LITERATURE AND ART.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXIV, Issue 10407, 3 April 1897, Page 4 (Supplement)

LITERATURE AND ART.

Freed from the cares of Parliamentary life, Sir George Trevelyan intends to devote himself to literature. He is now engaged upon an historical work relating to the end of the last century. In a few days will be issued " England in the Days of Old," by Mr. William Andrews, of Hull. Much curious information on social and domestic life will be included, and the work will be weil illustrated.

Mr. Martin MacDermott has prepared for publication a new edition of Moore's " Memoirs of Lord Edward Fitzgerald." Mr. MacDermott has added to die memoirs many particulars concerning Lord Edward's career which were not available when the work was originally published. Under the title "The Ethics of John Stuart Mill" Messrs. Blackwood and Sons announce a volume by Mr. Charles Douglas, M.A., Lecturer in Moral Philosophy, and assistant to the Professor of Moral Philosophy in the University of Edinburgh. A very charming booklet, prettily illustrated and pleasantly written, is the "Souvenir of Miss Ellen Terry," by Walter Calvert, which Mr. Henry J. Drano has just published. The sketch given of the great actress' career is valuable in its way as well as interesting.

Mrs. Humphry Ward is placed by the World of New York at the head of English authors of both sexes in point of Trans atlantic popularity. Miss (Jorelli comes third, Sarah Grand is ninth, and John Strange Winter is twelfth. Among male writer*, lau Maclaren, Rudyard Kipling, J. M. Barrie.S. R. Crockett, Anthony Hope, Stanley Weyman, Jerome K. Jerome, Sir Walter Besant, I. Zangwill, and S. R. Hichens take rank in the order here given.

Considerable interest attaches to the announcement of anew ncn-el of Indian life by the sister of Mr. Rudyard Kipling, Miss Alice Kipling (Mrs. Fleming), which Mr. Heinemann will publish shortly under the enigmatical title "A Pinchbeck Goddess." The story deals, we understand, with the European rather than the native element, and gives a striking picture, taken "from the inside,' of Simla manners and society. Mr. Kipling himself has completed a new short story, to which he has given the title of " Slaves of the Lamp,"

"A Book for Every Woman," by Dr. Jane H. Walker (Longmans), discusses Woman in Health and Out of Health. It is pleasantly written and full of useful hints and facts. "A healthy normal woman," says Dr. Walker, "should have as much enjoyment in the mere fact of living, and as full control of her muscles and her mind, as a healthy normal man; she should be no less able to make any reasonable physical or mental effort without undue reaction, and her balance of well-being should be scarcely less stable." Such a consummation, so devoutly to be wished, might, granting it is an ideal one, be brought the nearer to reality by the study of this little book,

The work of Byron, on which Mr. , Clement K. Shorter is engaged, is not likely to see the light for some considerable time yet. Itwillnotcontainany letters, and therefore its interest will be in no way affected by any success which may attach to Mr. Henley's edition of Byron or by Lord Lovelace's " Life and Works," which Mr. Murray is to publish. Mr. Shorter proposes to set forth the details of Byron's career in chapters. The first chapter will be entitled "The Mad Byrons," the second " The Gay Gordons," the third " Childhood in Aberdeen." In these more stress will be laid than has ever hitherto been done on the part played by heredity in Byron's life, and on the influence of his Celtic origin, and of the Scotch surroundings of bis early years.

Recently there has been a good deal of controversy regarding that frequentlyabused person, the literary agent. Apropos of this it may not be out of place, perhaps, to quote from a letter written a few days ago by Mr. S. R. Crockett to his agent, Mr. A. P. Watt:—"You believed in my future when few did, and gave your time and thought with a generous liberality which I should be caitiff and recreant if I did not amply acknowledge. You took the burden of worry off my shoulders. You said, " Now, all you have got to do is to put on paper the best that may be in you in the beat way you can. I'll attend to the rest!" More than that, by your judicious (and often caustic) advice you keep me from doing a large number of foolish things. We have never bad a misunderstanding—though sometimes I may have kicked over the traces and " gaed my ain wilfu 1 gait." You smiled—l remember jusc how, and you waited. Then presently, after having come to grief, I was back again telling you I was sorry not to have taken your advice—(but this must not be quoted against me, next time. That will be the one exception which proves the rule). I wish your new Elzevir all success, and if you put any word of mine in it, let it be this—that I cannot think of anything more fortunate in my brief literary past, than the fact that I bad the unusual good tense to place my affaire, right from the beginning, in your capable and entirely faithful bands." . ,