LITERARY.

Auckland Star, Volume 55, Issue 212, 6 September 1924, Page 18

LITERARY.

■ ' Mr. Hugh C. H. Gandy has reprinted, with notes, some verses, 166 in number, which are believed to have been written by Milton at the age of 15. In "More Obiter Dicta," Mr. Birrell, among pother subjects, discourses on aspects of .Newman, Coleridge, Byron, Jane Austen, Fielding, and Chateaubriand. There are also essays on Francis Place, tho tailor, and on the judicial decisions of Walter Scott in his capacity of "Shirra." Dr. Villijalmur Stefansson hag discovered a race of Eskimos with the features of Northern Europeans, and his account of this people fills the central chapters of "My Life with tho Eskimos." He inclines to the opinion that this tribe are the descendants of the Norsemen who colonised Greenland in the tenth century. The second volume of Mr. D. A. Wilson's biography of Carlyle contains letters of Francis Jeffrey, which clear up the misunderstanding that for a while clouded his friendship with Carlyle. The difference arose over Jeffrey's refufiii, as Lord Advocate, to give Carlyle the po3t of Edinburgh Professorship oi Astronomy. "Pink Sugar," by 0. Douglas (Hodder and Stoughton),' is a , quiet placid, homely Btory, refreshingly natural, simple and human. To those who wish to make friends- amongst gentle people, and who are not too fond of strong flavours in fiction, to find interest in the domesticities of English and Scotch life, we recommend this book. The story runs as smoothly as "a burn wi' nae stanes." The children are love-compelling, and one parts with them as unwillingly as does their foster mother. The characters are clear cut, and this is an effortless effect in the Douglas style which is convincing. Miss Douglas is not above satire at the expense of the "new rich," and has a softly humorous way with the pen, which heals the sting it gives. We hope, however, that she will consult us about, the title of her next story. Edgar Wallace in "The Sinister Man," (Hodder and Stoughton), has provided an endless number of thrills and sensations, and the true character of his "sinister man" is preserved until the closing chapter of his complicated and ingenious plot. The story concerns the operations of an organisation engaged in the drug traffic in England, and the efforts of the police to bring to justice the men engaged in it. Involved in the meshes of a nefarious gang is Elsa Marlowe, and the reader is left speculating regarding the true relations of herself and guardian towards the traffic; but still more mysterious is the sinister Major Amery, who appears dramatically at the most critical momenta in the development of the story and who narrowly escapes a terrible death prepared for him by the gang, i •'The Black Hood," by Thomas Dixon! (Appleton, per Dymock, Sydney), is a , novel of the days, when the old Eu Klux Klan was tottering to its fall, when the dissolution of the original "Invisible Empire" was ordered, following- the Civil War. "The passing of the full half century from 1873 to 1923," says; Mr. Dixon, "has, made it possible at| last to see- these events in their true perspective and record their significance." "The Black Hood" is the story of John- Craig, who was leader of the Klan. Craig's violent enemy is. an unscrupulous, and' grafting politician, Judge Hawkins, and it is a queer twist. of fate that awakens love between Craig and the Judge's daughter, Claudia. The English magazines for. July, received per Gordon and Goteh, comprise "The Storyteller," in which Mr. G. K. Chesterton commences'a new series of stories under the title, "Tales of the Long Bow." In "The Smart Set" a novelette by L. M. Hussey occupies a | prominent place. A story by Warwick Deeping, "The Secret Wife," is starred j in the "New" Magazine for August, and j "The Lady Called Nita" receives a similar distinction in "Cassell's Magazine. The coloured covers of the two last-named publications are worthy of special notice. A good deal of really clever art work in these magazines often fails to receive the attention it really merits. C. J. H. Tolley, amateur jgolf champion of Great Britain in 1920, Welsh champion ' in 1921 and 1923, has been induced to I give his experiences for the benefit of! other players. In "The* Modern Golfer" (Collins, per Whitcombe and Tombs) ho tells us that he began to play golf when j he was-ten. years-old, and has been play- j ing regularly ever since, except during-; his years of- service; in the war," when: he was badly wounded' near Cambrai and. captured; by the Germans. He describes , his subsequent matches, which mark the progress of a. champion player. The greater part o£ the. book is devoted to practical advice- on such subjects as thebuilding up of a' style,, driving,. the= selection of clubs and how to use them, tho mashie, putting,, recovery from bunkers, and kindred, topics. Mr; 'Tolley also discusses the question why England appears behind America, golf courses and the, modern.- ball, faults and, how to ciuV them. He- narrates his personal experi-1 ences of- play in America. The numerous j illustrations will greatly assist players in taking- advantage of the author's, instructions; »■■' | One of the "jest advertisements of the i kind that we have seen is a large publi- ' cation called- "Progressive New Zealand," j which has been produced in Wellington ' and Christehurch by arrangement with the Council that was appointed to advise . the Government on matters relating to the New Zealand section of the Empire. Exhibition. It comprises 300 large ! pages printed on .art paper, containing articles on every phase off Dominion life, prof _>ely and admirably illustrated, and i unusually attractive in its advertise- I ments. The book is edited by Mr. L. S. j Fanning, an experienced journalist, whose gift for publicity work was recently ! shown in the excellent book "Brighter Britain," which he wrote for the Govern-' ment in connection with the same exhibition. H we may say so, without being thought parochial, a little more attention ! might have been given to the develop- | ment and natural attractions of this end . of the Dominionrbut this is not a serious j blemish on a really line production, i Primary and secondary indus-1 tries, Government activities, scenery, . education, sport and social conditions are dealt with, and there is a mass of valuable statistics, A sketch of the early history of New Zealand and one of the "development of government are pro- , vided. It is also good to see in a publication like this proper attention paid to education, literature, and art. The bulkiness of the book may restrict the sale, but it is hard to know how so much quality and volume could have been provided in smaller compass. "Progressive New Zealand" is published by Mr. Vivian E. Page, and admirably printed by Andrew s, Baty and Co., Christehurch, 1

"The Desert's Price," by William MacLeod Rame, (Hodder and Stoughton), is one of the all open-air novels which have I made this author popular. The desert , forms a fascinating background to a , feud between the families of two rant chers. An incipient enmity between old ■ William McCann and Matt Stark bursts 'into flame through the killing of one , of Stark's ranchmen—a crime of which ■ the McCanns are perfectly innocent. ) Jasper Stark, old Matt's rascally elder . son, attempts to kill one of the McCann , eons, and so the- vendetta spreads; The I story is alivawith surprises and drama- !, tic situations. Its characters are admirjably drawn, and the. author strikes a jfreah note in western femininity by in- ■ troducing three sisters who are engaged ■in sheep-herding, and are ostracised I accordingly by the infuriated cattle men I of the district.. i MAORI RELIGION AND J' MYTHOLOGY. Mr. Elsdon Best has , done a_ remarkable ' amount of valuable research into the history and traditions of the Maori, people. ( A volume, which has just been issued by ( the Dominion Museum,.will unquestion- , ably take rank as the standard authority j on the cosmogony, anthropogeny, reli- . gious beliefs, and rites, magic, and Maovf folk lore of New Zealand;. Inhis:intro- ' I ductoiy chapter, Mr ; Best shows how I very inadequately treated the mytho- .' logy of the Maoris was by the missionaries who first came in intimate associa- ! tion with them, and who had the best i opportunities of getting first impressions of the primitive modes of thought of the i Polynesian race Even the Key. R. , Taylor's "Te Ika a Maui," only devotee: ~ a- few pages to the subject, and Buller, , Yate and Polack give even less informa- • tion of value. Shortland led the way for future inquirers, and Tregear made . a careful digest of all known facts bearing upon Maori religious beliefs up to the time when his book on the Maori race was published, but Mr. Best states -, that the third volume of the "Memoirs of the Polynesian Society" contains the • only detailed account of native belief in i a Supreme Being, and the journal of the society will prove the richest mine for i students who wish to study Maori ethnography. As Mr. Best points out, the religion of a -primitive people exercises a much 1 greater influence on their customs and lives than ie observable in the case of civilised races, upon whom superstition has lost its hold. Ignorance of natural laws induces a superstitious fear of the ' phenomena which primitive man attributes to the action of his gods, and he is therefore more ready to give credence to priestcraft and magic. We can easily understand, however, the attitude adopted by the early missionaries towards Maori mythology. For the most i part, they were not men qualified- to conduct a scientific inquiry into. the: beliefs of an aboriginal: race; and, as a matter of" fact, the value of folklore as an index to the evolution of the human race from a state of barbarism has only received prominence in recent years. Misr ; sionaries generally were disposed to treat j with contempt and ridicule customs, like 1 tapu, which they did- not ; understand, 1 but which had- yet a useful pur- ■ pose in the organisation, of a communal society. There is no doubt that some of the outrages committed during, the first contact of white tiuxb with brown i and black, were due to unconscious J violations by the white men of customs I that wereihi'ld eacred among the. primi- | live; people whose prejudices and- country were, alike ruthlessly invaded. Mr. Best shews conclusively that Cap- - tain, Cook, Dr. Savage, Nicholas, Cruise, J Earle, and, other- early, writers on- Maori: . customs, fell into absurd- mistakes I through their ignorance of the language; He. is especially severe; on. W: TyronePower, whose- ignorance- of Maori' traditions and mental' powers, was colossal: He declared, the Maoris' to- be- without oral traditions, and yet, "although a mere portion of native traditions has been recorded, yet it covers- thousands of pages of print. An old native of the j Tulioe tribe dictated to mc four hun- ! dred and six eongs from memory in. 11896; these are still in manuscript form." ! But even Manning, notwithstanding hie long residence among the Maoris, utterly failed to penetrate beyond the shamanism practised by native warlocks. Mr. Best undertakes to prove that "the Maori simply had to keep on good terms with his gods; lacking such goodwill, life was practically impossible. The care-free attitude of the agnostic was unheard of; supernatural powers were I ever feared." The position thus ! assumed is supported by exhaustive reI search, in which the attributes of the gods of the Maori, his offerings of ! human sacrifice, and images; his priests, j eacred places and divination and ' ritual performancee,, are described in ' : detail and; with insight. A number of interesting illustrations, add to the i value of th& book, which bears the imprint of Mr. W. A. G. Skinner, Government printer. THE: GOVEBMMENT OF FRANCE. A trawJation- of Mr. Joseph; Barthelemy'V work. on : "The Government «f France" has. been, 'published by George ■ Allen, and; Unwin. It is of great interest to English readers, showing how - thedemocratic constitution of theßepub- \ lie has been developed under a multi- • tude of conflicting interests and influences. The author says: "French institutions of to-day, considered as a whole, form a composite building on which every regime for the last hundred years has left its. mark. The i Napoleonic framework has been retained, but the material structure has been ' changed. The Constitution of the Bepublie is copied from that of the July Monarchy. It is a Constitution based upon ; the hope of a Monarchy. It represents ! a compromise between Republic and .Monarchy. "The French Government is 'democratic in form; universal suffrage is actually the sole eource of power. I The people choose the deputies; they lalso elect the members of the local ,'government bodies, comprising the j general councils- of the Departments, the district (arrondissement) councils, -and town councils. The members of these councils, together with the deputies, elect the senators. The senators and deputies combined appoint the President of the Republic, and he, in his turn* appoints Ministers, and, I directly or indirectly, all officials." The franchise is confined to the male sex. , Soldiers are excluded from the right to i vote, and. under a system of compulsory 'military service, this-disqualifies a large . Section of the population between the ages of 21 to 23 or 24 years. Secret voting is secured by the ballot, but a candidate for. Parliament must obtain an absolute majority of the votes. If this is not secured by any candidate at the first poll, a second poll must take place. A system of proportional representation is being (strongly advocated. The book explains the powers possessed respectively by. the President and the two Houses of the Legislature: also thp working of the internal administration of the country. It is a complete and lucid 1 exposition of the Government of France.