NEW BOOKS AND PUBLICATIONS.

Press, Volume LXII, Issue 12506, 19 May 1906, Page 7

NEW BOOKS AND PUBLICATIONS.

'•Plant* of Now Zealand," by T?. M. Laing. 13.Sc, and Miss E. "W . Backwell, has made its appearance durirg the. pa«t week, and is a notabo addition to Now Zealand literatiuo. We must defer to another occasion a full critical notice of the work, such as its importance demands, but have, no hesitation in saying that it ifi a striking example of colonial publishing enterprise. It contains 468 pages of letterpress, printed on thick calendeied paper, and is illustrated with ICO beautifully-executed reproductions of photographs of New Zealand plant life. It is evidently intended as a companion volunio to "The Animals of New Zealand," by Hutton and Driimmond, and is perhaps, in tho matter of technical production, «<ri oven more admirable proof oi the publishers' good taste and skill. (Christchurch: "\\ hitcombo and Tombe, Ltd., 155.)

"The Scholar's Daughter," by Beatrico Harraden, k a pleasantly writion etoi-v, but lacks probability in its plot and"will not add to the reputation of the author. Tho "Scholar" is an old Professor, engaged in tho compilat.on of a great dictionary. He has " ono fair daughter," and three elderly secretaries, and ie a woman-hater, not even a female servant being a lowed insido tho. house. His ambit.on is to mako hie daughter a. scholar »ikeivii?e, to assist in hs grcai work, but the arrival of a young man from Australia, who conice to announce a Ugacy wJuc.i hae been left to the Profes-or, produces the result which might bo expected, the daughter, of coins?, finding him much more attractive than tho dictionary as an object to which to devote one's life. Thoro is a mystery about tho Profos-or's own marriage experience, and th 0 is cleared up by tie arrival of a distinguished actiess in tho neighbourhood. Wo should perhaps admire the character-drawing of tho Professor more if we had not Mr Lafiaubon to compare him with. (London: Methuen and Co. Christchurch: Whitcombe and Tombs, Ltd., 2» Gd.) Mrs Katherino Cecil Thurston, who aoored such a succes with "John Chiloote, M.P. "' has followed it up with another well-written story, on different lines, entitled "The Gambler." In the first place wo havo a powerful sketch of an Irish gentleman, Denis Asshlin,, living in a ruined castle in a. dcoo-late part ■of the county Tyrone. An old college friend, James Mi'lbanko, visits him, and is shocked to find that ho has developed iinto a reckless gambler. Asshlin dies miserably, and leaves his young daughter, a beautiful, high-spirited, but somewhat wayward ppirl, to his friond'e care. Milbanko conceives that ho will carry out the trust most effectually by marrying tho girl, with whom ho has fallon in love, notwithstanding the disparity in their ages. It if, obviously an iliadvised union. Milbanke is old enough to be the father of the girl, who nnttiroly has ro sympathy with his sprcinl hobby—antiquarian study. The gambling spirit of her father breaks out in her, and finds an outlet in bridge. While Mr Milbanko is poring over antiquitkw in Venice his wife makes acquaintance with a fast set of "fashionable" people, lcses far it:ere money than sho can afford, nnd borrowing mency from an unscrupulous pcquaintnrco. jr only just saved from infamy. Tho loving, trustful, but too-blind husband is very well sketched, but ''the interrt-r, : n<r, bronzed young En/zlUhman," Sir Wai tor Gore, by whom Mrs Milbanke is saved from ruin, nnd mi whom, after Milbnnkr>'s death, sho finds her true- affinity, hardly strikes us as convincing. Nevertheless, tho story is so> wc-11 told that one does nrt stop to think how far it is probable. (London: Hutcninson and Co.. Pat-er-no-ter Row. Christ church: Founta'Ti "Bnrber and Wliitcomo amd Tombs. 2s 6d.)

"Tho I?ed-haired Woman," by Louise Kenny, is n book -with a somewhat misImding title. Recent writers in fiction have, however, no doubt very unjustly _. led us to conclude that a red-haired worc-in must bo nn adventuress, or at any rate a more or le?s dangprons porecai to have anything to do with. The heroine in thifi case is harmless enough, and hor character is irreproaohabU?. She simply tolls us a very interesting ptory of Irish life principally during the land war hotweon 1870 and 1890. Naturally tho rPccnlio'M.ers f cure very prominently in tho bo ,k, and besides beins; full of excitement and advewfnre it is well worth reading for ite descriptions of Irish life and character. (London: John Murray, Albemarle street. Chrietchnrch : Whitcombo and Tombs, Ltd.)

'Tho Weaver's Shuttle," by C. Gasquoine Hartley (Mrs Walter Gallichan) introduces us in the first place to a decidedly interesting, if egotistical child. Janetßovan. in whom tho child-longing to bo at once supremely good and beautiful is very strong- There is a playmate, Dick.'in whom all her younc affections centre. In the fifth chopt-er, 'Tars'' a grown-up Janet has been gifted with all tho necessary charms of a heroine "beautiful in spite of the irregularity of her features." She has become an art student, and some interestinsc sketches are griven cf girlstudent'life. The story. hc-wover. scon breaks down into rather hvstericnl discussion of a ment.il attitude towards a mm loved but net trusted. In dread that if she married Paul Giraud hw love might wane, Janet runs away to England again, wh-sro, meeting her old playmate accidentally, she. practically proposes to and marries him. Hβ naturally offends her by want of sympathy, the' French lover appears on the wro, and there are complications, which the one-idea'd young woman s?ttle* by running away again from both. It is poor

stuff until the last chapter of reconciliation, when Janet is recalled from desperate il&iesK by Dick's assumption of tbo words and ways of their young time together—an unusual and clever bit of writing. (London: Greening's Colonial Library. Christchurch.: "Wbilcombe and Tombs* 2s 6d.)

It is perhaps hardly necessary to say that "In the Hand* cf the C/.nr." by Garrott Mill, is a. story of- plot and counterplot, of -secret agents and busy mtriguo. The titlo alono is sufficient to lead us to expect such things. The scene opens at Montreux, wliere we are introduced to tho heroine, Olivia Raphael, who, at the ago of twenty-four, being left alone in tho wcilci, and badly provided for, comes to that pleasant re-'-ort on the shore* of Lake Leman because it is cheap, anl is said to b~> a go d winter 'marriage* market. Hero r-ho falls in with two rival political agents, each cf whom pret-emk to bo in k?vo with her in order io find out the doe'.gne of the oth-.;•. Finally, "however, one of thorn, who caJls himself Loixl Yarleigh, but is really a Russian princ?, falls in- love with hrv, a.v.<] marries hor. Sulne-quently tho nri-.ic-e beremes Czar, and tho heroino that heirt i« merely » morganatic lr.-arriage, and that the Czar i* contemplating a regular ma-rriago for »Stati> purpovs. Sho then leaves the country, and goes to Italy, w'nerc sh? falls into serious straits through poverty. Evemtuallv eh:? meets Traquhair, the other political agor.t, in Siena, and. though the author doi-s not fiay so explicitly, we are led to iufcr that in. him she found hor true affinity. An improhr.blo story, tut briskly told. (I#Cindo.:i: William B'aekwcod and Fow. CliTi'-tchurch : Wbiteonfba and Tombs, 2s 6d.)

Mr Fountain Barber sends us tho foll-owin-g now sixpenny editions:—"The Sky Pilot." by Kalph Connor. (London: lic<U] eran d St o-ngl 11 on); '" Ash « Tell No Tiik's" by Mrs Albert S. Bradshaw : Grooning and Co., Ltd.); "Tho Autobiography of a Charwoman,'' by Annie, Wakeman (London: George I?outJ.«lgo nnd Sons, Ltd.); '"Tlw Pro-d-igata,"' by Mrs Oliphant; and '"Barlw of Grand Bayou,"' by John Oxen-ham (London: Horldrr and Stoughton).