LITERARY NOTES.

Lyttelton Times, Volume LXXX, Issue 10104, 1 August 1893, Page 6

LITERARY NOTES.

London, June 10.

Mr W. E. Henley has prepared for the press a selection from tho poems of Walt Whitman, of whom he was one of the earliest admirers in this country.

Though it is the custom in English literary circles to speak of Mr Ifl, W. Hornung as “ the Australian novelist,” he really gained his Colonial experience merely as a visitor, whilst acting tutor to the son of a Victorian • squatter. Mr Hornung is engaged to Dr Conan Doyle’s sister.

Sarah Grand, the authoress of “The Heavenly Twins,” has just put the finishing touches to a new novel dealing with the aspirations of women to a greater recognition in literature and art. It will be eagerly awaited, as, so far, each new book of hers has been an improvement on the last.

The new Australian authoress, Mrs A. Blifcy, whose novel, “An Australian Millionaire,” was published by Ward, Lock and Tyler, will not set the Thames afire. The plot is old, being based on the ancient expedient of mixing up two babies at nurse, and there is no local colour worth speaking of. It may not be known to the present generation, though stated at the time of the publication of the poem, that " Enoch Arden ” is founded on fact. The story was told Lord Tennyson by the late Mr Woolner, tho sculptor, in the possession of whose widow a statement of the original circumstances still is.

As Florence Marrjat continues to turn out a new three-volume story once every six months with unfailing regularity, I suppose she has readers still. Let me confess I gave the lady up after perusing “ The Risen Dead,” and not even to oblige possible admirers of hers at the Antipodes could I undertake to wad© through “ Parson Jones.” The latter was published by Griffith and Fsrran, who also announce 3a editions of “There la No Death” and “The Risen Dead.” “Parson Jones” is Miss Marryat’s forty-sixth novel. In the June magazines note “ Mad Medlieott,” by Grant Allen. “ The Red Cross Hell ” and a budget of “ Darby Anecdotes” la the enormously improved and improving English Illustrated; the commencement of Blackruorc’s “ Perlycross ” in Macmillan , and William Black’s “ The Handsome Humes ” in Harper's ; the "Green Flag,” a stirring war tale, by Conan Doyle, in the Pall Mall Magazine, which, shows an improvement, by the way, on No. 1; “Experiences of a Woman Journalist,” in Blackwood ; and Archibald Forbes’ account of “ The Death of the Prince Imperial ”in the Century. The latter also contains an excellent appreciation of Christina JJossetti, by Edward Gosse.

The sir shilling edition of Miss Chennella’ account of her experiences aa governess and companion to “ An Egyptian Princess,” should find » ready sale in parts of India and the Colonies where the more expensive issue failed to penetrate. It is a perfectly safe book. Miss C iiennells was no dragon of propriety. Yfhether there were any “ goings on ” in Ibrahim’s harem when the British governess turned her back it boots not to enquire. She, at any rate, complains of nothing save the incorrigible laziness of the slaves and eunuchs. Neither system nor punctuality were known in the harem. Meals came up at all hours and anyhow. The advent of the Khedive himself alone seemed to wake up the slothful Nubians to action, “ The Voice of a Flower,” by Miss E, Gerard (not Dorothea Gerard but her elder sister, author of “ The Land Beyond the Forest ”), is a Transylvanian love story founded on an ingenious legend which makes a flower the means of bringing home a base murder to the criminal. Livia Eonsecca is the cultivator of a family heirloom called the iionseccs carnation, the blooms of which the maiden Eonseocas may only give to their fiances. When bidding her lover Guido Ferrari farewell prior to a year’s absence, Livia bestows upon him a splendid carnation, and also some of the seed in order that ho may have a plant of his own whilst away from her. An hour later Count Stumfeclder, who also loves Livia, meets Guidto in the heart of the Transylvanian forest, and, driven frantic by the eight of the carnation in the youth’s button-bole (the significance of which he realises), kills him and buries him there and then. Livia in time is psrsuacied to believe Guido fivse, and engages herself to Sturm tedder. The pair are walking in the forest two years later, on the eve of their marriage, when fate guides their footsteps to the gla.de where Forrari’s bones lie buried. To the Count’s horror, the spot, is marked by a, group of plants of the unique Konsecca carnations. Livia, remembering the seed she gave Guido, instantly suspects foul play, and petrified by her fierce, accusing glance, the haunted and remorseful Sturmfedder confesses hia crime and subsequently shoots himself.

In the “ Red Sultan,” which relates the thrilling- experiences of Cosmo M’Laurin and some Scotch friends amongst the Moors o? Western Rarbary rather more than a century ago, Mr Maclaren Cobban has produced a capital tale of adrentare, laid in comperatively fresh and untrodden scenes. So briskly told ia the narrative, and so well imagined the principal characters, that a few years back, before the public was surfeited with Haggardy— Stcvensonian romances, it would have been safe to prophesy for the “ Red Sultan ” a big success. "Whether the book will catch oa new ia jueu a toss up. In some respects, of course, it is a misfortune it should clash with a masterpiece like “The Refugees,” but then the latter ia not aur-

passed oven by the " Master of Ballantrae.” “ The Red Sultan ” does not aspire to rank as a classic, but it is excellent reading. I may mention, by the way, that Mr Cobban’s hero, the terrible Bed-haired Sultan, is no mere creation of the imagination, but an historic figure. The son of a Moorish father and Irish mother, he had some of the best qualities of our race and some of the worst of the barbarous Oriental. He had two warring natures ; he was half angel and half fiend, and, aa Mr Cobban shows, the fiend won. The narrator of the story, young Cosmo M’Laurln, is somehow rather a shadowy personality, but the canny Scotch Basha Kiamil (otherwise Campbell) and his friend Lonmer, are worthy of Stevenson. The vindictive old Sultana, the Bed One’s mother, is also a striking figure. Mr Gilbert Parker is the Anglo-Colonial scribe coming most rapidly to the front. His novel “ Mrs Falchion ” deserves all the kind things the reviewers are saying about it. From first to last the reader finds Himself thoroughly interested. Whether describing life on a P. and 0. liner or in a remote settlement in British Columbia, the author writes equally graphically. The central character of the story, Mrs Falchion, is a woman of great beauty, magnetic charm and marvellous nerve, who inspires passions to which she seems herself wholly insusceptible. The narrator, Dr Marmion, commences by falling in love with her, but she laughs at him, and presently her coldness, hardness and apparent utter heartles&ness revolt him. Mrs Falchion has previously had two devoted lovers. One she coldly dismissed, the other she equally coldly married. The latter unfortunate disgraces himself—-robs his employer—to gratify her lust for luxury. He is found out and punished. Mrs Falchion instantly turns her back on him and wipes him out of her life. He, however, refuses to be wiped out, and, after cunningly dogging her footsteps, confronts her at a fancy dress ball on board the P. and 0. steamer, aboard which the first act of Mr Parker’s drama is played. At this meeting.when Boyd Madras (as he is called) sues to his wife for her love and forgiveness, she treats him with blighting cruelty and contempt. He is less than nothing to her and next morning, when in despair the wretched man drops overboard, Mrs Falchion (to the disgust of Dr Marmion, who knows her secret) doesn’t turn a hair. OB course, Madras isn’t really drowned. Mrs Falchion, however, thinks he is, and proceeds to fall in love with Galt Eoscoe, the hero of the story, who comes on board the steamer at Aden. Eoscoe is leaving the navy to enter the church. The second part of Mrs Falchion is laid in British Columbia, and moves even more briskly than the first. Therein Nemesis descends on Mrs Falchion, for thongh her heart is at last touched and she loves Eev Galt Eoscoe passionately, be doesn’t care a button for her, in fact adores someone else. Unfortunately she knows facts connected with his early life as a naval officer in the South Seas, vihich, if disclosed, would both break off his engagement and ruin hia usefulness as a parson. At first the woman’s inclination lies in the direction of disgracing Eoscoe, and making his fiancie utterly miserable. But knowledge of the suffering hopeless love entails, insensibly softens her heart, and without obliging Dr Marmion to frustrate her schemes by resurrecting Madras, she resolves to quit the field. Mr Parker has also a capital novelette in Lippincott’s. This is called “ The Translation of a Savage,” and relates the strange experiences of an Indian girl, a chief’s daughter, whom Frank Armour marries in a fit of spleen. Prank’s notion is to revenge himself on his people (a smart county family) for interfering in hia love affairs, so having married Eye-of-the-Moon’s daughter, he packs her off home to the care of his dismayed relatives. The resolute pluck with which old General Armour and his wife resolve to make the best of the situation, and the agonies they endure whilst convoying Mrs Frank Armour (wearing Native costume and wrapt in a blanket) from Liverpool to Armour Park are excellently described. In soma respects indeed " The Translation of a Savage ” is a more artistic piece of work than “ Mrs Falchion.”