Current Literature.

Evening Post, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 23, 27 January 1912, Page 19

Current Literature.

--'From the la te'stf English, Australian; have taken the flowing items: — • " The , Sermqn fan the Mount andt Practical Politics" JF. Griffiths), by A. E. Fletcher, formerly editor of the London Daily Telegraph, points out in a forcible manner ho^w British law and practice favours the rich and penalises the poor. "Blucher and the Uprising of Prussia against NapolecV," by E. F. Henderson (Putnams) is\one of the first . biographies ill! English of the great Prussian soldier, afid fits object is to vindicate him as something more than the general who c£me to Wellington's aid at Waterloo. The author goes so far as to describe him as the peer of "Wellington, in all that concerns the overthrow of Napoleon. The Oxford. University Press is about to add to the 1 "Oxford Standard Authors" series "The Book-lovers' Authology," selected and edited by R. M. Leonard, whose previous anthologies, "A Book Of Light Verse" and "A Pageant of English Poetry," came from the same pre&s. Some 250 authors are .represented id 'the text .and notes. <f EaTly Norman Castles of the British Isles," by Mrs. E. S. Armitage, will shortly be issued by Murray. The work, which is to bo illustrated, will include a catalogue of the castles that can be traced in England! to the eleventh, century, and Jn Wales, Scotland, and Ireland to the eleventh or * twelfth centuries, with notes -from the original, and sometimes unpublished, sources concern-, .rag ithem. - ' • " The Tur co-Italian War and its Immediate Problems," with an appendix containing the. chief State papers bearing on. the subject^ by s Sir Thomas Batday, is announced ;by Constable. A "History of - Labour Representation," by A. W. Humphrey, is announced! by the same firm. The survey will be mairn^ devoted to Labour representation tin rfengland. In "New Poems/ by Katherine Tynan, there is £ delightful poem, "The Green 'Lady,"£ which 'is written, in a metre Usually associated with the "Ingoldsby Legends,' '* but is used by the authoress with characteristic freedom hfld suppleness. Here I ' are two verses': I have not seen her, 'but ,tne grass in greener Son' the -white feet of her that glide ana floitfc; I but divine her iy a something liner, Mlder and gayer in the blackbird's note. SlJe'a * heavenly- presence, by park and ple*& aunce, 'In. the grey twilight a presence dear; Half Apprehended, by the ; choir attended, fier gown ot the green silk laps at mj ear; The principal theme of a volume of recollections arid experiences by Thomas Caraon, entitled "Ranching, Spott, and Travel," is of life in Arizona and Mexico.' The latter portion of the volume describes • the author's tours at various , dates ; in the East, the South Seas, Australia, and other parts. '"Twixt Sand and Sea" is a volume, of sketches and studies in North Africa by Cyril Fletcher Grant and L. Grant. Turin and' Algeria yield moat of the' subjects dealt with' by the Ittithorß.^ The site of Carthage and existing remains of Roman dominion are among the theiiies that engage- them. These are particu-, larly well illustrated. , •> T)v. : ErrieAt "E. Neve describee life m Ihe' mountain's and valleys of Cashmir and parts of 'Balistan and Western Tibet in "Beyond -tEe Pir Panjal." The il-" I lustrations iifclude- some fine pht/to* of niouiftain arid river scenery." Jl.J 1 . D. Falconer, D.Sc, has written a record of his travels through Borhu and other . parts of Central record of his travels through Bornu and [ Stidan, with the title "On Horseback' . through Nigeria." Dr Falconer showa, in many ways, the remarkable advance of the country under the British protectorate. ' ' ' From "Pictures of Australian Life" in the Cornhill Magazine, by T. H. Huxley, we take the following sketch of the station ., cook t — Henry the cook was an original. 'How did you come to b£ in New ,South Wales, Henry?' I' asked of him one day. 'All along of exploring, miss.' 'Exploring? I don't understand.' 'Well, this was the way of it, miss. I was one of a exploring party in a big park one night, and we came upon a house, 'and Wanted to see what was inside of it. So \in we went, but not by the front door. And whilst we' were looking over beautiful silver things, there was a nois,e* and a barkin' of dogs — ahd 'another exploring party come in, but they wasn't our friends, and I got away and took "a cold bath.' 'A cold bath 1' I exclaimed in bewildorment. 'Yes, miss; a cold bath, and it was in a water-butt quite convenieht, and the water was very deep, and come op to my chin, and there the enemy found me. The enemy was in 'uniform, and dragged me out and J)lit bracelets on my wrists, and was vely naety # altogether; and 1 made a voyaga with friends of mine right out 'to this country, and here I am a-cook-ing for yoilr pa arid ma and you, miss, dhd a-raisin' of ducks and fowls. It ain't such a had life, after, all; but it was a grim orie, you bet, before I got my ticket-of -leave.' This account, interpreted, was th&t Henry had been caught in England robbing a houee at night, and had been sentenced to transportation to New South. Wales for' seven or fourteen yeiirs.. One day Henry was seen by a friend of ours at Kiama, seven mijes from the inilla. 'What are you doing - here ?' said our friend. 'Oilj'ht not you to be cooking your master's dinner?' 'Well, that's it; but I just felt I wanted a day off, so I came here to get a taste of freedom. It'll do the old gentleman good to go without his dinner. He's been getting a deal too stout lately. 1 " "The Condition of England," by C. F. G. Masterman, M.P., Parliamentary Under-Secretary to the Home Office, passes under review all classes of society, and examines -the possibilities of social change. His' views are not unaffected by his own political tendencies, but there is evidence that he has given careful consideration to the many problems unsolved in the present and the future. He declares himeelf not pessimistic but anxious, and he maintains that every J political party must realise that social reform, on broad and generous lines, is ! an inevitable condition of f utui-e progress. ' ! "Handicraft for Handy Boys/ by A. Neely, is a companion volume to "Tho Boy Craftsman." It describes a great many things that boys want to, do, such as making aeroplanes, camp outfits, furniture, brass work, etc. The explanations\ are always simple and practical, and './here ar& nearly 600 illustrations and working drawings. A good story for the historicallyminded boy is "Tom Strong, Washington's Scout." by Alfred Bishop Mason (Henry Holt and Co.}. The principal characters, a boj and a trapper, are in the Revolutionary army from the defeat at Brooklyn to the victory at iTorktown. Amoug the historical characters are Washington, Nathan Hale, Hamilton; Franklin, Arnold, Andre, Generai Howe, and Lord Cornwsili*.

and American papers -and reviews we ■■Paul, Elder, and Co. have published a translation of the "Recipe *oi' a Happjr Life," by Margaret of Navarre. To this have been added various selections from the writings of eminent authors along the same line, the whole being edited and arranged by Marie West King and published With a portrait frontispiece of Queen Margaret and coloured marginal 'dec6rations. In the library of the United States Congress are foUnd soirie of the most valuable ' newspaper files in", existence: Recently' the Government purchased' the files of the Augueta (Georgia-) Chronicle, the issues covering the period between 1786 and 1809, with the exception of five years. This is said to be one of the most important files yet obtained. The papers had been in the possession 'of an old book* and junk man for over forty years. He purchased them for 50 dollars, sold them for 1000 dollars, and the buyer in turn got 7500 dollar* for them from the Government at "Washington. The wedding of two English novelists took place recently on the Gontinent. Ml 1 . Ford Madox Hueffer is known more, especially as the author *of "The Fifth Queen," "The Fifth Queen Crowned^" and as collaborator with Joseph Conrad in "Romance" and "The Inheritors." Miss Violet Hunt,- who is Mr. ■ Ford' Madox Hueffer' s second wife, is i best known as author of " Unkiet ! Unkind ! " and "The Wife of Altamont." Mr. Dickens, X..C, who quoted " Pickwick " in the London Divorce Court recently, has more thari ones been indebted to his distinguished father's works for a useful quotation. The most amusing instance, perhaps, occurred in a case in which his opponent was the late Judge Willie, then Mr. William Willis, K.C. The latter, in his address to the jury, had made some reference of A rather personal nature which displeased Mr. Dickens, who took the first opportunity to T&taliate. He began his 1 reply by remarking that during the speech of his learned friend he had been reminded of a, baying that was frequently in the mouth of a. character in " David Copperlield." The saying was "Barkis is willing," but Mr. Dickens said he had been unable to resist the tetnptation to transpose it 'hto "Willis is barking." This was so apt as a description of Mr. Willis's oratorical style that the Court was convulsed. Another brother made exactly the 'same joke in an Australian Parliament about an opponent of the same name. • Sir H. H. Johnston's volume on "The Opening Up of Africa" describes the work of tlie Egyptians, the arrival in Africa of the Greeks and Romans, the pioneer activities .of Eortugal, and the influence of the -Butch, the French, tllo -.British, -the'-Belgians, .the Germans", arid the 1 Italians. ,T/ne. expanding of Europe' have looked hopefully toward. Africa" and have marked, out their Spheres of influence. The best sites are nearly all gone. The- author has a wbrd of praise for the Mohammedans, whose faith has ■ .much to offer to- civilisation ;and intelligence^ but .t{iat,has,oejv jtainly been, a^ bles^inf to" the negro. "To negro Africa^" he jsayis, "and no, doiiDt to' parts of ■ India .and MaVlay&ai-it 'came , ajs a great v blessing/ raising ( up/ savages .to, a state, at any rate, of semi-civilißi-tion, making them god-fearing, eelf-re-^ specting, temperate^ courageous,. and pic r tureßque," "'...;• Affaire in China arc -necessarily intro-: dlicing into the- papers names, di ; towns, .mountains,' and ' geographical divisions, £which havi) a. .precise signification, to the Sinologist, kit to 'the ''profanum vulgus^t they are , a veritable L Cfiih^se puzzle, Here are a' few, 1 for which we", are * indebted to a Paris contemporary : "King" is- metropolis, "fou," a capital of a province; "chu," a town. of. the second, rank; "kien, "'tf -toyrn-of the third -rank; "kiang," a river; "ho," a stream!;, "hai, 1 a sea or lake; "tao," an island;' "chau," a mountain;, "ling," a hill; "kouan," a fortified place; "chai," a troop encamped; "wei, a camp; "men," barrier; "ta," great; "siao," small; "pei," north; "nan," 6outh; "toung," east; "chang,'' superior; "pai," white;' "hei," black; "yang," blue. Thus Nan King, or Nanking, is a metropolis of the south. As to the two terms "Wai-oii-Pou and Tou-chi-pou, the former signifies the ministry of foreign affairs, and the latter the. ministry' of finance." ' Louia Tracy', who; has been, a journalist in India and in Lp'ndon, but' now gives all his, efforts to novel writing, has oeento America on his annual visit, ' Robert Louis Stevenson was. a .close, student of style, and has left more" than one interesting discussion, of the techr nique of writing. " In 'a letter to B. -A. M. Stevenson, dated October,' 1883, h& says : — "There is but one art— to omit. Oh, if I knew how to omit, I would ask no other knowledge. A man who knew- how to omit would made an 'liiad' of a daily paper. "On the Art of the Theatre," by Giordon Craig (Longmans), gives a record of actual experiences, as well as an illustrated exposition of, the author's ideals in the matter, of .stage craft.' _ . , The Cambridge -University Press-, is about to add to the Cambridge Archaeological Series an' illustrated volume, entitled "The Thunderweapon in Religion and Folklore," a, study in comparative archaeology, by Dr.. Charles Blinkinberg. "There is no more significant fact in the mighty awakening, under, the new, regime," remarks Robert ,P. Porter, author of "The .Full Recognition of Japan" (Froude) "than. the. idea' so well expressed in the- last of the famous five articles of the '-Imperial oath, sworn on the 6th April,- 1868, in the presence of the Imperial Princes and 'high officials in the Palace at Kyoto :. 'Know--ledge shall be sdught for^throughoufe the world, to that the, welfare of the- Empire may 1)e promoted.'" In "Memoirs of a Diplomat," by Sir Robert Mprier, who held the position of British Ambassador during a critical period, reference is made to an interesting event. "I returned to Kneller Hall on Tuesday," he writes, "in time to be present at the christening feast in honour of Tennyson's baby, w.ho resides at Twickenham, and whose acquaintance I have had the enormous good fortune to niake (Tennyson's, I mean, not the baby's). It was a right pleasant feast. There were poets there a3 thick as blackberries — Brownings and Taylors and Tettnysons — and great historians, venerable Hallams, and radiant visions of fair women. And then the Great Man himself, diffusing genial warmth all about him, all his usual shyness and reserve laid aside.- and hie whole being giv«n. up to honouring his guests, and being honoured' by them. After the mob of gtiesis had separated, four choice spirits gathered themselves together into an upper chamber— the Great Man- himself, Browning (the mafe), Palgrave, and ntyself — and there till 1 a.m. was a brewing of whisky toddies, and bans mots, and epigrammatic sentences, and a, sitting ia judgment- oil the great works of past men's heads, and on the little works of present men's hands. Kiags and' peoples .veiahed in the balance, and lumsnow all found wanting."-