LITERARY COLUMN. NEW BOOKS AND NEW EDITIONS.

Evening Post, Volume LXVIII, Issue 98, 22 October 1904, Page 11

LITERARY COLUMN. NEW BOOKS AND NEW EDITIONS.

"A Dead Reckoning." By J. Bloundelle Buiton. London: G. Bell and Sons. Mr. Burton can generally be relied on ior a strong and consistent story, well conceived and developed.' His latest book is no exception. It is concerned with the troubles of a lady of title, who, having in early youth committed an indiscretion of a compromising character, but involving no moral transgression, falls into the clutches of a Blackmailing impostor, and is driven to despair and tl\g verge of suicide. There is no violation of probability, and the power of the writer is displayed in the almost painful intensity with which the situation is realised. It would be superfluous to endeavour to outline the narrative. The author can best speak for himself, and those who appreciate a 1 - good novel, free from incredible "sensations, ' will read and appreciate "A Dead Reckoning." "A Consummate Scoundrel." By Guy Boolhby. London: George Bell and Sons. A* novel of somewhat slight construction, and the threads are gathered up a little hastily at the close; but the author shows more of his early "form" than in some of his recent stories. The "scoundrel" himself figures very little in the book ; ihe reader hears of him chiefly from, the other characters. There is a mysterious gentleman named Quinnion, who has a kind of palace among old warehouses in an obscure London lane, and, having entangled himself with some secret society, finds himself in grave danger. He has a pretty niece whose chief purpose is to supply the indispensable love motive to the story. It is scarcely necessary to add that the plans of the "scoundrel" ultimately miscarry, and that he comes to a bad end. > "With the Torrey-Alexander Mission Round the World."' By Robert Harkness, pianist to the Mission. London : Christian Age Office, 4, St. Bridestreet, E.G. It is a little over two years since Dr. Torrey and Mr. Alexander visited Wellington, but their mission is not forgotten, and we doubt not ' that there are many who will welcome this handy little record of their tonr. Mr. Harkness writes in easy narrative style, and narrates many interesting anecdotes of the evangelists and their work. The book, which is published at a shilling, contains sixteen illustrations, three of them from New Zealand photographs, and two of Mr. Alexanders songs with music.

Mrs. Henry Reeves has just celebrated her birthday. Its number does not matter j' nobody would believe the figure were it mentioned, for in spirits and good-humour she is every bit as young as she looks. Not one person in a million, outside her circle of personal friends, knows who Mrs. Henry Reeves is, but all the world knows "Helen Mathers," as she is to those who read pleasant, healthy fiction. It must be nearly thirty years since her first novel, "Coming Thro' the Rye," first appeared. Its composition was a secret from the rest of its author's family. She wrote it on scraps of paper and pitched them higgledy-pig-gledy together. But she must have had a second manuscript, for, when she had got half the book written, she was so much in love with her work that she donned her best frock, and took off the manuscript as it was to a publisher. Her experience wafc unlike that of most successful authors ; she met with no rebuff. The work was accepted there and then, and the second half remained to be written. That did not trouble its author. Sh6 wrote at top speed, as she has ever done since, and very soon people were showering congratulations upon Miss Rhoda Broughton on her supposed authorship of the new novel, and upon Miss Matthews on having composed the song which bore the name of her maiden effort in literature.