NEW BOOKS AND EDITIONS.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 75, 21 December 1907, Page 13

NEW BOOKS AND EDITIONS.

"The' Stooping. Lady/" -By Maurice How- •;! l° tt- . Loudon: Macmillan., 2s. -Gd. '(Colonial Library,) l '. ' Nowadays, when publishers and tho! public alike appear to attach no importance to style in fiction; a new book'by Maurice Hewlett is quite' a notable event.! No matter.what his story, may be, you can 'trust yourself, within his covers in., perfect'"safoty.. from the stiipidity and •: slovenliness ;■ that -niako novel-re-' viewing' tho dreariest and most trying of businesses. Jn."Tho Stooping -.Lady Mr. Hewlett appears to have disappointed most of the critics .on l half-a-doxen scbi'e's, but-they all: jciiii in chorussing: ('Delightful, anyway." Tho. story— 0110'need'liot scruplo'.' to . tell it all,'for the author hints'you'-.tho end quite frankly in the early'chapters—is of Hermia Mary, daughter of Captain Dick Cliambre and Lady. Hermione Caryll, and granddaughter of the great Lady Morfa. Hermia, Radical and Revolutionary, is-brought to London .to shine at Caryll ffriuso in that-year of 1809 sivlion'Cobbett was fighting for Reform, and tho Prince of Wales' was. a flushed, and' fuddled,man of-.4'0; ,As:'she arrives at"Caryll House, a young.:butcheiv ;David Vernour, is thrashing two noblo lords who havo. killed his horse. The butcher by a Caryll tyranny, is imprisoned, and-tho story, at |ast cimes to Hormia's ear's. It has already become public property, and Cobbelt was raving about it iiV the "Register," so that Lady Morfa .dropS the prosecution of - the : butcher, 'who'is ro-' leased. . Hermia secretly visits Vernour to apologise to him for tho-wrong -worked by her kinsfolk; the. story flies round London, and is soized by Lord Snndg'ate as a-political weapon For a year, whiltf polttics;:.arq .rfast' and /furious, 'Hermia receives; daily' a/biiiich; of violets from, an unknown lover, and-"she. gives her,heart to him. The 1 unknown discloses hiniself as Vernour, ' tho butcher, by that time become 'one of tlie' hopes of the Reform politicians,' and Hermia accepts tlje ■position. Informed of this' cataclysmic development, Lady, Morfa 'again secures Vernour's imprisonment and his commission to the pillory. With, a hot, romantic heart) supported by the Caryll courage and pride, Hermia stands by. her lover in , the' pillory, while ! thci/mob . and the soldiers : ong'ag6.' in conflict. A chance bullet ends'-Ternour's' life, as Hermia is being taken : away iiito sAfety.' : Mr. Hewlett, has given us plenty, of passion and romance against the politicalbackground on which ho. has painted somebrilliant and memorable, portraits. There is no need to complain that the chance biillet is a blundering -way out. of a dilemma: :a novel is not meant, to'. be- a'_caso; for niiriuto oxamiiiatio'n, ■ /a'' special ; 3iiry,' 1 'and /a reti re-' ! ment to consider a verdict.-; It - 'is "a moving story, full of charm and an ecstasy of action, deftly and wittily sketched. Mr. Hewlett has copied George Meredith's tricks of ellipses, allusiveness and obscure half-hinting, his affectation of relying on humourously oldfashioned documents. But ho has hcen adroit in his imitation; for,.discarding the dullness and obscurity that aliTiost convict Meredith of believing in "stylo for stylo's sake,"!, lie uses the Meredithian.mechanics for tho'.yorve and vividness they give to .the business bf mere narration. Lady Morfa, : the-great Whig aristocrat, is,' a . brilliantly-composcd < figure, to whose creation Mr. Hewlott has brought all his wit: " Slio divided mankind' for all purposes into two classes. Either you - wore a Family or. you were a person. Collectively you were, still Family, unless you wore the Mob." - . She had three abhorrences: "Enthusiasm, slackness of fibre, and treachery to Family." She called the Royal family "a horde of Gormans," and said that they ate sausages in the-Throne Room. Her, affections .were limited: "It'was not because ;sho ha dexhausted the'world of objects of interest, but because you can't love people in masses unless you are n philanthropist or a clergyman. Sbo was neither. The world, no. doubt did contain so many millions of souls. . . . These millions were of tho sort whom, in ono way or another, one paid to do things for one." "Prayer? All, no doubt very right and, proper,' said her ladyship, loftily—but she didn't like it. Any sugges-" tion that application could be addressed olsewhere than to herself offended her. a. good deal." The book is.full of clever portraits worked with this dexterous wit—an oasis in tho modern Sahara of .fiction. "Historical Records of Now Zealand." Edited by tho Hon; R. M'Nab. Wellington: Government Printer! '

This volume, coming on top of "Murihiku," seems to supply:a convincing reason why Mr. M'Nab should resign his Ministerial portfolio ; without delay. Wo liavo . 110 political intontion in making this' observation: Wo mean merely thpt it is rather'a pity that tho one man in New Zealand who hos all the equipments for historical research—enthusiasm, energy, and a wonderful "flair" for the good things buried in musty recordsshould bo tied to a 'Ministerial desk; However, Mr. M'Nab contrives to . do his Ministerial work very well and conscientiously, and continue his, historical, labours .at-tho same time.'- He.is to bo congratulated upon .this latest, of his valuable services-'to tho historical records of this country. Tho voltlmo under notic'o is a bulky collection of ntercsting papers—letters, logs, despatches—relating to the early history of .New Zealand. Mr. M'Nab has supplied indices and side annotations and dates throughout;; ho has been liberal with his illuminating and engrossingly interesting footnotes; and ho has kept a wary oyo open to see that thcro was 110 interference by tho printer with tho spelling and punctuation of tho documonts. Cook's letters, tho despatches and . memoranda relating to the founding of tho convict system in Now South Wales, tlio documentary history of the Bounty and of tho Boyd, tho story of Samuel Marsdon —these are a f6w of tho many subjects upon which the mass of documents in this volume throw tho fullest light. The book is itself history; it will remain a permanent storehouse for the. future historian to draw upon. Mr. M'Nab has not, fortunately lost anything irretrievably in the recent fire at Parliament Houso; and ho is not cast down by tho heavy set-back which lib has nevertheless received. In a year, ivo understand, the second volume of "Muriliiku" -will appear. The country is under a heavy debt of gratitude to Mr. M'Nab for his monumental labours, and may count itself fortu-

nate in 'finding, thus early in its history, such an export and enthusiastic explorer of our historical records. . . ' "At the'.Labour in Vain." By Harold'Hansell. Gordon and Gotcli. , Although introduced as the. author of alio-' tiler volume,.Mr. Hansoll is new to our reading, and he conies as a pleasant humourist, well worth knowing. Without any graces of literary stylo, to be sure, ho has, nevertheless, produced a little book full of interest and pleasant humour. "At- the Labour in Vain" is a string ,of anecdotes and " storiettes,',' strung on a slender chain of:light philosophy. Mr.' Hansell cannot, of course, get past the fact that there are only a handful of motifs available.,for the humourist to ring his ■changes upon, but he works so freshly in his province that you aro lured. on, and on by his genial, extravagances. Liko Edward Dyson,'who'can most safely bo taken as the authentic type of the Australian humourist, tho author of "At the Labour, in Vain" lias that : energy and enthusiasm of narrative that give to Australian humour; its characteristic hyperbole and rapidity of movement. He tells many good stories, and tells them Well. Especialy delightful are the ridiculous things which he collects uiider the headings "Advico" and " Hopefulness." ■'Wake up, England." By P. A.- Vaile. London: Skeflington and Soil.- 3s. 6d. Mr. Vaile leaves you in no doubt concerning his intentions, his ambitions, and his opinion of his fitness to recall John Bull to the paths of righteousness, and duty. Indeed, -he'shouts'out "1" fourteen times in tho first pago of the ■ preface, and he proceeds to treat "dear old John Bull" very badly. He writes, ho explains, out of his love for England: "I put my fingers at once on tlio sore spots on Mr. Bull's great body, and if ho winces I shall bo well satisfied, for that is the beginning of healing.". But—and one liuist give thanks —Mr. Vaile is not blind to "the silver lining in all of England's clouds." As a matter of fact, Mr. Vaile's egotism ccaEO3 to-he amusing at pago 2; it irritates by tho ••"time''". page 5 .is reached, and thenceforward it is repulsive.' For.over 200 pages ho shows that John Bull is a fool of the most' comprehensive kind; but 1 lid coricludcs that there is somo hope for him. De'arl"7Dear! "I, know," 'says Mr. Vaile, on page 65, "that. I am not courting l'popularity in writing this." Nor, wo must add, is Mr., Vaile likely to obtain tlio notoriety that lie clearly aims at. His'shouts aro loud, but dull;, and dulness is death.

"Folk Tales of the Maori." By. A. A. Grace. Gordon and Gotcli. •This volume is a good sequel to "Talc's of a Dying R'aco" and "Muoriland Stories." It is,; as thonamo indicates, a .-collection .of stories told, by Maoris about: Maoris. ; :In most of them the Native is seen as ho was'-before tlie - coming of the -pakeba. Tho tales were collccted for Mr. Grace by his frio\hd Karepa To "Wh'etu, jand aro hero re-told in En'glish. Tho writer:' selected from tho. harvest .gathered by To Whetu.only .what was new to him and what appealed to him as a storyteller. iThe result is a book'that will be more than 'acceptable -both to tho scientific mythologist and the ordinary reader. . Tho stories aro interesting as stories, and they arc important as a collection.- of folk talcs that have riot been written, down,.by previous student. They enable one to realise in some degree tho largo part which .supcrnatu'ralisiu played in the-life of. tho uncivilised iMaori. In ajmost every .'story there is ,a .tohungaj a taniwha, a • pa'tupaiarehe, a taipo, or somo of these, vvlnlo, life, love, and fortune aro continually at ''tho-mercy of makutu and karakia. Even in'the few stories that treat of the modern Mao'ijij" 'these uncanny powers and • instruments are at work. (There would appear to bo -a Native now living'in Taranaki whose body was-once covored with bark like a tree, through'the spells of a demon. Mr. Grace is-occasionally guilty of. a phrase that jars. "Gastronomic possibilities" and "olfactory .nerves",'strike one as-out of-place, in a 'kaingair. But'in tho,case of a "writer ivlio has to tell..of one, of the spirits that haunt l'irongia. mountain appearing in a coat and waistcoat and '.playing eucliro and poker, the jiicongruity.-'of his:'theme may naturally bnriugh nffcct his style. Mr. G'raco has done his work well and produced, a .readable and valuable 'book. It is a window, through •which the discerning reader may see far into the. mind of tlio Maori." ;The' Writings of St. Francis of'. Assisi. , -Jyewly translated into English,.from' the rq original','tests .according to the .French .-.edition - of F. -Uliald .-D'Alehcon, ..0.5.F.C., bj'. Constanco, Countess, do la Warr. Burns ■ and Oates, London. Price 7s. Gd.-net. ' Some very . characteristic letters, prayers, and canticles if the saint who called the birds'-his sisters aro included in-this'little volume, together with the Rules of the Friars. 'Minor'and Poor Ladies. While tho perforvid devotion which' breathos through these' writings will endear tliem to'religious minds,' tho precepts laid doivn for the great and Order of I'oor Friars which St.- Francis founded, with the light they she'd upon the manners of the :ige, will make them' interesting to historical students, and tho artless beauty of the prayers and-canticles must, charm all lovers of literature.' '.'Tho Loaves <)f the Tree," a popular illustrated'report of tho British' and For..''oign. Bible Society for tho year . -MDCCCCVI—VII. A highly roadablo account of tho worldwide work of this Society .is furnished in the abovo littlo volume, and the excellent illustrations- aro drawn from , many . lands. Other interesting information as to tho work of the Society is contained in "Tho Biblo in tho World," the Society's,illustrated monthly record, of which wo liavo received tho November number, arid "The Biblo Society's Gleanings," a half-penny magazine, also illustrated. "Happy Hearts for Boys and Girls." By Ethel 'J Turner. ■ London: Ward Lock ' arid Co.' Miss Ethel Turner in "Happy Hearts for Boys and Girls" has produced a Christmas gift which should gladden many a small heart in the Dominion during tho coming Christ-mas-tide. It catches the eye with an attractively got up coloured cover, and its 17G pages-of verso and charming short stories, delightfully illustrated by D. H. Soutor in his quaint and finished style, are full of interest and amusement for juvenile readers. Tho; droll advontures of tho animals and birds on "The Kaft in tho Bush" —an Australian Noah's Ark—aro prettily told'in Miss "Turner's own style, known and loved by her child readers, and-there is an abundance .of other matter calculated to amuso and entertain. Santa: Claiis, hard pressed to find a suitable gift for ,a favourite youngster's stacking, need worry no longer. "Happy Hearts" will be welcomed in every homo where thcro aro children. , "Tho Conspirators." By 15. Phillips Op- ■ ponlieim: London; Ward Lock and • Co. 3s. Gd. .' Mr. Oppenheim's. efforts in tho realms of mystery and sensation aro/highly favoured by readers of that class of; literature, and his novels aro always taken up with a certainty, of a good sliaro of thrills and mo-, mcnts of tense cxcitcmont. In "Tho. Conspirators" lie is well up to his usual stand-' ard. lio opens with a dramatic) situation, follows with a mysterious murder, and piles incident- on iucidont in. rapid succession, clovorly cloaking "tho mystery of tho motiv'es underlying plot and a counter-plot and springing his usual, surprise on tho-reader in his customary striking fashion. Tho chief incidents in the story aro enacted in Louden, but thero is a hrcak and tho pricipals .aro transferred to Europe. The story is built on tho indiscretions of a royal personage, certain of whose letters have found their way into tho hands of a blackmailer.