RECENT PUBLICAFIONS.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XCIII, Issue 10650, 10 May 1895, Page 3

RECENT PUBLICAFIONS.

u Tho Story of a Modem Woman,’’by Ellen Hspworfch Dixon. London : William, Heiaemaan.—lf to ba a modern womanis no pluck up heart, of grace end light l ' bravely on through eolitisuo cad poverty, shirking no responsibilities and retaining, to the cud a spotless integrity of soul, then this “ modern ” woman-is a. typo that cannot become too common. In Mary Erie Miss Dixon hes depicted, with all the artisti’j nice sense of light and shade, a woman who is nothing if not lovable a rich womanly. Sho is thoroughly modern in her, deriro for work. “ I don’t want to bo a young lady,” she says to Vineorit Hemming. “Do you really think that: because I am a woman I must ait by and! fold my hands and wait p ” This at twenty-osc, with the world, that wonderful world that seemed eo plastic lying all 1 before her. She will become an'artist and! w;u’' her name high among the world’s’ ■■■■■ t ones. But Inter, when friend is dead.

..-r falsa, and bony and soul sick with.: u® marines* of sordid toil unrelieved by] love, it is a very different cry that rices to. her lips. The truth has been forced upon l hi?r tender nature at laat, - and she knows that henceforward she must | stand alone and fight the dreasyj j battle of life unaided. “ And women I live long,” war, her bitter thought. “ Yes, we live long !” From this it must not bo! thought that Mary Erie is morbid or selfconcciou t, on tho contrary, she is splendidly strong and true to her principles to’tho. end. Tim book is well written,, and'/ati ti me a shows real power, the style is good, 1 and the story, though a pathetic one, hasbrighttonchosof wit.and caustic humour that reveal the anfehot’s keenness of obsec-! vation and give promise of bettor work to follow. The subtle skill with which the various characters have been limned makes the hook ona that will hoar re-reading, while tho healthy tone of this story of a modern woman is a distinct relief after theunworthy. s*x literature that is already being relegated to the limbo it; deserves. J “ Blackwood’# Mental Arithmetic/* containing 1200 examples, with answois/ London and Edinburgh s William Blackwood and Sons.—This is an excellent -collection of examples carefully arranged! and graded to suit the wants of each! standard in our public schools.; The:, practical teacher lists long ago discovered! the importance of a coßvinuoua and Systematic training in mental arithmetic froiA tno infants’ department upwards, a training that the ot? o' this' little; ftri!;>>sn<stio canaot' fail to ensure. Tiis Mk;;-; tit tc?-i;iC.ro on fens effective use of!. ti.ere cximok". will be found vVgg3*t4vs: j>nc; helpi'c-. while the skilfsl ’teacher- n:UF t - 'he 1 al“c•• an excellgst preparation for, 1 ’ ti. «.».*• ‘lion -to-each uavr t'Ua. This 1 **:n c %ixfe’is>?nsivc, and eaa bs I c ei.hcr separately or in one volume. The “ Windsor Magazine.” • Ward,! Lock and Bowden, Limited, Loudon and' Melbourne-—This now monthly aims, 1 according toils editorialacivcrticßineut, at, furnishing an all-round magnzino specially, suited to home and fireside needs; and to attain t-fcia result in strives to unite tv gonial philosophy with good humour andl tolerance. The January and February' numbers to hand amply justify those aims,' and the stories aad articles are uniformly goad. Two interesting- serials by Gay. Boothby and Henry Solon- Merrimartrepresent the former, while the consist of infcsrviowe, talks on home topics: embracing dress, house furnishing# and! cookery. A delightful, causerie, entitled! “At Five o’clock,” is contributed by| Glecsen Whits, with illustrations. of th®Aubrey Beardsley type. Tho paper, stylo 1 and illustrations are attractive generally,] and the magazine is certainly cheap ah sixpence. ■ ■' “With Feet of Clay,” by Alice Mary Dele. Melbourne, Sydney and Adelaide ;• George Echoi'tson aud Co.—An attempt' to influence public opinion in Eogiaadin.' favour of logalioiug marriage with a deceased’s wife’* sister was evidently the, motive of this book’s being, for purpose' can scarcely be called into question where’ strength is entirely lacking. For tho 1661?! it ia a pleasant tale, easily and fluently told—too fluently, perhaps, to leave naical hope that its author will rise to a rank above mediocrity. ■ Aa to tho naturalness j of the character of Julian St John, who' takes the role of hero, he is much morelike tho vacillating, weak and pasaionate : dummy of tho Family Herald typo than a' flesh and blood creature posuei'.eing any, real feeling. A man who engages himself for her wealth to a woman whom ho. loathes, who, on the ova of his wedding, day, attempts to abduct his bride’#' sister,; ia a contemptible creature enough; but,’ this is not all. Later on, in Sydney, he! marries the beautiful sister of his dead! wife, and all goes well foe a time, until'h® finds himself heir to an English earldom (in the orthodox novel. writer*# fashion),; aud he finds that, according to, English, law, his wife is no wife, and his children are illegitimate. Then, passionately loving, her as he does, he tries to break her heart by contesting tho poor woman’s right toba called his wife. Meanwhile ha is cajoled by a worthless syren, whom he ia prepared to marry immediately the courts have decreed against his wife and ecus. Fortunately for hia wife, Julian ia prevented at the eleventh hour from committing bigamy by the confession of an old servant, who proves that hia first wife was a foster-sister only cf bin second wife, and therefore his second marriage ia'legal. The one character who radiates “sweetness and light,” and is drawn with some aemblanee of strength, is Bur word Leicester, the knight sans pour si sans reprcche. Formally affianced to the girl who feecama Julian’s ill-used wife, he watches ovar and helps her ia her dark days, and finally reconciles her to her husband. A careful pruning of style and language, together! with a more dramatic realisation .of each., character would have boea a great improvement. Tho author has - plenty ■of fancy; with concentration sad strength she may eventually equal another Aue-* traliaa writer whom, from indications in “With Fast of Olay,” she seems to ba' following from afar, namely, Mrs Ada Cross.