CURRENT LITERATURE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LI, Issue 15700, 29 August 1914, Page 3 (Supplement)

CURRENT LITERATURE.

JJOTES ON XRW BOOKS. : ' GERMANS: AT HOME AND ABROAD. i KV CRITIC. Book.; beins lMlt 1111 l ,ublu ' opinion, and mm: the in-ie ex| ression, JcariPJS and ue:-f<rra:m'.l by the lutcrrunli.ons of eon versa: i"ii. «f what is 111 the thoughts of tin- and women wlv> write {l: e ni it is " ,uv l ' :ltiu;l1 tlu ' |m '" ks ul recent times should ha\c shown a charac tdsticallv belli.4Cie;it ton.'. This was true enough of Kncland. divided as it was into the camp 'h"*'" vv ''" ViU ' a,u ' believed the n.'t■■ n unready for it, and those who ridiculed tho possibility uf European coiill .i^r.ii:■ >i\ and hesitated 1" spend money on kr.tleships. A year or two a£o d:ii net an Knglishman write a hook much -lead, and by some much derided. which j'» .ye.l t.i the author's satisfaction that it, ions wimid never engage in .-'l'-h •' ?«ro means of dissipating their ■ "mnn-uial wealth? And l'iii,'l<in-l, with her stories of foreign iw'h' - an-! of aertflanu kittles, lias not l« Hi s 11'.i:> i" thi.s trend .>t Jitcrature. tin " w,ie other peoples who dreaded wir : i.d >et saw it looming desperateh rc.r, and of them perhaps the most prominent wvie the Prussians themselves. Jo warn folk "t its imrninence, and to entreat li.ciu t . consider its devastate effects, v.-i :t«.-rs u.ade this sub jtkt the theme oi th'ir novels, with greater or his mi. . ess. "Tile Iron Year"- by Walter Blueni, (Lane. Ijomhrn .--w an .authorised translation from the (oil).,in bv Mella lllnch of just such a .-t'Mj-. dramatic ai d\i\ id is it that it is worthy >-f perusal at any time; and to-day fnrni.-hea mutter of the most tense inteicst. Its dominant note that of the person.il disinclination < f individuals to serve in the army of v the Prussians to bo torn from peaceful industry icd ;i<-< p-irsuits < i science and art to'fcnt. agjiii't a people of whom many are their friends. 'I here is, for in?anee, «v i»f \viin*o t;inniy ••• discussion : s pr-- etd.in; a ft. r reading the newspaper. Tho Professor as a Soldier,

"Will you n.ue to go, professor?" "Yeoman of the (list degree. Yes. indeed!" "Oh, then you'll lv a (.ipt»io shortly?" " Hardlv that,' Moiled the histomn. blushing 'slightly. "Nothing but an ordinary 1 commonpl<'".'j private, lankily tho arniy corps to whoso trlarians 1 belong was not mobilised in '64 or '66 else I should have had to depart with my knapsack on mv bail:." "Well, and this time you won't have to go at all," Agnes said. " Surely yon a relit a member of the North (lernian Diet for nothing'" "Voitare wrong. my dear." said the professor. '"My position as ni.-mbor does not release ine in the slightest from holding myfolf at His pleasure as- food for tho guns." "Then yon get your stripes in your year's tervic/:" "No, although (tried for a whole endless .12 months to solve the mysteries of gooseatep, but i.t vain! Rifle drilling, shooting, are arts utterly outside Kf '.ity sphere; in short I was what is cOftimonly called n lame sort of elrrtp." "And yet you want to go and fight the Frtnch. When they ?ai* you coming alone as n soldier they would simply roar with laughter and wouldn't be able to take proper aim."

The Sorrow of a Wife. Tho fair little woman laughed so heartily that tho tears tolled down her cheeks. Suddenly her laughter turned to a sob, and then the hot loirs poured down without ceasing. "Agnes, dear." her husband said gently, "these things have to be. 1 realty was r. fool in my soldiering time; and that is why, if matters really do come to a head iiov.', I shall have, fo trudge along with Tom, Dick and Harry, with rtiy "'monkey'' oii my back and my gun over my ami; feut that is just what they lack over there; believe me they Have no professors' in their rank aud file; and maybe a lame, short-sighted quill-driver like me may prove more dangerous to the French in Ins- own particular wav than many a straight-limbed, sturdy, labouring lad."

The Wrath 6f a Woman. ■ "Marianne, the heroine of the iron year is full of wrath at the spect/e bf waf. "Her whole being again arose in indignant revolt against the unintelligible, fearful curse- that had apparently rested on tie f'orld since the days when she had begun to understand . tilings—she, the daughter of 4 soldier, the descendant- of ft race that for t.-entnries past had conof warriors and of heroes. ''■She drank her tea mechanically; and listened to a precise little lecture the profesfioi* addressed to them 011 this imbroglio that, had arisen in Sudden semifomic grandma, out of the depths and which was being concerted, from a dyriastical and governmental intrigue, into a Bfcrperit : enfolde.l gorgon's head, before the horrified eyes of all Europe—a dark, mephLstOplieliaji deed carefully planned by Prussia's pol|£irians, ( panting for power ! A screaming larce with a gigfLnti; tragerjy •lurking in the trio two leading nations of the civilised wprfrj forced 011 towards each' otter like wild beasts, (earing at each other's throafe."

Jx)ve Stronger than Wit. Tragedy of a peisonal nature comes to the Baroness Marianne, for within a /cw flays before she or anydne can realise that Var is actually at hand, she falls in love *"h Captain Ponchalon, of the French tmbassy. „ Ponchalon comes 0 tell her that was is De 'jiL > anri ,p,ls her that he loves her -he. room was lit up suddenlv bv a ym vivid flush. A clap followed a Win, as though the world had Showered w atoms. the sudden flash of light had revealed .ae. roans face, above her own, to iUanaiine—quivering with passion, pale and sharply out-hnod. He M on his knew; More her, s»i Zl . r | her by (he arm* an<( Pressed his burning forehead against her shoulder.

Jlananno." ''Francois!" ''lb you love me''' " t love you." ■ . -As the last c.hoes of fh,- thunder died away a ? a„ u t the distant r-cks. th,- mu®,eis VOicet aros,> clearly once more, Mime e with their inptiii'ous sound, "Jflfeilfold, thousandfold, to the au-om-PMiment of blaring bugles, pen-trntin-Hie narrow chamber.

Fust am] in;,-. ii, o wiuli. . the wati h on the Rhine last Ftaii(l 3 and true tho waul, ; - . tho watch on tho Rhine'

Aiid then a rush of ram. an endless g>Vnd pelting. t, v winds wh.stJcd broucb the crevices, a glvv m j sfv Mltdortn in front of the window, suem»g tho man aid wo-nan, clasped m a £ ? brar f/ their mad. laptr-ous from the uhole w..,1d ..ms.de

In German New Guinea. J,I? A GomAn Colony "--(Mitin.en. I Pniu n ]r" ls tllc " tlr " f a " rnri! ''y Mks Guino ? rT y her v!s 't t" German New ThA D i' as ?]>v ' nanus Britain. i «man poition of the islatvl „t' New Tl|,j nCa '. ' a ' sn tlnw elands in North tofol •• W ' vn a< ,lu% HLsnn.ik Arelii7°' Bulla and llouaiin ille. two 'M\,: 1 }"* northernmost S -loinm He.-. , n .l lew adjacent groups. hfm,'?n U "°" 1 • 'hi' Germans hnl i Bn<l At Heri.ert.sB took " 10,,1s the Scl.lalhaiu, consisted of three, rooms ott the ground door, and three exactly above, tun ? ynt ' l " ' ,v ''t° verandahs, uliich tho house. "Or, the wide nlaw bacchanalian haunt the Sif' j l3 al "' "" ll i ; ds congregated of a gfltday evening During these convivial MSy • tI,C "i OerTon ii a<?r ' 01 . ,e ')' disturbed my slumbers. * V t orat '°" s . interspersed with • WpJ 3 « PutiiQlic fervour, impassioned e s -:o their best girls, others m favour Hh!

of tno noble drinks of tho Fatherland generally ending with thumping choruses, sometimes excessively musical, at others ear-rending, boomed through the stillness of tho hot night. From this verandah, which served the purpose of the wellknown beer-garden, many amusing things reached me. One day, screened from view bv the sun blinds, 1 heard myself discussed with that attention to detail which characterise? the Teuton as the best thinker in the world. Theories as to my possible ago were brought forward, then contemptuously snubbed by one wiser than tho rest, till the speakers at last were content to leave it not only as an unknown quantity, hut js lievond their speculative capacity.'"

Sun Worshippers. At the house of the Governor, thewriter met a young German girl who roused my .uriosity. fur. although she had a somewhat st rikin l; face, she possessed tho very thickest ankles, covered with white knitted stockings of the homeliest "bauer" type, ] have ever gazed upon. She had conic from Germany some years previously to join a small band of sun-worshipping enthusi'ists, under the leadership of a man .ailed Khgelliardt who at one time was a well known musician in Berlin. Hue in ; n island at the entrance of the hnv, these persons, dressing themselves in the ,'cantv garmcntr, of the native, essayed to live not only the simple life, but life of the native, minus its blood-thirst. They subsisted on cocoanuts and bananas, had huts for shelter in case of rain, lived and slept under the arc of heaven, holding the sun aR the centre of life, and therefore to be adored As the members of the little society gradually died from the effects of this change in their mode of life the girl preferred to return to civilisation, and eventually to her parents in Gennanv.