NEW BOOKS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LI, Issue 15504, 10 January 1914, Page 4 (Supplement)

NEW BOOKS.

♦' Sheila Intervenes "—by Stephen Mc- ! Kenna (Herbert Jenkins, London).—Sheila is a very attractive young woman who intervenes to make something of a romantic but aimless young man by turning him into politics and' incidentally marrying him to her cousin, Daphne. Daphne is already engaged to Maurice Weybrook, but Sheila disapproves of the engagement. It would seem that Sheila has a good deal on her hands, and she leaves out the important element of Playfair's heart. She contrives the breaking of the other engagemer.t, she manages to have the Irishman engaged as secretary to Daphne's father, and even a conveniently vacant election seat offers. Play fair obtains his seat owing at the last moment to a swerve in popular feeling caused by Lady Daphne and then the plans begin to go "agley." Everybody seems to ba unhappy, and Sheila moet of all. But a taxi-cab accident decides Maurice's fate and he returns to his allegiance for Daphne as she comes to him in pity. Then the novelist has nothing to do "but relieve his reader's suspense by allowing Sheila and Playfair to find out that they have always loved one another. There is a certain daintiness in the writing of Mr. McKenna's book that will win him interest. The story is pleasantly handled, and is bright. It is free from any complexities, just one of those well-written, cleverly dialogued pieces of literature which appeal to all who desire interest and amusement.

The Custom of the Country"— Edith Wharton ' (MacniiUan, London) Wharton is a clever and very critical exponent of the failings of American society People. She writes her novels with a Purpose, and never flinches from her condemnations of what she judges bhmcworthv. This time she has made a type of the extravagant, vulgarly-bred wellmarried woman: and she delineates Undine Spragg so well that at the end of thbook.onffairly hates the unscrupu^ selfish pleasure-seeker. If Mrs. \V barton X right* and.her novel carries the impress of eatnest truth, then one is very eorry for American men. The story is incisive, with no word to spare from the incidents. You may yourself draw the moral from tho life cf' the principal character, and you will wish to read every word. And though you may find weakness some of the characters, such as that of Ralph Marveil, vou will find no note of wandering from the fearless denunciation of a woman such as is portrayed in Undine, who so successfully marries every man but one whom she aims at. There is no uncertainty about the disillusion of the French marquis who is one of Undine's husbands and who is the only one to repay her with some portion of the unhappiness she inflicts upon others; and the last husband, Moffatt, is very cleverly sketched, a typical man who has aspired to wealth and eventually got it, after many setbacks. His do'ggedness, his vulgarities, his primitive simplicities of character stand out well by contrast with the manners of the refined Marvell and the eupercilious Frenchman.', Undine Spragg is the only daughter of two people from Ape? City, who have come to New York to please their daughter's desire to rise socially. Undine marries into the most correct set, frows tired of the limitations of her husahd',S! income,- divorces him when be is suffering from a serious illness, in the hope of marrying Van ,■ Degen, a millionaire, who weakens upon the first hint that ine : wife will, not . bring, suit against him, aid thereafter,' rigidly■V avoids Undine ilarvelL After this disappointment, the girl,'whoso beauty has to be insisted upon in order to ■ help one *to.' understand her fascination, becomes engaged to the marquis; -who, Being Catlholic, will not marry .without annulment of '. her-previous,marri-age. So to obtain the necessary money she brings pressure, to hear upon.' Marvell fir tie custody of their child. Ho speculates, by- the aid of Moffatt, : ; who runs through the story as a mixture of good arid' evil genius; and the speculation t temporarilyfailing; - Marvell - shoots ~' himself. But tie" "coup""comes off after Bis death, the lady is a widow, and. money is' forthcoming; from : his 2 estate..;:.- Tie Frenchman*. immures i the -lady with Shis family in his chateau, and-she finds, that life is"altogether without savour. timely she meets Moffatt again, asks him. to take "heir. this V part of the story "is most cleyeiy concealed '] till the right moment—has been married ?to and divorced-from Ber long ago, insists upon another divorce ".- from the titled Frenchman, arid the last eeerie' shows Undine in a "bad temper, because, since ; she is a divorced woman, there is no possible: hope of her eyetf ; becoming ambassadress.'in London.-*.,; Ot-si woman's powers.of spending money? and bleeding father and Bus- j bands, Edith AVhartonknowu better than most waiters,how 'to" ; tell?; Her book is one of the most mordant accusations that have been hurled at the heads of the newrich American women.

" Scott's Last. Expedition "—(Macmfllan, London).—The whole of the British-read-ing world must have awaited with intense interest the publication in book form of the dairies-of.' Captain Scott,and -the report* of his .gallant companions. These are new issued in two volumes, the matter "being arranged by Leonard Huxley and prefaced by Sir Clements R. Markham. The literary world discovered, years ago, that in Captain Scott there was besides the intrepid discoverer, a fine storyteller. And now, with the records of the pathetic Journey so recent to us, one > recalls this and adds to it the tribute paid to brave men who fought a great tight against Nature and who died in pursuit of. England's great endeavour. The wonderful attention' to detail, evident in every page of Captain Scott's dairy is fascinating. Wherever the book opens, the page is living in interest, and always there * is jthe fine human note, the kindly humour, and the just. openness of character bent ■upon giving to each co-worker praise for Ibis effort, even in small things. One learns again the simple greatness of the man who met death in" the Antarctic, but did not resign himself to it until he had left a clear account of each man's doings and paid the fullest tribute to the character of his companions. His reference to Amundsen are indicative of his fine spirit. u 'l don't know what -to think of 'Amundsen's chances. If he gets to the (Pole, it must be before we do as he is bound to travel fast with does and pretty certain to start early. On this account I decided at a very early date to act exactly bs I should have done had he sot existed. Any attempt to race must havo wrecked my plan, besides which, it doesn't appear the sort of thing one is out for. Possibly you will hare heard something before this reaches you. Oh ! and there are all sorts of possibilities! In any case, you may rely upon my not doing or saying anything foolish, only I'm afraid you must be prepared for the chance of finding our venture much belittled. After all it is the work which counts, not the applause Iffhicb follows.'" And upon Hearing the Pole :— "'Only 27 miles from the Pole. We ought to do it now. , . The worst has happened, or nearly the worst. Wo marched well in ■the morning. -, . Noon sight showed ■- us.in latitude 89deg. 42min. S, and we started off in high spirits.in the afterBoon, feeling that to-morrow would seeus at our. destination. About the second hour of :lho march,, ,Bowers' _ sharp eyes ■'detectedi what he/1 bought was : .a cajra; jhe was uneasy; abont it but argued;that it must, be a sastragiu. ' ■; Half/later lie detected a black;spec ahead.' Soon'we ,knew that this could not* be '» Natural enow feature. ; We inarched ion/ found that it was a black flag tied to .4 sledge.feejjfiiir; near by the remains 'of/ a camp Buedgo tracks and" ski tracks coming and going, and the clear trace of dogs' paws ?^ipny t /dogß.. This told us the' whole jstory; ■■ 'Tie Norwegians have forestalled '»!y- r and'ai'e I .first at the ,Pole. It is a jternfole .disappointment, and I am very mprj for my joyal companions. < ' Many Noughts and much discussion have 10^^'^^1I^& : #9 must'march on

to the Polo and then hasten home with all the speed we can compass. All the daydreams must go: it will'be a wearisome return. . . . Great God ! this is an

awful place and terrible enough for us to have laboured to it without the reward of priority. Well, it is something to have got here and the wind may be our frieud to-morrow. We lave had a fat' Polar hoosh in spite of our chagrin and feel comfortable inside—added a small stick of chocolate and tho queer taste of ' a cigarette brought by Wilson. Now for the run home, and the desperate struggle. 1 wonder if we can do it.' "

And the pitiful story comes to its end with the letters written to those whom he loved and honoured :—

"'Wo, have given our lives for our country—wo have actually msdo the longest journey' on record 'and we have been the first Englishmen at the South Pole.' . .. .'.

One' Baa' always'' felt that' Scott and his companions did more than reach the Pole. Every line of this book confirms the belief.''''. '*