LITERARY.

Auckland Star, Volume LV, Issue 188, 9 August 1924, Page 18

LITERARY.

Mr. Johannes C. Anderson has made a number of interesting contributions to Maori literature. Among these, tho five Maori tales, published in a cheap edition by Messrs. Whitcombe and Tombs, with illustrations by A. H. .Messenger, will no doubt be widely read. "Farmers' Foes," by Dr. P. W. Hilgendorf, is the title of the latest addition to Messrs. Whitcombe and Tombs' practical handbooks. It deals with tho numerous insect pests and parasites which affect live stock and crops, and shows how to cope with them. The text is freely illustrated. One of the most pathetic letters in the language is surely that written by Keats to Fanny Brawne, beginning "I wish you could invent some means to make mc at all happy without you," and ending, "1 wish you could infuse a little confidence in human nature into my heart. I cannot muster any —the world is too brutal for mc. lam "glad there is such a thing as the grave— l am sure I shall never have any rest till I get there."

A very welcome addition to the Platypus scries of works by Australian authors has been made in the publication of the volumes of verse and prose by A. B. Patcrsou. These include "Saltbush Bill," "Rio Grande,"' "The Man from .Snowy River," and tho verses which have * been previously collected under these tit'-'S, also Mr. "Paterson's Australian novel. "An Outback Marriage." The books hear the imprint of tho Cornstalk Publishing Co. Our copies from Angus and Bobertson.

Special attention is directed in the May issue of the -Quiver" to Mrs. Baillie Reynold's new serial "His Second Venture." Among the other features in tho illustrated magazines received from Messrs Gordon and Gotch, may be mentioned "The Man who Planted Roses," a iong story of French student life, by Newman Flower, in the "New" magazine; William Macleod Rainc's Western romance, "Tho Gold Trail," in the "Adventure Story" magazine; and "Winning Her Colours," by Christine Chaundor, a new eerial story, in "Little- Folks."

A vigorous refutation of the legend of tho marital unhappines3 of Thomas Carlvle and his wife, which was created l>y the indiscretion of James Anthony Froude, in his editing of Carlyle's "'Reminiscences," is contained in an article by Elizabeth Garrett Bell, in "Corcxhiir , " magazine for July. The author brings an array of authorities, among whom Mrs. Oliphant and Mr. Maason are prominent, to show that a deep and lasting affection existed between Carlyle and hie wife, whose sudden death left her gifted husband in a state of grief that was inconsolable.

Mr. P. G. Wodehouse has produced one of his liveliest characters in S. F. Ukridge, that erratic and adventurous spirit, who bobbed up serenely, sometimes in New York, anon in Buenoe Ayres, or at Monte Carlo, or London, always optimistic and resourceful. In his amusing account of the operations of this versatile individual with which Mr. Woodhouae favours us in hie novel "TTkridce' (Collins), he describes more particularly the transactions of his hero in connection with the establishment of a dog college, hie backing of Battling Billson, and his flirtations with Dora, secretary-companion to his aunt.

"Without Gloves," by James B. Hendryx (Putnam, per Dymock, Sydney), gives a lurid picture of the underworld of New York, as associated with prizefighting. Shirly Leonard, a stalwart car driver, drifts into prize-fighting and makes good at the game. He is tempted, however, by a ring of crooks, to take part in a framed-up pugilistic contest, which results disastrously to those engaged, and Leonard, afraid of the vengeance of the ruffians who relied upon him to pull off their money, hurriedly leaves for the West. Here, in the atmosphere of the backwoods, he develops manliness and honesty and is able to defeat the machinations of a schemer who has designs upon the timber lands of a settler who, by the way, has a very attractive daughter who exe'reises no small influence on Leonard's conversion and change of heart.

Some interesting extracts from Mr. Wickham Steed's forthcoming book, "Through Thirty Years," are appearing in the monthly issue of the "Review of Reviews." In the June number Mr. Steed records some conversations he had with King Edward VII. and his impressions of the King's character and capacity. He says-. "King Edward'e grasp of the fundamentals of European politics was greater than that of any contemporary statesman -whom I had met. . . - Many ministers and monarchs were 'cleverer' than he. He was not 'clever, , but able." To the June issue of this review, Sir Valentine Chirol contributes an interesting illustrated account of Morocco, as the first of a series of articles entitled "Where West is East."

Among other literary articles in the "National Review" for June is an essay by Mrs. Harold Sandwith (Odette St. Lys) on the genius of Chateaubriand, at whose death she declares, "There passed away not a great personality alone, but a great age," for this man belonged to the days of the Great Monarch. "The soil of England is richer for the footsteps of this great man, great beyond the lustre of his literary fame, for true — evidence of gre, 'ness —reflected in his mind, events and personalities appear transfigured, touched by the quickening finger of immortality. ... A century has passed, and yet Chateaubriand's eminence as Historian and critic is still but 'limly recognised. Where is the writer of another race, Tame not exceptcd, who has surpassed Chateaubriand in subtlety and depth of his criticism of English literature 1"

Bennett Copplestone (Mr. F. liarcourt Kitchen) in the July issue of "Cornhill" magazine, continues his history of the acquisition of the London "Times," by Lord Korthcliffe. So secretly were the negotiations conducted that Mr. Walter, the governing proprietor, did not suspect No«thcliffe's operation until nearly a month, after an agreement had been signed between Moberly Bell, manager of the "Times," and General Sterling, one of the proprietors, for the submission of an offer under an order of sale that had boon made by the Court of Chancery. Lord Northcliffe paid £320,000 to the personal credit of Moberly Bell to complete the purchase. He provided £100,000 as new working capital, and 140,000 preference shares were allotted to the Walters for their printing business. Tn the original allotment of sharee Lord Northelifle's name did not appear, his interests were represented fey fjireu

"Kenya Mist," by Florence Riddell (Thornton Butterworth), is the story of a modern woman who resolves to live her own life free from tho conventional trammels of her ccx. Michaela Dundas, embittered by an unhappy lovo ! affair, and the widowed Gleuison Rosa, i released from a brutal husband, join i forces and run a lonely farm in Kast [Africa. The womanliness in "Mike ,, is leavened by a masculine strength of will; Glen, for nil her harsh experiences, is more daintily feminine. Their life on the farm, without menfolk except among the native servants, is pictured realistically and with a shrewd sense of humour. Presently, two Englishmen arrive to take over a derelict farm near by, and, against their wishes, they are drawn into social relations with these intruders, which are productive of consequences that considerably affect the life of Glen. "London Mixture," by Mrs. Alfred Sidgwick (Collins) ia the story of the three handsome daughters of Sirs. Paxod, a widow living in London, am slenderly endowed with this worlds goods. They have not been trained to | work. Owing to causes which the hook i discloses, their social isolation to a \ ■-■reat extent destroys their chances in • the marriage market. They have not j tho means to live a life of leisure—so what to do! According to their diverse j natures and temperaments tins pro- j hlem is solved by each of the girls in : turn- they take the chances of lito as they arise, and shape their destinies accordingly. It is an excellent story, in which the author deals with a problem that not uncommonly besets middleclass society in these days. J

In "The Sea Wolfs Hoard," Mr. Yernon TVilliams (Ward Lock), liae produced a good adventure story for boys. It contains the always popular feature of an uncharted island, a murder, a harmless lunatic, a treasure (uncustomed alcohol), a "smuggler's cave." horrid noises in the night, and distressed damsels. The plot is like Hampton Court Maze—full of blind alleys. Mr. Williams can tell a pood story, and although ho permits his ingenuity to outrun his discretion and ndds too largo a proportion of the impossible to tlio probable, the fact that he has selected the Australian coast for liis puppets' playground will soften the impossible to "probable, for English readers. We should welcome a story by Mr. Williams without such wealth of fictional detail, for he writes with vigour and an easy command of clear and simple English.

The appearance in a commonplace family of a child who has none of tlio characteristics of the parents or brothers and sisters, is the theme of Mr. J. D. Beresford'a novel "Unity" (Collins). To Mr. and O.lrs. Willoughby, a London solicitor with a einall practice, is born a daughter who develops fitfully gifts of a remarkable kind. These seem to come in certain psychio states that are beyond her control. She marries a mining engineer, more to obtain freedom than because she loves him, and he proves an irresponsible waster. After several years in South Africa and Australia he is drowned during a drunken spree at Sydney, leaving Unity with a child. His widow achieves succesa as an actress, and returns to England, where she married a member of the aristocracy. Through all these years Unity haa been dominated by the remembrance of a man ehe saw for a few seconds on a London train, and who eeemed to exercise some psychic power over her. A meeting with this man after her second marriage brings her life to a crisis.

Miss Marjorie Bowcn, who has devoted her remarkable literary gifts chiefly to historical romanco, deals with a modern theme in her latest novel "The Presence and Power" (Ward Lock). Raulyn Dyprres the last descendant of an ancient line, revolts against the monotony of hie environment, and grievously offends his father by jilting a beautiful girl who loves him and who he was expected, in accordance with family tradition, to marry. He goes abroad, a hesitating, introspective, ineffective man, and does not return to take up his duties on the estate, which comes to him with a title when his father dies. After four years wandering, he contracts a disastrous marriage with an Italian countess, who dies soon after giving birth to a son. The incidents of the story thereafter concern the lives of the woman he should have married, but who afterwards wedded his cousin, her daughter and Raulyn's orphaned eon. The novel is a contrast between the old and the neworder of things—between two generations of young people—with a strong emotional current running through.

Charles Lamb was one of the most forgiving of men, and often used to say that it was "impossible to hate a man whom one knew." But the iron of Byron must have entered his soul, for, writing to his friend, Bernard Barton, on May 15, 1824, after paying an extraordinary tribute to William Blake, he thus delivers himself: "So ire have lost another Poet. I never much relished his Lordship's nnind, and shall be sorry if the Greeks have cause to miss him. Ho was to mc offensive, and I never can make out his great power which his admirers talk of. 'Why, a line of Wordsworth is a lever to lift the immortal Spirit. Byron can only move the spleen. He was at best a Satyrist—in any other way ho was mean enough. I daresay 1 do him injustice, but I cannot love him nor squeeze a tear to his memory. He did not like the world, and he has left it, as Aldormnn Curtis nrlvised the Radicals, 'if they don't like their country, damn 'em, let 'em leave it'— they possessing no rood of ground in England and lie 10,000 acres. Byron was better than many Curtises."

It is refreshing to lay down a book with the sure knowledge that one is the better for reading it; to have had pleasure and amusement and spiritual and mental benefit, all together. In "New Friends in Old Chester," by Margaret Deland (John Murray), the title covering a collection of three excellent short stories, we have the abbreviated history of a group of wholly natural and delighful people. Katy, the London maid-of-all-work, transplanted to America, belongs to the "faithful peasant" class. She was made T>y an environment created by the English Poor Law, and, like Oliver Twist, belongs to bygone days, but the sturdy honesty of her, the affection, truth, and unimpeachable faithfulness of this old-time general servant is part of the English character. Katy's mistress is impressed by the "spiritual beauty" of Katy's untrained mind, and regTets that her friends fail to penetrate beyond thorough exterior of her "dear friend and servant." There are laughter and tears, common sense and deep wisdom in the Eliot's Katy. Every character in the story is clear cut, and the reader drops quickly into pleasant company, and is compelled to leave only because Miss Deland bo wills it. The second and third- *twm «c* *qp*Djf rtfeaetank