to the prosecution of Sunday golfers in 1592, and Admiral Drake's famous game of bowls on Plymouth Hoe.

A cheaper edition of "Succeed," by the Rt. Hon. Lord Benverbrook will be published by Stanley Paul and Co. very shortly This new edition has been revised and enlarged by the author.