BOOKS AND AUTHORS.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1102, 15 April 1911, Page 9

BOOKS AND AUTHORS.

. VERSES OLD AND NEW. COMRADES. Into tho desert I will darn My willing foot with you, If you will givo me all my sharq Of toil and danger too. By.the night-fire, beneath" the. tie*. I'll lightly, lightly sleep, If you will surely waken me The second watch to keep. Exiled, beside you I will stand, Proud in degraded line, If the same chain which binds your hand In tyrant grip, binds mine. And should fair Fortune send us time Of ease and mirthful hours, 'And sojourn in some genial clime, 'Mid singing birds and flowers: Then up and down the shores we'll rovo And up and down tho vales. .We'll race tho winds a-wirirl abovej We'll challenge the swift gales. In winter-work and summer-play We'll spend our joj- and strength, Till the soft hand which closes day Shall lead us homo at length. —Beatrice Hastings,' in the "New Age." SLUM-dRT. Of a night without stars, the wind withdrawn, trod'sface hidden, indignity near me, Drink and the paraffin flares to sear me, Dust-coloured 'hunger—so was I born! Of a city noon-day—as .sand through sieve Sifting down, , as- dusk padding the glamour— ' . I of the desolate white-lipped clamour, Millioning fester. So do I live! Of'a Poor-house morning, not asking why, .. • . ■ Breath choked, dry-eyed, the death of me staring, Faces of strangers, and no one caring— I'hou who.hast made me—so shall I die! —John Galsworthy," , in the "Nation,"'"^ WOBK. Oh to be up and doing, 0 * Unfearins and unashamed to go : 111 all the uproar and the , pres3 About my. human business! My undissuaded heart I hear Whisper .'courage in my car. With voiceless calls, the ancient earth Summons me to a daily birth. Thou, 0 my love, ye) 0 my friends— Tho gist of .life, the end of ends— To laugh, to".love, to live, to die, Ye call.me .by'the ear and eye! Forth from the casemate, on the plain, Where" honour has the world to gain, Pour forth and bravely do your part, 0 knights of the unshielded heart! Forth and forever . forward!—out Froni prudent turret and redoubt, And in the mellay'charge amain, To, fall, but yet to rise again! Captive?. Ah, still, to honour bright, A captive soldier of the right! ' Or free and fighting,'good'with ill, Unconqusring but unconquered still! —R. L. Stevenson. UNTO THE HILLS. "I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills from whence cometh my help." , 2 '..till 4i?Mto ,tkxi.V ; ' i lift mine eyes to Thy high hills, 0 God, To s>ek the strength they give; The patience .of .thair..mighty., lives Can .-teach me how lo live. X lift to-Thy calm hills/0 God, And passionately pray ■I may go on with dauntless heart To face the darkening day. I lift mine eyes to Thy dark hills, 0 God, When loT'there'break's a light, Tho eternal promise of Thy law; "Fear net, day follows night."' I lift.mine eyes to Thy great hills, 0 God, And through the clouds above I clearly see Thy wondrous hand That guides in changeless love. —"H.," in the "Westminster Gazette." THE EMERGENCE OF AUTHORS. In the latest discourse from'the Easy Chair,' Mr. William Dean Howells complains whimsically (says the Xcw York "Evening Post") of. people who approach you with a volume in the hand and an eager look in the e.vo and.ask you if you have ever read anything by this new man, Arnold Bennett. Mr. Howells feels called upon to vindicate his reputation as an old voyager in tho "uncharted literary seas." He has know Mr. Bennett's work for ever so many years, .and ho admired the Englishman's talent long before fortunes capricious wave caught him up and landed him high on tho.hot and baking beach of popularity, only a year or two ago. lne isasy Chair proceeds to put an extraordinarily Uigli - valuation on' Mr. .Bennett a novels, without stopping to ask why such good work should havo been so. long in winning recognition, let the case of Arnold Bennett is tvpical—for England more than for this country, but for us, too, to an unsuspected degree. Observe that this is not the old case of manuscripts knocking at publisher's doors in vain." If it is success to get one's novel into print, Mr. Bennett attained success a dozen /years ago. Here is tho more remarkable case of nearly a score of. printed books of an exceptionally high degree of merit, waiting patiently- for .justice or luck, or whim, or whatever power it 13 that at last gives literary talent its dus. Just, to what degree the case of Arnold Bennett is typical of con temporary British writers, the following few name's may show. . .Eden Phillpotts, who in his younger days collaborated with Arnold Bennett, has more than two dozen books to his credit, and of these only a halt-dozen have been written since'his emergence into broad public notice. W J. Locke published nine or ten novels before "The Beloved Vagabond." John Galsworthy had written a half-dozen ■volumes of sketches, novels, and plays before "The Silver Box" came out only five years ago. Bernard Shaw began writing about 1880; his "Plays Pleasant and Unpleasant" appeared only in 1893, and the. "boom" days of tho inimitable G. 8.-S. did not come till Arnold Daly produced "Candida" in New York eight years ago. Even tho meteoric Chesterton rose on tho firmament with tho comparatively scdato speed which wo naturally expect in a British meteor; he had written livo books before his "Browning" first drew tho wbrld's attention. It may seem straining the point to bring, in tho greatest figuro of them all, Thomas Hardy.. Yet to the mass of young readers, Hardy to-day is the author of "Tess" and "Judo." But Hardy had begun writing in 18G5 nnd published at least fifteen volumes before the appearance of "Toss'.-of the D'Urborvilles" in 1591. That Hardy's earliest books comprise his best work does not destroy tho argument. Tho fact remains that when Hardy wrote "A Pair of Blue Eves." "The Return of the Native," and "The Woodlanders,". he had only a following', With "Top?," he won a public. If one wore to yield to the taaiDtation of venturing into unknown

seas, tho prophecy ■ might- be hazarded that some, day tho public will discover Mr. Charles Marriott, whose lifteen novels have not yet gained him the recognition which his admirable talent deserves. How is it with us in this country? A detailed statistical study would show that success comes more speedily to tho American novelist than to tho Knglishnian. Caro must be exercised in drawing up our list of names. If we are to take the "best sellers" only, the point is proved at tho start. Most of our "best sellers" have been first books or early books; many of them have been, in fact, tho writer's only book, a literary llash-in-tlie-pan and that is all. But draw up a fairlv representative list of names, a list that shall include. Edith 'Whaiton, llobert Hcrrick, Frank Norris, Jack London, Winston Churchill, Robert Chambers, and Booth Tarkingtou. Frank Norris wrote four or five stories before he published "The Octopus," hut these four or five stories were written within two or three years; so that we cannot call his fame long delayed. Tarkington won at the first try with "The Gentleman from Indiana." Winston Churchill was almost as prompt; "Richard Carvel" was his second book. Jack London wroto a halfdozen books before "Tho Call of tho Wild," hut was already very well known before that. Robert Chambers seems to be one of these men who, in a now famous phrase, are able to "come back." His "King in Yellow,"" of eighteen years ago brought him reputation ; then came a long decline, followed by a sharp rcasccndcnco which we may dato from tho "Iolo" of six yean ago. In the case of Robert Herrick and Mrs. Wharton, wo find tho expected ; their work is of a more serious nature and'was-slower in making its way. Mrs. ■ Wharton is credited with eight books before, the "House of Mirth," though.probably we should put the dato of her emergence three years earlier at "The Valley of Decision." Mr. Herrick had written nine or ten hooks before the 2>ubl:cation of "The Memoirs of an American Citizen." It will be seen , that even Mr. Herrick's or Mrs. Wharton's apprenticeship to ' fame was much shorter than that of most of tho English writers we have mentioned.

It would not do to press the distinction too far. This year or the next may sec the emergence iii this country of an author who has hurled a,dozen volumes against the gates of fame without burnting them asunder. England shows us, 'on tho. other hand, a jihcnomonou like. .Do Morgan—although in his case it might be argued that Do Morgan must have lived a great many novels, even if be did not write them, and that "Joseph Vance" is not really his first book; or .".hows us a one-book man, like E. F. Benson, who made his "hit" with "Dodo," nearly twenty years ago, and has never risen so high again in no loss than, twenty-five attempts. But broadly speaking, the distinction 'between American raid English authorship holds. Our writers (the "Post" concludes) "win out" more easily. FIONA MACLEOD. Tho following letters from Fiona Macleod to Mr. Francis Grierson.were not included in the ftcently-published "Life and Letters of Fiona Macleod," but were sent to tho "Nov.- Age" by a correspondent:— ' ■ ' . " ■ May 29, 1899. • My Dear Sir,— ■ • ■ Tthank you most cordially for sending me your book. A day or so later, and I would have had the book in any case! For a week or so ago, a friend wroto to me about it from - Paris (Mr. (Villiam Sharp, my kinsman as well as my friend—probably you know him?) that while he [was] waiting for an hour or more at the house of M. Davray ho took ..up., your "Modern Mysticism",, and-iyas ''immediately and profetinefly 'impi'Ss's'ira by it. He said he would send it to n;o —but something he quoted made me desirous to sec the book at onc-3 —so I was about to order it. I am in Edinburgh only for a day or two, and may write to you again from tho west if you care to hear. Meanwhile I may say that your'book has fascinated me by its qualities of thought and style.. It is a book with much in it to ponder—the' kind of book-I love. I havo no tijhio to write more to-day. -But I send for your acceptance one of, a small private edition of ten copies, made up of a , certain section.in my .just T pubr Used new book, "The Dominion ■of Dreams" (published on Saturday), which I hope you may care to have. With cordial thanks, ■ . 'Yours sincerely, FIONA MACLEOD. June 4, 1899. My Dear Mr. Grierson, — It is not only.because I have such a horror of London that I wish you could bo where I write this note. Before mo Loch Fyne , stretches in its hill-set beauty, with the brown-sailed herringsmacks coming up from tho open beyond the Isle of Arran; and 1 cannot but think it is better to hear tho cuckoos calling in the woods of Claondiri than to listen to the multitudinous janglo of London streets, even with all that London means to those who lovo it. I thank you for your letter. There is a period in the ebb and flow of tho spiritual tide when the thoughts of another or several touch one's own. I was thinking (and had recently written) almost identically to the effect of one ■ ofi the sentences in your letter: and when I opened your envelope, and (for 'a' moment taking tho letter to be from r.omeone else) glanced casually at one of the pages, while my thoughts wore about a strange and moving letter I had just received, suddenly my attention became fixed by the words:—"Have you over'thought of tho wonderful mystical law that causes th'oso things to happen which have been abandoned by tho soul as impossible dreams?" Yes: 1 have thought thus: I havo known this, mystical law, and oven now bow before it.

Thefe is another point where I absolutely agree with you—when you say that praise of a certain kind makes a sensitive mind more cautious than abuse. Whan, with controlled imagination and directed art I do tho. best that is in mo to do, then and there, I caro little if tho outcome meet with contempt or even wilful misinterpretation. On the Other hand, a certain kind of vague and impenetrative praisu always leaves me in an uncasv distress.

. Once, under a combined stress of urgency for another's welfare, ill-health, and wrought emotion, I. wrote a book called "Green Fire." It was well received, but in tho wrong way: and when at last I rend exuberant and unbalanced praise, from quarters where 1 knew the worth of. such praise, I took up the book and read it. ft had certain qualities, but it was inorganic, uncontrolled, and with my every temperrnncn-.i-.l shortcoming or danger demonstrated to the full. When the "Athenaeum" caid with friendly praise that never had Miss Macleod so poured forth her soul iuprofuso strains of Celtic art, etc., etc., — and tho publishers took to quoting this —my cup of humiliation was full: I have, a horror of "profuse strains" 1 Well, thsit book is now disavowed by me, so far as that is possible: and ail that is of living worth in it is concentrated in the rewritten fifty pages of "The Herdsman" in my new book, "The Dominion of Dreams" (of which the booklet I sent vou is a small sectional part). On the other hand, there is no dew so healing, no wind of spring so quickening, as praise from those to whom we look with love, or admiration, or with whom mentally and spiritually we commune with a vivid sympathy'. Praise of this kind is the manna which sustains the lonely spirit—ind the more creative any imagination the more lonely must that soul be, tho more noiguantly must it suffer.

■ It is difficult for me to answer your question and say what I like ho&t anion™ your essays. I think I must fail back upon those which 1 havo re-read more than twice —namely, the first, the second, and the last." Some of the truest and most calledfor criticism 1 have read for lons is in tli? Tolstoy essay. Have you ever written upon Maeterlinck-' 1 should mneli lika to read anything by you upon him, either as spiritual dramatist or tpiriimu essayist. He seems to me ti> have, the most rare and distinctive genius of any "foreigner" now writing. Have you read "La Cittii Mortc" (or its French translation "La Ville Morte") of fiabriclo d'Annunzio? It scorns to have been superciliously condemned where not ignored, but is to me a very remarkable drama, instinct with a terrible idea. On the other hand, much of what is debased in d'Aimuiiiiin (because wilfully and self-contciously ultraneurotic) finds wide acceptance. I heard once a cnido but mordant Gaelic saying: "Dung or the Evening Star: each man has his ceoladh" (direction, .or choice—literally sailing-guidance). Why did you not reprint "Le Yaissrau Fantomo," of which 11. Maeterlinck writes? I wish I could sec it. Among our own writers, do you know the work of Mr. Yeats? 1 care for it, at its best, more than for any others. I havo forgotten to answer your question as to what Mr. Sharp likes best in. your book. He wrote especially of "Macbeth," "Beauty in Nature," and the last.. (The sentence to which I alluded begins at bottom of p.. 133. ending with ."a smouldering fire of feeling and sincerity which should never fall below a certain temperature.") But the bost way would be to ask him. He js now back from France. His address is 30 Grcencroft Gardens, South HampBtead. Would you caro to write to him, or shall I ask him to call on you, if.ha will? A book by .him. that I think you would like, called "Silence Farm," is to be published about the l'ltli. I have, been overwrought, and told, to rest, and not write avoidable.letters! And many correspondents .must ho fuming at unanswered epistles! Well, one follows an inward instinct. So I will not apologise for so long a letter. If you come across it, I hope you will read "The Dominion of Dream?." It was.not lightly lived, or lightly born—the essential part of it.'

Believe me, sincerely yours, FIONA MACLEOD. NEW BOOKS. Rise of the Quakers." By T. Edmund Harvey. National Council of Evangelical Free Churches and - Ileadly Bros., London. New Zealand Bible Tract and Book Depot, Wellington. Is. ■ In this little book Mr. Harvey, who is Warden of Toynbce Hall, and was re-elected as.M'.P. for West Leeds last December by a majority of 4270 tells in a simple and graceful stylo the history of a very interesting religious movement. Tho religious teaching and church polity of the Quakers are clearly and sympathetically outlined, but perhaps tho most impressive chapters are those which show to what an extent George Fox and his followers were- persecuted by.the authorities of the Commonwealth and the reign of Charles 11. Blasphemy, refusal to take an oath; tho wearing of the hat.in court, and other forms of "contempt!! were frequent charges; against, them, .and their meetings for worship*.and preaching wcro for , a long, period made or treated as illegal. '.- "The gaols of London were filled, with Quakers, and Newgate was so crowded that there was not room for ■many of-the.Friends to sleep upon tho ground.".. ; : Fox : stated in a letter to Charles. II that under the. Commonwealth .3173, Friends had been put in prison., and,'B2 .had died there,.. but, duriiig .the first three years of the Mest^n?iofii r no''fewer t'haiV'SOoS ' MtV been imprisoned. James II released 1460, Quaker prisoners. In the. colony of Massachusetts, founded not long be-fore-.by-Puritans fleeing, from . persecution,' Quakers were banished, sold into slavery, and hanged. Mr. Harvey's narrative ends with tho death of Georgo Fox, in 1690. As a sympathetic and well-proportioned, though brief, sketch of the "great period" of Quakerism, it is very well done.

"Siberia", (a record of travel, .climbing, ; and exploration), by Samuel Turner, F.R.G.S. , T. Fisher Unwiii/ Lon- . don. ss. .

The book to hand is one of the second editions of this work. The first edition was published in 1903. The author, Mr. S. Turner, it will perhaps bo remcnibered, was one. of a party (of which Mr. Malcolm Ross, of Wellington, was another) which scaled Mount Cook successfully. Mr. Tumor recently came to the Dominion to take un his residence here permanently. Tho" present work was compiled while the author, who is connected with the dairy industry, was malting a business trip to Siberia, in the course of which he also indulged in a good deal of mountaineering in'the Altai Mountains. The work is mostly useful for its accurate information on the dairying industry in Siberia.

'Wolves, driven from flip Balkans by Ilin severe cold, recently made llieir appearance in Constantinople A pnrlc cnlored llif European riunrlcv and killed and dovourcd a sentry, and a number of peoplo passing Iho Selimi Barocks were nitnckert hy Mie bensts and torn to piece?. The Rev. Dr. Rondall, hcidmastor rf Charterhoiifo School, has announced his intention of resigning at the close of the present school vear.