LIBER’S NOTE BOOK

Dominion, Volume 16, Issue 171, 7 April 1923, Page 21

LIBER’S NOTE BOOK

Stray Leaves. “‘TheTimes’ Literary Supplement,” by far the best periodical solely devoted to literature in the Englishspeaking world, came of age on January 4 last. Mr. George Saintsbury “improved the occasion” by an excellent article, entitled “Twenty-one Years,” in which the veteran critic briefly but cleverly reviewed the progress of English literature during the period. A second series of Arnold Bennett’s “Things That Have Interested Me” is shortly to be published by Chatto and Windus. Mr. Bennett has recently contributed some very lively travel notes (on Southern France) to the “Saturday Review.” The “Christian Science Monitor’s” literary gossiper says that the only point about “that seven cents a copy” for the ex-Kaiser’s memoirs . which Americans have been paying in Berlin is that “it seems a ternble waste of money.” I wonder whether the ex-Kaiser subscribes to a press-cuttings agency. Thus Dr. Frank Crane, the “popular philosopher” of America: “Notone man in a hundred knows a good book, a good picture, a good building, a good deed, or a, good man.” Perhaps not—in America I Gertrude Atherton’s new story, “Black Oxen,” is having a big sale in America. It will be some time before copies are available here. Meanwhile “Liber” has been re-reading two of the earliest and best Athertons, “The Californians” and “The Splendid Idle Forties,” both descriptive of the highly-coloured life of San Francisco in the early days. It is a pity there seem to be no cheap reprints of these earlier stories by one who is still in the front rank of American novelists. Arthur Machen (of ‘ ‘Angels of Mons” fame, and a brilliant essayist), though somewhat over-inclined to mystical subjects, is publishing a second volume of his autobiography. “Things Near and Far” is the title. The first volume, “Far Off Things.” contains some very delightful passages. «, Among other imnortant books to be published this soring in .London is Mr. A. G. Gardiner’s’ “Life of Sir William Harcourt.’” An authoritative accopnt of the great • Liberal statesman’s career has long been promised, and the work could not have been entrusted to a more sympathetic writer than Mr. Gardiner is when Liberalism is concerned.

An interesting announcement in Mr John Murray’s latest list of forthcoming publications is an important addition to Carlyleana. to wit. a volume entitled “Jane Welsh Carlyle: Letters to Her Family, 1839-1880.” The letters are those which Mrs. Carlyle wrote to her cousins Helen and Jeannie Welsh, and are full of references to well-known peonle and passing events of the period. Dickens and Thackeray, Georp-e Lewes and John Forster, the Martineaus, Bunsens, and Mazzini, the Italian patriot, figure in the correspondence. “There were women at the tea party, heterogeneous creatures with mature figures and ingenuouslv youthful.names —Babses and Kiddies and Teenies.”— “The Broken Signpost,” by Sydney Tremayne. “The Gentleman with a Duster” , is said to bo writing another book, which is to be called “Men Who Failed Us.” Anatole France has • written a new long story, “Sous La Rose.” which is first to appear serially in the “Revue de Paris.” “I made the remark to a brilliant writer that I found punctuation very difficult—where to nut a semicolon and where to put a colon. Ho replied: “That is not what troubles me, it is what to put between the semicolon and the colon.” —“M- Life and Some Letters,” by Mrs. Patrick Campbell.

SOME RECENT FICTION “Hidden Lives.” Those who remember that powerfully written novel “Captivity,” will turn with interest to the pages of Miss Leonora. Evies’s new story, “Hidden Lives” (Heinemann). It is a terribly realistic picture of slum life in the mining town of Shellpit, where practises Dr. Helen Clevion. In this story of Miss Eyles’s the woman and the medical practitioner are sometimes clashing; at others there is a strange and effective domination of the doctor by that stalwart femininism of which the lady—and, very clearly, tho author herself —is so ardent an exponent. It is the woman element in the doctor which explains the heroine’s maternal affection for a young clergyman, Francis Reay, who is a half-degenerate, half-religious mystic, 'and which accounts for a sexual catastrophe which is firmly" but delicately handled, and which plays a very important part in the story. Miss Eyles has evidently studied shim life at first-hand. She has a keen sympathy with those who fall by tho way, or who are almost driven into an immoral career by a sordid and cruel environment in early life. Tho heroine’s devotion to the young clergynjan, which leads hep- to social and professional ruin, is rather difficult, to understand iu a. woman of her strong intellect, but it was no doubt part of the novelist’s plan to sliow how inevitably, with some women, certain conditions must lead to sexual disaster. At a study of life, in the lower social strata this is a fine, convincing novel, which reminds me, in a way, of some of George Gissing’s. drab and ugly, yet curiously fascinating, stories. A Philip Gibbs Novel.

In his ntiw story, “Tho Middle of the Road” (Hutchinson and Co., per Ferguson and Osborn?), Sir Philip Gibbs provides, in fictional form, a series of strikingly realistic studies of European post-war conditions. His hero, Bertram Pollard, is the son of a K.C., politically of tho Tory “Diehard” persuasion. He is married to tho daughter of a peer, and his younger brother is a member of tho “Black and Tan” contingent in Ireland, whilst he has a sister who marries a Sinn Fc'nor. Tragedy rapidly succeeds tragedy in the Pollard family, for the hero’s brother-in-law is condemned to death and shot whilst tho Black and Tan brother is shot tho same day by a sniper. Next, his mother dies ot a broken heart, and his wife refuses to live with him because of his refusal to join in strike-break-ing;, afterwards confessing that sjm loves a handsome young diplomat. Not unnaturallv the young man is glad to get away to the Continent as the trav-

elling correspondent of a democratic journal. He visits the battlefields, sojourns a while in Germany, ending up by contracting typhus in Moscow, where he has a desperate flirtation with Nadia, a Russian princess. He roaches Riga, is struck down by the fover, and is nursed by his repentant and now once again loving Joyoe. TlieJ have both been “kids,” she says, but there is full promise of new and permanent happiness. The French, German, and Russian scenes are described with all that picturesque realism of which th© author proved himself the master during the war. The pictures of a famine train, and of the conditions in a Russian famine area are almost brutally realistic. The story leaves perhaps not a little to bo desired in tho way of probability, but as the portrait of an earnest, well-meaning young man who has to face a long series ot baffling and ugly problems the authors’ picture of Bertram Pollard is one which reflects the highest credit upon its painter. Here and there the narrative may seem to become merely journalistic in style, but the human interest is kept cleverly to the front even amidst scenes which one tools have been introduced nianily on account of their political bearing, lhe Middle of the Road” is no ordinary novel; in it# own way it is the finest piece of work we have yet had frem this brilliant writer. “Prodigal Daughtcro.”

Im “Prodigal Daughters ( Cas ® eß and Co., per Whitcombe and Tombs), that well practised novelist, Mr. Joseph Hocking gives us an interesting storv based upon the changed conditions in woman’s life which resulted from the war. The Trelawney girls, whose father is a very fine type English officer and gentleman, are. revolting daughters.” The elder is e pronounced feminist, carrying her enthusiasm for independence so far as to advocate free love. The younger girt embarks upon a course of social dissipation which ends in her marrying a most objectionable upstart. lhe mother is weak and irresolute, but Colonel Trevelyan boldly enters the fray against the evil influences which have injured the happiness of his daughters and eventually succeeds. It is a welltold story—with some very agreeable Cornish local colouring—but Mr. Hocking might well have spared some at least of the .good Colonel s all too frequent moralisings. Shorter Notiass.

From Messrs. Ferguson and Osborne comes a bundle of novels published by Messrs. Hutchinson and Co- in® Kingmakers,” by E. Burton Stevenson, whose “Gloved Hand” and A King in Babylon” may be remembered as very readable novels, is a thrilling modern romance, the hero of which is a famous American journalist, who is dragged into a whirlpool of political intrigue, passion and devotion in a more or less imaginary state, which is apparently drawn, in part at least, from a Balkans original. A dramatic fight for a throne and a very romantic love story combine in making “The Kingmakers” a most enthralling novel. Diana Patrick's “Tho Manuscript of Youth” (Hutchinson) deals with the struggle between “artistic temperament” and thg narrow environment of an industrial town. Jocelyn is a musician and sticks his fortune in London. He is also an author, and upon his death his bosom friend, Rex Stapleton, is tempted into passing off one of Jocelyn’s manuscripts as his own. This brings about an situation, for he falls in love with the dead man’s sister. This leads to a tangle of developments,, which is very cleverly untwisted until the desirable happy ending is reached. A pleasant feature of a well-told story is the picturesque local colouring, many pf the scenes being laid in th? Yorkshire moorland country, made famous by the Brontes.

“The Great Roxhythe,” by Georgette Heyer (Hutchinson), is a story of the days of the Merry Monarch, who is a prominent figure in the romance. The Marquis of Roxhythe and his secretary Christopher Dart, become engaged in a senes of civil and political intrigues, which provide many romantic and exciting experiences for both. A very stirring story, with some excellent character-drawing and much sprightly dialogue. In “The Elusive Flame,” by A. Maclean (Hurst and Blackett, per Whitcombe and Tombs) we have tho story of a country-bred girl, Penelope Craddock, who, forced to earn her own living, goes to London to live with an actress cousin, and becomes an artist’s model, and afterwards his wife. She goes through many curious experiences, but eventually wins through to happiness. Artistic life in London is described in a good many novels nowadays, hut there is a freshness and air of reality about the characters in this story which are decidedly welcome.