BOOKS AND PUBLICATIONS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXIX, Issue 11872, 25 January 1902, Page 5 (Supplement)

BOOKS AND PUBLICATIONS.

The Windsor Magazine: Ward, Lock, and Co., Salisbury Square, London, E.G. The December issue of the Windsor is a Christmas Number, and contains a quantity of matter suitable for the season. Amongst the contributors are : Rudyard Kipling, Cutcliffe Hyne, lan Maclaren, Robert Barr, Guy Bootkby, E. Nesbit. and Gilbert Parker. The number is a double one, and contains a large amount of splendid reading.

The • Old Knowledge : By 'Stephen Gwynn. Macmillan and Co., London. {Received _ from Messrs. Upton andV Co.) Periodically we get in our popular literature a revival of the mystical element. There are various indications of another such recrudescence, and " The Old Knowledge" is one of them. The scene is laid in- Donegal, among the Irish peasantry and landlordry, as they are experienced by Millicent Carteret, an English art-student, who, expecting a lonely holiday by a fishing stream, finds that she is everywhere welcomed with "heart and hand." A pleasant, wholesome young gentleman, who helps her catch a big salmon through one thrilling chapter, and a self-taught peasant, who • has become a Government bee-keeping teacher,- fall in love with her. The peasant, a dreamy, uncanny sort of creature, who sees visions and paints dream-pictures, tries to win her by the unlawful use of a form of the old knowledge, some telepathetic hypnoticism. He doesn't, and she weds the commonplace. The peasantry, the landlordry, a league meeting, fishing, jealousy, love, hate, and superstition, with a score of passing moods and incidents, are drawn with masterful touches in a book which is quaint, novel, well-written and decidedly interesting. , "

Cynthia's Way : By Mrs. Alfred Sidgwick. Longmans, London.A prevision of German complications must have happily inspired Mrs. Sidgwick,, whose young mil-lionaire-heroine, Cynthia Blount, get« wearied of being kow-towed to . because of her wealth, and goes to Germany as a nurserygoverness. As she finally marries Yon Reinmar, who has employed her to teach his young step-sister, there is t evidently no hatred of things Teutonic in the mind of the author. This makes the book all the more attractive since it gives with a friendly tone the peculiarities of the German people, and particularly their Boer-like ignorance of England and dislike of the English people. The plot revolves round the calf-love of Miss Wanda Yon Reinmar for a wretchedly pretentious student, how her elopement with him was stopped by Cynthia, and how she was thus enabled to marry honourably. Cynthia puts herself into all sorts of false lights and positions, but finally knows herself loved for herself, and not for her money. The book is written in excellent English, so excellent that one is tempted to think that Mrs. Sidgwick is not English-born, or at any rate is not English-bred. For the nativeborn and bred commonly take those liberties with their mother-tongue which mark the family-circle.

The Fiery Dawk : By M. E. Coleridge. Longmans, London.The days of Louis Philippe, citizen-King of Franceone of the innumerable Gallic political experiments. The Duchess of Berri, feminine leader of that Segitimist cause, which has regularly produced men who should have been petticoated and women who should have I: been breeched. Conspiracy, revolution, civil tumult, defeat, and the little blind god active amid it all. These are the main points of a book which bids for the popularity of the modern romance.

Blue Bonnets Up : By Thomas Pinkerton. John Long, London.Than this there are few better Scottish stories of the '45. It is a story crammed with characters, and bristling with incident. The characters are vividly drawn, and exceedingly real.'- The incidents are graphically told and dramati- ■ cally related to each other. The flight of the poor villain - with a wealthy married cousin ; the pursuit; the refuge on a coaster ; the wreck in the Solway ; the saving of the baby-heroine, and the escape of the villain form the prelude. * The villain returns with bonnie Prince Charlie, and recognises the child of his victim. He plots to marry her to a step-son, and thus secure her wealth. How he nearly succeeds, and how he is foiled at the last, and meets his deserved fate is a story that weaves itself in and out with the most romantic personage of romantic Scotland.

This Lovely Mrs. Pemberton : By Florence Warden. John Long, London.—The danger of a pretty and lively girl marrying under persuasion a dull and ancient man should bo obvious. But since such things happen and will always happen, until only the young and handsome have the siller, and until all the old and dour have commonsense, it would bo well if all end no nearer' tragedy than did the experiences of the lovely Mrs. Pemberton. And she got close to tragedy—so close that if she had not kept her finger-nails trimmed she would have got them under the wheels.

The Real Christian : By Lucas Cleeve. John Long, London.There are many varieties of Christians nowadays, not counting in the Unitarians, whom the Rev. Gray Dixon puts outside the gates with all other schismatic Arians. There has been "The Christian" and " The Master Christian," not to mention "The Master Sinner." Now wo have " The Real Christian," the only genuine brand, see that the trade-mark is on the tin,. and take no other! This particular gentleman becomes a Catholic priest, through the machinations of a Jesuitical lady, and has finally to leave that Church because he thinks too little of doctrine and dogma. ~ He rescues a Magdalen, of course, but it is very evident that if lie could have followed his own inclinations he would have married a little Mary. It is rather unfortunate that all our book " Christians" are unattractive, and not in any way calculated to inspire the average -minded man with any desire to follow in their steps.

A Social Pretender : By Winifred Graham. John Long, London. the now it is often a relief to return to the old, and of the old this is a typical example. The handsome young lady who elopes with the noblo groom and therefore is disinherited by the stern parent. ' The daughter who is offered the inheritance if she will go to her childless grandfather and forget the mother who bore her, and who indignantly refuses. The poverty-stricken young lady who is offered the job and imposes upon the old gentleman. The lover she loves, and the villain who threatens to expose her unless she marries him. Her flight, and the triumph of the true love that follows her. Have we not all read it before in tho youth that never tires of tli3 melodramatic?

An 111 Wind : By Mrs. Lovett Cameron. John Long, London.Howard Ryland meets pretty Betty Lutterell in the country, and makes love to her, though engaged to a London cousin, whoso wealth is necessary to restore the family fortunes. Miss Samuels,. otherwise " Sammy," the rich cousin's companion, learns that she will be discharged when tho marriage takes place, and decides to prevent it. Arthur Hallett, a rich young scoundrel, plays on Betty's innocence, and (rets her to come up to London to meet her recreant wooer. Finally appears the hero, Horaco Wyvern, who thumps one villain and cuts out the other, and kisses sweet Betty in the. last chapter. The moral is not given, but it might very well be that Satan Ends some mischief still for idle hands to do, and that there are much worse evils than chasing Do Wet.

Soft, Faie, Delicate Skin.—A clear and healthy complexion produced by. using Rowland's Ivaltdok, the most . soothing, healing, curative and refreshing preparation, and warranted harmless to the most delicate skin. It prevents and removes Freckles, Tan, Sunburn, Redness, Roughness, heals Cutaneous Eruptions, Irritation, Stings of Insects, Eczema, Burns, imparts a luxuriant beauty to'the complexion,' and arrays the neck, hands, and arms in matchless whiteness, unobtainable by any other means. Ask stores and chemists for Rowland's Kaltdor, and avoid poisonous imitations.

Those desiring to buy homes or_ investments, and requiring monetary assistance, should consult Mr. Thornes, 61, 9"' <.* street, who litis several sums awaiting inv dent,