LITERARY GOSSIP

Press, Volume LX, Issue 18153, 16 August 1924, Page 13

LITERARY GOSSIP

Under the heading "VtdettanA Eagles,'' Edmund Lester Pearson dis» cussob old-time Fourth of Jnly or»te>r» in the July number cf Magazine.'' Tho article is illattruft*** from old books and pamphlet* and contains extracts from a number at typical Fourth of July orations whirs havo been preserved in print. T?i<* gem of tho collection is the one begins as follows: Venerable, my fcHow-dtiaraw, nit tho bnlliant calendar of Arwriraai Independence, is the day *© celebrs**. Venerable as the revolving rprnrh in our anniversaries of freedom i* tfii* avalanche of time. Venerable a* tlw» s.bacus on the ritaoel of thou well-spring of hope, !fowif**t#*ad of Überty, wo ver.erafe thy halnUtion. Monument of immortality. w» adorate thy worth. Pharos of ag«ft» wc hail thy glimmerings, mid tn*> cr»tnracts of life. Almanac of otsr cmrotry, wo would utter thy wkrsww with reverent awe. Onrtow?* &ftd our battlements, our flags and oar horoca, yea, garlanded navies, oWwated armies, and unfettered emsfcm, sleepless at the approach of thy footsteps, have welcomed theo. Tb* clap of thy welcome booms afcm£ tesselated lawns, fresroed axbef*, am! lipping rivulets: whrlo the snrfsw* n# eloquence join {Tie music of fmsfoffis.

Time to when tho word* "btmk" and "stylo" were Rynor.rtnmwi. Bw» 'that was before the world of fetter* became democratised aed a IttarMrj treaty of Versailles had prodaiatwi t&« rights of small authors. In fbaco rftetant days, ft reviewer of Mr C. & Montague's "The Right Place/' sap* the Golden Fleece wai tf» b* ImtiA between the covers of every boefe, aflSd a writer was a gorgeous pasdknr «f pleasures. Of course this is not to mean that nono of tho madmm wilt "live. On the contrary, there arts mmßf who will live, or. at worst, be an tta» oonscionable time a-dyin«. But tiwrf will live for something other than tbntr style—style as one L« noctisttsaed t» «8» the word when speaking of Addison, «f Hteele, of Thackeray, ofthflw. in theft* to whom the manner of wrrthig mm of equal importance with lh» mafttor. The moderns in letters, Kfca IS» moderns in statecraft, are largely «#li» tarian in their philosophy and e*pw#iency is their god. Mr Montagwe «mf» to his birthright as lichens ef«rg t» rock, or a miser to his gold.

But that is not werylwdy'g trpmim. Another reviewer, an. American, says of Mr Montague: He is a veteran member of the affile* rial staff of that eminently wtfMntttm. newspaper, the "Manchester €kMP> dian." The leading artickft hi : ti» "Guardian" are cast in as fin* ca !«©» lish Btyie aa any one could wish, ettfear for writing an immortal tswet or fW writing to the boy at school. «Wm» Manchester editorials are a iteh&&hs blend of simplicity, vigour, ee&wov movement, argumentation, aarrß&Stt, persuasion, wrath, satire aad fa&ttrtMar, They are really quite wooderfnl *&ia&» and I assume that Sir Mofttajpe* «* bis time has written, hundred* ef tbMg* "But when he wanta to write a HON* called "A Hind Let Loca*" t&* is* what happens;

Fay looked, my, tfuZtJM&(W» >» ft*S e?<* like a nfcs faaetftV 'efJT !# not Bavag«; * mouth ft!? a-t«rt*& #«Jt nujponsivene** to «ny oa*'# jnet whew ia Engla* feet* JBfcfWwr bl«nk chine »re, • wsstfssr ««P*«WL¥ leaning dimple* to h* BMMtliaSitf *M*» momentary emotion into CSi'ttX* mtloWßto

of expression, lla it sheer pemnwiy? Or fflBT% : t* that ft man of Montagne'* aMfe* tho victim of the absurd mthmjmt in turning from joarnaiisaa 6» »**j*J ture he must ceaeo to he* oatnaHH w go in for acrobatics?

At » safe at «&• Awfenwa &&«&% New York, a cow of KifsfrggJjMf rock Boom Ballads" brougfc &$ #& lars, probably because of ti» S%lwiK autograph inscripfcioa <» *&» W page, which reads j--*'TiH» twfc«B» li» the rest of the author's work* «•# not presented to TFttete., «Wtal A •Rod,' hot that wu *&&■+£§**■ of Uncle John, who heagftt M£ J» the open market, in*W of «*£*** them like a relaUr«^—K-K-» HWWftHf. 1896."

reading. (Sydney: CoroAtSk flittfil ing Co.). The fine «oTiesi of eopyrifjit WWWtI which Messrs Kelson Me ftia&tg &*** coming a lengthy one. Wvuf-- wawife months seven or eight TdanMßf <** added, and every one ia fin&tttf m its kind. Zhe.btart<JtoW .!»*&■£ prises: "The Battle of tiw mm**?** Sir Gilbert Pwkerj "Th* <*£**•** P Mt ," by Leonard *••*£*-J?* Jervis," by B. M. Crokef; "£££*£ did SpuV'by "Q."; "The ««*»«Sfo*£* by Maclaren Cobban; "Tea »«* by Mark Twain} John Buehan; and "Th* CeaiUf «? **• Law," by Another admirable seriea » *™HK2r "Edinburgh Library" .£***2"2' Books. The three *£**"£***£ July are very attractive! &**£*£> "New Jerusalem," Aga« Bmom "Two Dianas in Alaska,' «M «r Algernon West's »C<mteu§ots*T ffcf* traits."

NOTES, The Lothian Book Publics* «*«•• pany have issued the JPri» w Miss Nells© Palmer, M.A., e» 3ft*§*«i Australian Literature. U »2I «• '-!•* membcred that the fine, *itt o*** t* encourage a more titudo towards Australia!* offered a prize of twenty-Sw frtMHP (and royalty) for tie best a**jr Ag* ine critically with Australia* ww«# published since 1900, *nd tfett ft* nward went to Miss Pafaasr, «tfisr tf "The South Wind" »4 "Stesitwy Paths." It is this wtodb hm mm Im* published, and which, witfc **• Wg complete index, is on* of tl» surveys available to tlse ftvwngH' fftiSfllv New Zealand writer*, SwwOTftr, awjgj* included, the titie of the «w»y" fjffl* ing all who have not bad de#aife» **£»- ary connexions with Asstrali* and J«s* lished their books there.

A .very charming booklet k SMI ****! written by Mr .Janus* C»*«fT, M ***%£, Folk-Tales of the Port &dh.\ Mr Cowan has interwoven with descxip*i*ilW' of the most picturesque plaow d» «WW hills the Maori poetic legends «*df Bg£ torica! traditions which tj» jag rang*, and which hare not pswraWMSf been published. The booklet ift •**% lustrated from «W will add a new is tenet to hetmSf tramping. A companion IaMUMh ■'Maori Tales," by Ht JoiWBSW« €£, Andersen, is for vtfy yewftg, r*w&H% though it wilt not be sarprm»£ if W» children have w watch 'fart* #WWf in some houses to prerejs* ">&# HwfiW from being purtemed. %$ hmmlk has the tuwooiled arisd to vl&ft-ipffft are more than fsadfof tmummSm .hook. (Both Iron* W&mtim m&\ Tomba4 ■- i r >» ■*• ,J, «f«