LIBER'S NOTE BOOK

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 120, 14 February 1920, Page 11

LIBER'S NOTE BOOK

"Big Little H. G. Wells,"

A. new. -English publishing house, Thornton Butterworth and Co., anuouhco a new book on Mr. 11. G. Wells by Mr. Edwin-I'ugli, for many years one of the novelist's. most intimate friends.! The titlo is "Big Little 11. G. Wells," Thero are many, bits of semi-autobiography in Wells's novels, especially so, it is said, m that early and, I fear, sadly neglectedstory, "Love and Mr. Lewisham," in 'Kipps/'and most of all in "Tono Bungay." Like 0. Henry, Wells was once a chemist's . assistant, and both in "Kipps" and ."Mr. l>olly"-and in the very early, book, "The Wheels of Chance"—-there are signs unmistakable of tho author having had some personal and intimate acquaintance with tho drapery trade. 'Perhaps Mr. Pugh will further enlighten us as to the Wellsinn beginnings in. life. "A Latter-day Mrs. Nickleby." In her latest, novel, "The Rain Girl," tho clevejvand still anonymous, author of "Patricia Brent, Spinster," introduces _ iifi t6 'it lady \vho is surely .--a twentieth.'century, prototype of the immortal Mrs. Niekleby, with some addit.onal conversational tricks all "r.er own. ■; Here is a sample: "Mrs. Crisp lascinated' him. He had never met any one of such undamnable loqua.nty. Words streamed fiom her lips as water from a hose. A chance word would send her off at a tangent. Sometimes ,be found it difficult to control his features as, in her haste, she occasionally transposed the initial letters of two words, as, for instance, when complaining of. the off-hand manner of one of the porters, instead of, describing him as she intended as 'nearly rude,' she informed Drewitt that he was 'really nude.' .... 'Such a dreadful thing, suicide,' Beresford . heard' Mrs. Crisp bunst in. 'A mnn-ilied in my bath at Brighton. At least, the bath I used. Tlirut his coat one morning. So thoughtless for others. Some peoplo road in .them. So bad for the books, arid they are so cross at the libraries if there is a page or two missing.' " New aiid Old Views on Swift. ' Under the title "The Gloomy Dean for Children;" tho Right Hon. Augustine Birrell'-lpng may he continue what ; "Punch" once called hi"! "Birrellings"— reviews two new editions of our eld friend'' "Gulliver's Travels.". "Its author," says Mr. Birrell, ''lakes . rank with Fielding and A.rbiithnot os the greatest of our ironists," but "what, greater irony," he continues, "can there bf tlnin to discover that Swift's 'Travels,' his 'Gulliver.' his, to nmte a writer I believe to be still living, 'gospel of hatred, his testament of woe, upon which.-hn . expended the treasures of his wit, and into which lv instilled the concentrated essence of his 'age,' fas become a child's book and a suitable Christmas"present?" Mr. Birroll con fe?ses that in his time he has "wobbled" abwU : "the inherent disposition and frame of .nrnd-.of this famous man," 1 ut ho tells us that forty years ago he took home with him "the, nineteen volumes of Scott's edition of Swift, and if I know the contents' of -any books T know the, contents of-these now battered tomes.' 1 Both Maraulav and Thicker.'!v 'were, co Mr. Birrell evidently considers, most vnfa'r to Swift, Rather 'locs he a?ree with Hazlitt. who viewed "Gulliver" as "an attempt to tear off the mask of imposture from the world, and that nothing but imoqstiire. had a right to eompla'n of it. Also, ho holds tho! a miHi later critic. Mr. Charles WhibW. "has had an easv task in disnosiii.-' of the (almnnv (•■at Swift wa s n mVanthrone who hated all mankind, for he was not; only one of the., most practically benevolent nf men, but'the l'-esf-'ovo<l of all .ulhors ot efpiai fnii'P." The whole article is most interesting', and .ts ,""ree?hlv informative as are all Mr. Uirrcll's" liter- ' ary obiter dicta.