IN BOOKLAND

Hawera Star, Volume XLVII, 23 June 1928, Page 3

IN BOOKLAND

Hodder and Stoughton have in hand a new novel by Mr. Buchan, called “The Itunagates’ Club.”

“.Myth,si and Legend® of the Polynesians.” by Mr. Johannes C. Andersen, is just out from G. Han an and Co., London. Coloured plate* by B. Vallwork, A.R.C.A., and half-tone and line illustrations, with maps, it>upnlcment the text

Queen Marie, the Anglo-ll ussian widow of King Ferdinand of Rumania, lias announced pulicfy that she now engaged in writing the story of her Me. As the Queen has met practically all the leading personalities of Europe, her book should be of consider able interest.

The prize offered by a French literary committee for the best English novel by a woman writer ha® been awarded to Mrs. Virginia Woolf for the story called “To the Lighthouse.” Airs. Woolf is a daughter of. Sir Leslie Stephen. The two other novels submitted to the French committee for their . decision were “The Lovely Ship.” by ALi so Storm Jameson, and “Good-bye, Stranger,” by Miss Stella Benson.

“Black Majesty,” by John W. Vatnd or cook, has been chosen by tbe Literary Guild in America as one of the twelve best books of the year. It is the biography of Henry Christopher, born a negro slave and died an emperor. He freed Haiti, defied: Na.poleon Bonaparte, amassed a fortune, and ruled his kingdom with an iron hand'. Mr. Ajuideroook Iras written the first complete biography of this black emperor.

Ever since James Anthony Fronde's famous book controversy .has raged around the figures of Thomas Carlyle and Jane Welsh Carlyle. As a result, Jane has never been studied imporson- ! ally, but a®. Thomas’s wife, playing with hi mi a domestic drama. Miss Elizabeth Drew tides to make an unprejudiced study of “Jane Welsh and Jane Carlyle” in a hook just published byJo nathan Cape. She presents her a*s a girl, a® the fascinating young hostess of No 5. Cheyne Row, Chelsea, and ats the embittered middfe-ageU woman. Eventually she endeavours, what haw been most difficult of. all, to assess her as the wife of Carlyle.

Under the will of Air John Wifi himson, of Edinburgh. the Dumfriesshire farm of El li,eland has been bequeathed to the British nation. Robert Burns lived ait the farm for two years, and some of liis most famous poems, including “Tam o’ Shanter,” were written there. Burns entered into occupation of the farm at Ell island, on the Nith, in 1788. It was while he was living there that lie marriedl. He lost what little money he had, and wrolte among other poem® “Auld Lang Syne,” and “Tam o’ Shanter.” In 1789 he obtained an appointment a® excise officer of this district at a salary of £SO a year.

Mr. J. It. Olynes, Labour M.P., recently completed twenty-one years in Parliament. His friends made him a presentation which took the form of hooks. Those he was asked to ehooise for himself. The list is extremely interest! no; and varied. Apart _ from standard' works, like the “Dictionary of National Biography,” Mr, C%nos displays a catholic taste in poetry aaid fiction. ‘Jew Suiss” is on the list, and so are Wells’ “Meanwhile,” Bennett’s “Tii© Olayhanger Family,” Barker’s “Prefaces to Shakespeare,” Gnedella’s “Conquistador,” and G. Iv. Chesterton’s “Stevenson.” It is rather surprising to find in thp list Cosmo Hamilton’s “Caste,’’ Kaifchleen Woodward's “Queen Mary,” and two novels by Gertrude Page; but no doubt QVIr. Clynes has to consider the taete of the distaff side of his household.

Aloses in his habit as lio lived is depicted in Air. Arthur WeigeLl’s “Flights Into Antiquity” : —The represeutat.idhs of him in mediaeval and modern paintings and stained glass have so familiarised us with l a bearded, long-haired figure in voluminous robe® reaching to. the ground that it may be somewhat difficult for us to recognise him .a® a clean-shaven man who had short hair carefully combed back from his forehead, and who wore a loosesleeved shirt of white linen open_ at tlip neck, and a sort of kilt extending below his knees, while on his-feet wore sbO'CH with .pointed tops. It; may be rather startling, too, to find that when lie went for a walk he put on a cap and a, pair of gloves and carried a walking stick. On important occasions, however he wore a heavy wig, which hung down his shoulders in a mass of black curls and; plaits, and was in effect not unlike the long wigs, worn by our ancestors of the lays of Queen Anne.

The si’ieeping apartment of.. Moses was properly equipped, suggesting rather the period of Queen Anne than the present day:—At night ho slept upon a bedstead! leaving a. wooden frame, and ai springy body made of cord threaded in n, criss-cross design, over which was a soft urod pillow-like feather mattress. There vm> a canopy over tills bedi, supported on ornamental pillars of wood, and thus the whole thing was much like an ordinary fewr-poster. He kept hi® clothes in wooden chests, or trunks made of wickerwork, having tray® inside. which could he lifted out, and which were divided op into compartments for (shirts’ collars, handkerchiefs and so forth. Hi® wigs were kept in wig-boxc®: other small boxes contained hi®, comb and toilet articles, his scent®, tin-food® and face creams, or lii.s razor, and the hone on which it was sharpened : and them were special boxes for his shoos.