LITERARY COLUMN.

Evening Post, Volume LXXIII, Issue 117, 18 May 1907, Page 13

LITERARY COLUMN.

NEW BOOKS AND NEW EDITIONS. ■ "THE LONE HAND." The first impression produced by tho "Lono Hand" (Bulletin Newspaper Company, Sydney), tho first number of which is to hand, is one of disappointment. Not that it is not a good magazine — it ig ; but that it is much like other magazines — it does not appear to have, as even tho smallest literary periodical should, a "soul" of its own. With an exceptionally strong stafi — after long preparation and incubation — heralded by much preliminary announcement — it lacks such strong and original qualities as took tho English public by storm when tho lirst number of tho shilling "Cornhill" made its appearance half a century ago. It suffeis from that lack of specialisation which characterises (and depreciates) nearly al» the periodical literature of Australia, 'ihis drawback is inevitable in a small community whero no particular interest is strong enough to maintain its own representative journal ; but Australia has not yet outgrown tho literary traditions of its infancy. Open for example a "Punch" — it is of tho inconvenient largo folio size which has invariably proved fatal to 6 British humorous paper. Tho first thing that meets the eyo is probably a "Religious Record," with summaries of last Sunday's sermons ; thero are tho fashion, theatrical, political, and literary departments, as in tho ordinary weekly, and nothing but tho political cartoon and a fow pictorial social sketches to justify its title, whilfe the regular weekly newspaper includes tho same humorous and satiric features in its large miscellany. '"Tho Lono Hand" is actually described us a "monthly newspaper," and it has too many features in common with such miscellanies as "Life" and tho "New Idea," which havo no literary protensions .it all. Thoro is much in a fitle,- and wo doubt, in this case, the vftsdom of tho choice Elaborate explanation is> gj\en in tho article "The Genesis of tho Bulletin,' 1 tho memoirs of J. F. Archibald, of which \vo havo the first, instalment. A painful interest attaches to this, series of articled, nci"; that tho strenuous author has broken down so Completely that it is not expoctod that he will ever take his pen in hand again. It has always been U& canton, to keep his own personality absolutely out of sight, and his personal ideas on literary and kindred subjects aio little known. As editor and ono of tho founders of tho Bulletin ho ha 3 been in touch with nearly all tho activo literary and artistic hfo of Australia for a quarter of a century, and his personal memoirs! tinged throughout by a strong personality, possess an altogether unique interest. "For the Bulletin," he says, "tho name originally designed was the 'Lone Hand.' . . . Iho writer never read tho title 'Bulletin' on that paper. Ho could only and always sco 'Lone Hand.'" But what is the allusion in a title so cryptic and so long treasured in the editor's mind? Tho explanation is twofold — wo may add, obscure. (1) "All through its christening . . . the paper wob 'the lono hand' in truth and in fact, fighting at all odds whenever it could for the woaker side." (2) It "ever bethought itsolf of tho unruffled and compassionate atmosphere of the outback camps. Careless of what tho venal cities thought, it addressed itself to its ideal — the lono hand — the vorv salt of the Australian people, tho educated independent mining prospector, who, scorning to accept, wages from any man, worked on and cii from year to year, hoping to tho ond for tho fortune which might never come." ■ On any other authority we should have rejected theso explanations as random guesses, inadequate, and incompatible with each other. One seeks to fit the town, the other the country, In each case the term is recondite and subjected to "private interpretation." The man who single-handed fights tho battle of others is nover called ai "lone hand." Neither is tho solitary mining prospector. Tho phraso always implies selfish isolation, aim toaitb, not liom the crowded street or the lonely camp, for it exclude* "mateship/' tho miner's cardinal virtue and oftentimes thd bushman's solo religion. The solitary minor i is usually morose, suspicious, and morbid ; ho is popularly nicknamed a "hatter" en account of his notorious tendency to melancholia. Surely a most unfortunate type of th 6 ideal Australian. The title is not ono to appeal favourably to tho imagination, and tho explanation will not commend it any better to the reader, j Mr. Archibald had for years tho idea of thi3 monthly before his mind, and by way of preparation his valuable inernoiro were written. But tho realisation has fallen into other hands, and must necessarily differ in somo respects from the original intention. In a preliminary an- ! nouncement, tho editor tsujn that ' tho initial number will bo the poorest," and assures hio rcadera of "a better issue next month." Tho magazine, without reckoning advertisements or phitea, contains 115 pages of literary matter. This suggests a Want of co-ordination between litemy and printing departments. No bookprinter who knowa his busineie will tolerate an odd number of pages in n. serial. It provides a pretty problem for the binder when 'the last leaf, paged 115 (text) and xxxiv. (advertising" s-oction) belongs half to tho book and half to tho Waste-box. H« may not sacrifice it, and then thero will be no page- 116 in | the volume. Tho cover, in two colours by Norman Lindsay, is as puzzling as tit© title. A miner in 6birt-skeves, his empty dish in hand and pick by hit side, sUnds y on the enow of an Alpine peak, gazing upward with a smile at dark storm-clouds above, through a rift in which a natch of sky ia visible, and lifts his left hand heavenward in triumph or adjuration. Tho frontispicco appropriately is a fino portrait of Mt. J. F. Archibald, and tho first article, by F. Mvtrs, is an appreciation of the late William Bed'e Diltey. "Love Hath Wings" is a. humorous sketch, by Henry Fletcher, of eociety a hundred years hence, when young men and maidens may no longer mairy tho J partucr of their choice, but must defer to ' tho selection of soulless professors of ''engenics." Evon then, apparently, "Jovo | will find a way." Mr. George A. ItO6s'ft valuable historic article on playina-cardß touched on many anpects oi a wido subject, but Ignores tne most interesting feature of the- tvye most widely used — tlitir unmibtftkablo astrologic character, and tho fact that divination, not recreation, appears to havo been their primary purpose. In "Australian Poetry—a Re-vio-w," by Arthur Baylon, the author drops the bludgeon he hit wfclded so impartially in another magazine, and shown considerable discrimination and a. certain amount of generou* appreciation. Mr. Livingstone Hopkins, as his friends know, la an enthusiast, on tho subject of fiddles, concerning which ho know* nearly all that is known, and is a successful, amateur maker of violins. In an interesting nrticlo, fully illustrated! with photographs, he describes evory detail of the. art of fiddle construction. Whereby ho j partly makes amends for the ftin of Ih'h full-page drawing, wherein we have the hundredth "reincarnation" of his most outworn joke — not his at all, by the way, but Sydney Smith's, and long-suico titlden to death Its one of the half-dozen stock subjoctn of Yankee alleged humoui. Gruco Palotta has a lively litllo (illustrated) article on "Tho Stage Kias." Like all actors and ftctrossos, she says it is "a i lmxabiuc" "J nm iwl«» on nritiifrfi. It

is my business now to put on my lips all sorts of things — grease, red* paiiit, and co on.' Hence* a. genuine kisH would not only bo disagreeable, but would leave behind it a visible "transfer." "For tho Public Good" is a kind of exposure department. It gibbets "Wren and his Ruffians" — a notorious betting-man and his following — and shows up two flagrant patent medicine frauds. Theie are short storks, verses, miscellaneous matter and pictures, leviows, forty-seven article* in all) a largo proportion ordinary journalistic work. If the advent of the Lone Hand is to be tho literary event it was oxpected to be, it muet specialise — retrench as regaids quantity and variety, and giro more regard to quality. It can not afford to eproad itself over the wholo field of illustrated newspaperdom — a field crowded already. Ono resolve of tho proprietors is commendable. They in' tend to display as far as possible tho brighter and nobler aspects of Australian life. The- low, the ugly, the sordid, have hitherto been far too mucli exploited. Tho Bookfellow — alas ! <That is now a secondary title in inconspicuous type, having given plaeo to the trite and tin* Imaginative " Australia " — comeo every week, nnd is always fresh and suggestive. Its competitions show much originality and are among the best of their kind. 'For instance, after investigating s " complete letter-writer," the editor found the following situation unprovided for :—": — " Edith, aged twenty-one, has been engaged for two years to Charlie, aged 25, and has absorbed all Charlie's spare cash in pro3eiite. He is only a farmer's son, poor chap ! and hasn't got touch to Bpare. Edith is a farmer's daughter, living by prefereneo with her aunt in town. Six months ago Charlie took up a bit of land on his own account, and he was hoping that with a lucky season or two ho would be far enough ahead to get married. He is devoted to Edith, and would never look at anothor girl, and he has a heap of Edith's letters professing devotion to him. Luckily, or unluckily, lost month Edith met Mi. , a very rich squatter, aged sixty-three, who, after n long strugglo (or otherwise) persuaded her to promise to marry him in May." And the competitor was asked to write a model letter, limited to ISO words, in which Edith tells Charlio r.he has thrown him 6vor. About fifty letters came iv, of v.hieh twenty-five are printed, mostly good and some excellent reading. One correspondent having suggested that Charlio has " tho right of reply," another competition will roveal m how many varied ways that hapless young man met tho stroke of fate. One regrets (hat the Bookfellow chose, so largo a page, instead ot the handy magazine shape. It is tho most original and one of tho cloverest periodicals m Australia. A nightmare figuro of a woman, somewhat out of drawing, adorns Steelo Rudd's April cover. Tho editor adds one more chapter to tho adventures of "The Poor Parson." Giant Harvey, in tho finst of a series of articles on Russia, prints tho name of Petel' tho Great in capitals, makes due prostration before the memory of the "Ono Alan— this six feet of courage and determination," who "laboured as Monarch never laboured before or since for the benefit of his country." Into tb» details of tho contents wo havo not space to enter — suffice it to say that it is a thoroughly "live" number. Tho Young Man's Magazine^ — a littlo behind its date — is a "special camp number," and is largely occupied with camp notes. Professor yon Zcdlitss continues his study of Martin Luther, and a b6e.ni, " Tho Andante of Life," is contributed by Thomau A. Arthur, Motuoka. • " Bibliolhec4_Pretiosa " is the titlo ot ft notable catalog no of valuable books and manuscripts .forwarded, to us by Henry Sothcran and Co., 140, Strand, London, W.C Thero are in all nearly six hundred entries of the aggregate valuo of about £40,000. The exceptional value of somo of the lots may be judged from items such as these ;—Caxton's "Golden Logend," £4000; a single laaf from anothor copy of the 6amo work. 11 by 64 inches, framod, £12 12s ; h printed indulgence- (Caxton) on one leaf, part cut off, £200; Spenser's •Shepherd's Calendar," first edition, £400; Firdausi's "Book of Kin^s, an illuminated Persian manuscript, £500; illuminated Iforae Beatao Mariao Virginis, £420, eac. Thero aro also many rare- and costly editions of thd Scriptures, arid of tho Book of Common Prayer, first editions of Milton, Defoe, etc., and a first edition of tho Biblia Pauperum, £2000. Thoro aro, hov/n-'-jr, many items which aro not for miilioiaires only, but are within the reach of llio self -denying booklover of ordinal/ moans. Tho catalogue is beautifully printed, with a largo number of faosimifo pages of the more important works and their bindings. The Berlin correspondent of the Tribune writes : On a penny book barrow in the cast of Berlin nppeared a few days ago two or three copies of Lieutenant Bilso's once famous revelation of lifo in a German garrison town, entitled "Aus oiner ivloinen Garrison." It is, perhaps, the sign that the book has completely run its course. Of all thoso who havo profited by its publication (not least the German Army itself) Lieutenant Bilso has probably tared worst. Ho .received for its publication six months' imprisonment, loss of his career, and — the munificent sum of £165! The Viennese bookseller to whom he sold' the rights is said, on the other i hand^o have netted £11,000 through its sale, no single penny of which fortune camo to the luckless author. "The law allows it and the court awards it." The figures are well attested. "Tho Baillio Gallery's carefully timed exhibition of flower painting, now an annual fixture, seems to me, says the art critic of tho St. James's Gazette, "a typical development of our age. Iwenty years ago flower painting would havo been a cult, and Mr. Bfcillio would probably have insisted on special Burne-Jonos gowns designed for harmony with tho leading flowers boing placed over tho costume of each visitor as hft or sho entered the saloon. The real right time to visit tho thow would then have been 10 m the morning, and Mr. Harry Quilter would have spun a glittering gossamer phraso or two for us to carry in our hearts out into Uio murmuring Bakor-street. Twenty years from now, let me hazard tho prophecy, tho exhibition will bo caljed 'The- Flowery Land," and Mr. Baillie will be standing at his door in a conspicuous but becoming costume beating a drum and chivying tho public upstairs with a sunflowor. I am basing this prophecy on Mr. Wodmore's fairly recent remarks on tho sad chango that is coming over our methods of picturo soiHng. Meanwhilo the ordinary man can visit tho exhibition without any fear that ho is being either sentimental or eccentric, and if ho knows good painting ho will onjoy himself, ft is tho only kind of still-lifo painting that wo havo nowadays."

"Now, childron," said the teacher, who hod been giving alosson on military fortifications, "can any of you tell me what a buttress is?" "Ploase, ma'am," cried little Willie, "it's a nannygoat." Schoolmaster (at ond of object lesson) Now, can any of you toll mo what wator is? Small and Grubby Urchin— Pleaso tocher, water's what turns black when you puts yo.iu; 'onds in itl