BOOKS REVIEWED.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 740, 12 February 1910, Page 9

BOOKS REVIEWED.

"Tho Food,-of Love." VBy Prank! ; fort Moore,,' /ißell's: Colonial / Library. ' 'Whitcombe. 'and ; Tombs. ; -,2s. 6d. and 3s.' (id. ! . :.! . .The title ,of !,this!"book:.. is hardly the most attractive ono. that could halvo/beeii bestowed upon it, but' since I'ranklort Moore is.the.author, 1 the reader will, jirobably disregard it and' .get betweon the cpyers iii; the. hope '.that something inter--, testirig'wilL reward hini for his;enterprise.;. Music /and! musical; people aro subjects - that .ho delights'to; write about, aud prob-,; ably ho is" at his Kst.' when/'doiiig, so." In ,'Tood for Love" tho story is told" of ,a young genius,: Maurice Nevei'he, : the' son of, a wealthy; county.; family, i; who,;;r'eturhs; from, his ; musical 'studies.'aßroa'd^and-'set-. ties .down iri; tho midst-, of ;a' conservative iiarrdw : minded,.. brainless£ket / of: people; the flower aud. aristPcfa'6y!: of\ the county.: His father and the first .been.; against! his.Vlove' fprVuiusib, '.hoping;that ;he. .;..likd,' other' young men "ai-bu.ud . them',, able" , to : 'Mauricb. cannpt-.conform. 1 . to:;t.heii^w r ishes;i /His. old music-master;,; one of- ;the.!gi'eatest. musicians ' iii! Europe,;.'.accompanies ;him ,to : his,' home.- and.'theii follow/somo '.very uii-. 'By.! well.'as'' :by : ;^the': aeknptvl.edguifjrt': sb'f {> ihg- , genius • by a dist ihgu t,{ flfjap ha(l ; : retired!;into gradually, 'cbiiverts changes people's 'opiiiion/of.liim. Aiiothov'' ;a^ijsj,i^d^yered-!ii'.'ili^,^t(i' # of'' ; 'ii' 'beautiful.ija'u'nJ,'/'girl,'-who''!,'possesses; aJirpilderfiil .yoicer.aiid who'is' scorned and. ignored by;!the county.-; A. very romantic story!..'centres'-.itself around ilugh Perniain;: a /friend;'of Maurice's, and '. this girl's/mother. :; In: 'fact,- the -Joyo element; is! very. stfo'ng all /through, as.' might lie ■ expected -'lrom- tile title.- The old musician, llerr Griesbach, ■•, is probably /. the, strongest and most-individualistic, cliaras-' ter/ iii. the. book, . but ono .^doc's". not. get. much of him.' - ' ' .' .' ;

• f'lCorb." 1 By'Jani.es W. Stack; Whitcombe iind Tombs, Ltd., 25.-;-"—. -. ! '.f The .author 'of .'this 'booki/Canbn Stack; was ;cdnnected; for' iliany' years with .'the -Maori. hiiEsioii?iii'i Canterbury, and is; well- ; kiiowii by; .his - history' oi' ./the ; siege' ,of Kaiaijohia aiid minor iworks.''!'"lvoro"- is .the, : 'story" !'6f -his.'old'-phufchwarden"at. Kaiapoi; an'awkward,:slianiblihg,' slovenly ;old ataori;. as a youth in one of: To' Rauparalia's ; raids, and held in slavery {for- many 1 years at I'orirua ..and \Wahgahui, received his freedom; when' tlio -this! province;!.were-,eonyerted ;tb.:Christ l iariity, ..and ''returned": w./Canter-' bury'.'.as ;ii-iltissionary to' liis,- o.wn" people.. Thpuglv'reared 1 !iM > like,unkempt: habits formed.'in >: slavefy, ■Iforo/ provetl .himself a ;Christia!h , of'.'sinvple and heroic mould, aiid His exertions to /maintain ; the Church's"/influence - among his countrymen were, remarkable for their sacrifice and .courage.. ' "His / ideas /.and ..opinions.about; the- behaviour'-of ,Chris'tiaiis in.their daily, life ".(says:tho author), -what/they/ ought -and/'what .they, ought -not; to' do;'" : were, -, strange;: to.! say,. almost identical with those,!of .the old/Puritans, though he :had. never heard of their existence, nor seen any .of their; writings, and . had' learnt; all/he -.knew!, about Christian doctrine and/ practice,. from a'- man. who hadlio' sympathy;,- with; Puritanism." .'Koro's story, is; toldv with sympathy ' aiida good deal /of/humour,: and- 1 the' reader, gets, an; interesting' impression! of mission;, ary difficulties -in. the ;.'so's,' and' of the; ;Maori.ijcust6mS,':''<i.nd : sni)erstitions which; were so many pitfalls iii tho path of; tlie '.evangelist. '.The boolc. :is . brought-. up;;to 1 'date'.by .a consideration:;of the! future;' prospects -,:'of ; ChristianUy," ..'among..'; the! Maoris! as they, appear, at the present" .tinie,).' Those;, prospects, are, the author,, tliinks, iuore.hopeful now: than they hayo been since; .the /-great. estrangement ■ frcifc Christianity; which .took, place .fifty yea'rs ! /:;-'/!/';/