BOOKS AND PUBLICATIONS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXIII, Issue 10328, 31 December 1896, Page 6

BOOKS AND PUBLICATIONS.

Exercisks is Analysis, Parsing, eto. : Wm. Blackwood and Sons, Edinburgh.— These exercises have been compiled with a special view to the requirements of candidates for the certificate examinations and the preliminary examinations of the Scottish Universities. Part I. is devoted to exercises in analysis and parsing ; 11., to special exorcises in parsing; and 111., to exercises in tho correction of grammatical errors. Mercantile Practice: By Geo. Johnson, F.S.S., A.1.5., member of the Corporation of Accountants, published by Effingham Wilson, 11, Royal Exchange, London. —The contents comprise account sales, bills of lading and charter parties, bills of exchange.', railways and mine workings, bookkeeping by single entry, notes on auditing and bookkeeping by double entry, grain accounts, reserve and sinking funds, and a varied amount of useful information of service to the trader, the merchant, and commercial mon generally. Appended are building society interest, and raarino insurance tables, etc. Christ on Olympus,and other Poems : By William Gay, of Bendigo, Victoria. Printed by J. Haase, 77, Swanson-street, Melbourne.-These poems breathe a lofty and devotional spirit. There is nothing finer in the whole book than " Australia Infelix," and the tribute to James Brunton Stephens. The volume is the work of an earnest thinker, and of a man possessed of the divine alllatus. These sonnets will bo cherished as amongst the finest conceptions in Australasian literature.

The Pall Mall Magazine: Publishing offices 18, Charing Cross Road, London, W.E.—The Christmas number is to hand. The Adventures of a French Prisoner in England" are continued. "The Settlement of St. Augustine" is the story of a Spanish colony. There is an interesting sketch given of " The Queen of Cities," Constantinople. "Blickling Hall" brings up some incidents of old English history. There is an amusing sketch, "Jack Sheppard^tells the Story," being a sequel to " Jack Sheppard up to Date," which appeared in the Pall Mall Magazine in December, 1895. Silver " Nefs" relates to collections of now obsolete pieces of table decorative plate, which invariably took the form of a chip. It is to bo regretted that workmanship of such delicacy and artistic value should have been allowed to become a thing of the past. " Old Memories," by Hugh Oough, is a continuation of the story of the Indian mutiny. A new story, entitlod "ThoGolden Hair," is pleasant reading. "Letters Written During the French Revolution" throws fresh light on the horrors of those oxciting and perilous times. One of the most heartstirring articles is" Angola Unawares," by Marion Elliston. Under the heading of " Hatches, Matches, and Despatches," the latter se:tion is dealb with, showing the perils which assail human life. " The Poppied Sleep," a study of life, "The Royal Military College, Sandhurst," and "Without Prejudice," complete a highly interesting number. Everybody's Medical Guide : By M. D. Ludon, Saxon, and Co., 23, Houveriestreet, Fleet-street, E. C, London. -This Guide is intended to afford morely hints and suggestions rather than hard-and-fast rules. It is not in any case intended to take the place of a physician, whose advice as to diagnosis, troatmont, and condition should always be obtained. Travellers will find this little work usoful in cases of sudden emergency. Appended are a number of suggestions for the maintenance of health. Mr. Magnus: ByF. Reginald Statham. T. Fisher Unwin, Paternoster Square, London.—The plot is apparently laid in the diamond fields of South Africa, and Mr. Magnus, the great diamond-field millionaire, and Mr. Bengie Benoni appear to possess some of the characteristics of two well - known men in the affairs of the diamond fields, A young man, Ray Wolston, goes out to the diamond mines and ultimately gets falsely accused of taking diamonds. He is aboub to bo brought to trial, but his innocence is proved. A man named Weare, who had left) England under a cloud, working in the mines, aids in vindicating the reputation of Wooltton. A good id«a is given in the story of "Life on the Diamond Fields," and the intrigues of the great

operators and speculators. The tale closes

with tho description of the collapse of a mine, burying a number of men in the lower workings. VVrare, when safe, goes down tho shafb to endoavcur to free the cable which is jammed, and go enable his matos to oscape to the pit mouth, and loses his life. The story is powerfully written, and as dealing with phases of life rarely doscribod has all the novolty of freshness. Thb Race with Death and other Ballads and Readings. By Campbell Rao-Brown.—This volume is from the pott of the author of the famous " Kissing Cup's Race." " The Race with Death" is characterised by power and pathos. "A Ballad of a Bazaar," "The Costor's Rued," and tho " Ballad of the Bloated Alphabot" aro very clevor. " The Friends," " Over the Wire, a Villago Story,'' and "The Ridcfor the King" ore oF tho pathetic typo. There are some prose readings appondod, including " Tho Baillio's Angel," "The Perplexing Disappearance of tho Provost," and " Love in a Fog." The Adventures of Martin Hewitt : By Arthur Morrison. Ward, Lock, and Co., Limited, Warwick House Salisbury Square, London.—Wo have to acknowledge receipt of this clover work of fiction, which has already been reviewed in our columns. The Quiver: Printed and published by Cassoll and Co., Limited, La Belle Sanvago, London, E.C.—Tho November unmoor is to hand of this illustrated magazine for Sunday and general rending. There is a coloured frontispiece, "Serve tho Lord with Gladness," drawn by N. Prescott Uavios, Two serial stories aro running, "All Through Prejudice" and " Tho Organist's Daughter.'' Among tho articlos is "Work in which J. am interested—tho Y.M.C.A.,"by Sir George Williams, and "A Wonderful Prophecy Wonderfully Fulfilled (illustrated from photographs). There is an interesting skotch, entitled "Sunday with Queen Victoria." The Imperial Album ok New Zealand SCENERY : Published by tho New Zealand Scenery Publishing Company, Whooler and Son, Cathedral Square, Christchurch, The initial view is of the New Plymouth Domain, with Mount Egmont in tho distance. "A Geological Study'' is a picture of a monster boulder on Hokianga beach, measuring 40 feet in circumference, A sketch of tho Lower Thames Goldfields depicts tho Moanataiari wire tramway. An incident is given ol the Tarawora eruption, a carved house at tho Wairoa partly submersed by tho dobris of tho eruption. Views of Napier, Rangiora, Middle Island lake and river sconory, and of a regatta on tho Avon and of station life in Canterbury, comploto an interesting number. Cassfxl's Saturday Journal: This widely-read journal is printed and published by Cassell and Company, Limited.— The frontispiece is an engraving "A Pair of Clean Hoels,'' and tho journal is suitably illustrated. The reading matter is variod and attractive to suit every taste, but yet withal of a bright and wholesome charactor, and jußt the sort of literature which should be in every household. Beautiful Sydney: Published by Geo. Robertson and Co., Sydney.—We have to acknowledge receipt of this attractiveillustrated volumo through Messrs. Wildman and Lyell, booksollers, of this city. The illustrations aro produced by F. W. Niven and Co.'s " Crisp Photo" process, from original designs, and depict the most beautiful views in Sydney, including New. castle Coalopolis and Maitland. Tho views of Sydney include tho harbour, Circular Quay, Government House, Government Buildings, Houses of Parliament, tho Botanical Gardens, the public institutions, tho newspaper establishments, the pleasure resorts of tho city, and tho residences of somo of tho lending citizens, etc. The varied viows give a very good idea of the great commercial entrepot of Australasia, and should form an excellent souvenir, as they perpetuate everything of public interest.

The Jewelled Belt,—By P. E. Quinn : Geo. Robertson and Co., Melbourne. This is a detective story issued as Robertson's Christmas Annual. The story of tho plot is that an elderly man is found dead on the banks of tho Yarra without marks of violence, and tho polico coma to tho conclusion that there are no grounds for suspicion of murder. Lord Edward Dartand a fellow tourist to tho colonies, Mr. Richard Chostor, however, have a talk ovor the affair, and ib ends in Lord Edward Dart making a wager of £'20,001) to a bottle of champagne that Chester does not lind out, that the man was murdered. Chester does in the long run, after doing the Martin Hewitt business, find out that tho man was murdered by being sand-bagged, that his name was Richard Leigh (die father of his affianced) and that his murderer was a man named Johnson, formerly in tho employ of a London jowollory establishment, Leigh wont out to Melbourne, but before leaving had a belt made to fit round his waist studded with diamond and precious stones. Johnson, to whom the jewellers entrusted the making of the bolt, had his cupidity aroused, resigned his post, and followed Leigh out to Melbourne, and murdered him for the sake of tho diamonds. When Cheater, with a detective, had run Johnson to earth in London, tho latter swallowed a fatal dose of prosaic acid, and thus escaped arrest and the scaffold. In tho meantime the Melbourne police had boon tracing up their clues, an I cabled that they had arrested Peter Newton, licensee of the Gollen Crown, where Johnson had lodged during his stay in Molbourne. The English police explained matters, and Peter Newton was released. Tho story, which is pleasantly told, ends with Lord Edward Dart paying ovor his wager, £20,000, to Chester, and the latter marrying Marian Leigh, the daughter of the man who wore "The Jewelled Bolt." Rhymes from the Minks, and Other. Lines: by Edward Dyson. Angus and Robertson, 89, Castlereagh-street, Sydney. —Mr. Dyson is the author of "A Golden Shanty." The greater part of tho pootical pieces in this volume have appeared from time to time in colonial journals. Several of the poems, including " Waiting for Water," "Tho Prospectors," "The Tale of Steven,"and "The Doserted Homestead," are now published for tho first time. Liko the poems of Henry Lawson in "Tho Days when tho World was Wide," and those of A. 13. Paterson, " The Man from the Snowy River," those of Dyson in his " Rhymes from the Mines" are racy of tho soil. They

faithfully depict tho varying phases of mining life, whilo throughout iho other lighter pieces runs a vein of light humour and badinage, of which perhaps "The Drovers in Reply" is tho best example— Don't imagine we are soured, but its peculiarly annoying To lie told by city writers of the pleasures were enjoying, When perh ip-t wo'»>! nothing hetlsr than some lluky water handy, Whilst the scribes in showy bar-room tike iced seltzer with their brandy. Yes, we wonder why the fellows who are building chipper ditties Of the rosy times out droving, ami tho (lust and death "f cities, Do not quit the stuffy office, ask old Peters for a billet, And enjoy tho stars, the camp-tiros, and the freedom while they (111 it. His Cousin thk Wallaby and Otiikr Australian Stories : By Arthur Forres. Geo. Robertson and Co., Melbourne— The volume consists of four sketches—" His Cousin the Wallaby," "Jim, the Vernon Boy," "Home, Sweet Homo," "The Travels of Mr. Pumpkin." Tho stories aro pleasantly told, of which perhaps "Jim, "tho Vernon Boy" is the best. They have a good wholesome moral running throughout. of Fair Rknown ; By Joseph ocking. Ward, Lock, and Co., Limited, Warwick Houso, Salisbury Square, E.C., London.-The ouiiior scenes aro laid in Cornwall, and glimpses are given of mining lifo. A young miner, Merlin Kosovear, who has saved the life of a young lady, Helen Granville, while she with a party wore down a mine, falls in love with her. She reciprocates his passion, stimulated by gratitude for one who risked his life and saved hers. Despite tho threats of her father, and the wooing of Squiro Nowlyn's son, she remains true to her troth. Young Rosevear believes he has hotter stuff in him than to waste his time in a mine, goos to London and embarks in literature, possessed only of pens, ink, writing-paper, and —brains. He wins literary renown, forswears his early lovo, marries a rich widow, Mrs. Tolford, and becomes sordid and base. Ultimately after an unhappy married lifo his wife dies, and he turns afresh to tho love of his youth, Helen Granville. She also has won literary fame, but seeing how low wore Rosevear's aim, how sordid his nature had become, she rejscts his love and finds her affinity in Vivian Gregory, a man of noble aspirations and of lofty motives. This is tho outline of the plot from which is woven an interesting tale, which maintains Us interest {com stub to finish,