CURRENT LITERATURE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIII, Issue 16300, 5 August 1916, Page 4 (Supplement)

CURRENT LITERATURE.

NOTES ON NEW BOOKS.

BY CRITIC. Among the serious Hooks of to diy arc two groups worth noting— those of the essayist and those of the meditative <■; philosophic writer. There is at the present time quite a number of these from which to make choice. Fiction is not specially notable of late— and the reason is quite easy to understand. Many of the " raeditatives " sway towards the religious aspect of things. Among these may be selected a representative volume to whose article- — sermons, if you will ;i number of eminent inc.- subscribe themselves. 'Concerning Prayer" iMacinillan, London!.—Some of its able articles are sunsd by the Rev. Harold Anson, once waiden of St. John's College. Auckland. I Ulii rs are by "three laymen, a lady, two ian h clergymen, two clerical* dons, a YWsleyan theological tutor, a Congregational minister, an American professor belongtng to the Society of Friends, all of v iio:n put forward some thoughts which me- the result of a sustained corporate .rfoit to clear up their own ideas on the matter." The editor of the volume remarks sagely tint the "conclusion of peace will leave Europe face to face with economic, poli-ti-al, and social problems of unexampled difficulty; and a solution of these will have to be attempted by nations financi- :. 11 v exhausted, vitally weakened and depiessed by the acute and psychological ieaajtion which. humanly speaking, must necessarily follow an epoch of intense strain. Nothing but the sober determination, the quickened insight, and the disinterested devotion, due to the. permeation of society by some great and . reative spiritual force, can avail to meet the situation. . . . The possibility of lnor.il, and religious revival is being talked of. and worked for, in all the Churches." To those who share this view the collection of essays will be useful reading. ESSAYS BY LORD CROMER.

The third series of Lord Cromer's essays (Macmillan, London) is issued. This volume., includes articles written for the Spectator, the National Review, and similar journals'daring the last two years; and among the subjects treated are: ''German Military Ethics," "The Regime of the Young Turk," "The Morality of Nations." '• Political Ideals." "Pan-Germanism"all i topics pf considerable interest to the world are treated in Lord Cromer's well-appre- I ciated, plainly-delivered manner. They are often, intensely critical, for some of them are, to the full, intentionally analytic of persons and of states. This will be particularly noted in one dealing with certain American political matters. A Sane Patriotism. L"rd Cromer's essay on the "' Teaching 01 Patriotism '" is often condemnatory when it reviews some of the methods by which young Britishers are allowed to learn, or are not taught, the love of their country. "It mast surely be possible," argues Lord Cromer, " without falling into the danger of excessive Government control against which Germany! offers .a standing warning, and without sacrificing all that is really good and noble in the programme of the humanists, to encourage the growth ..• a leasoned and reasonable patriotism. It the Germans suffer from too much discipline, and too much organisation, we, on the other hand, are suffering from too little of either quality. The nation, as a whole, has no wish that educational policy should be directed towards the creation of an arrogant Chauvinism. Neither, on the other hand, does it wish to be exposed to the dangers which would of necessity result if the minds of the youth of this country were imbued with those ultra pacificist sentiments,* which apparently find favour with some educational reformers. . • . It is the duty of the Government and of Parliaments*© see that the Department of Education_does not become a centre either of peace or of war propaganda, but that it steers a sane middle course between the two extremes of thought." Work and Wages. A former generation recognised the gloat work of Mr. Bra.-sev as an employer of British labour. His son, Earl Brassey, many years since wrote a book, "Work and Wages," founded on the experiences of his father. It was at the time of its publication received with considerable interest. Lord Brassey has recently reedited and rewritten this volume (Longmans, London; Wildman and Arey, Auck land as a further tribute to the memory of his. father, remarking that " it is good to remember that the public works executed by my father, as a pioneer contractor in almost every part of the civilised world, have proved a lasting benefit to mankind."

The author reviews and compares the -. ai iuns labourers of different nationalities, mid unhesitatingly gives the palm to the. British. He asserts that even where French, always accounted good workmen, were employed, it was necessary to have a British' t in charge, because his initiative was oftOT needed. Again, with Germans, recognised as steady, industrious employees, he found that they lacked the same quality of resourcefulness in case of emergency. Hereditary Skill. The stimulus to become agriculturists is wanting, remarks Lord Brassey, to the English. "He is shut up in an island so small, and cultivated on so peculiar a system,, that he must manufacture or go a«ay. and acquires of necessity the hereditary skill, which in India appertains to the mp.ii who is forced by caste or opinion to continue an hereditary trade. His great competitor, the American, though quite as full of energy, has not the same inducement to expend it upon work. and. as a matter of fact, does not expend it. I . - . There must be something in the ! Knglis,! character, in its strenousness. its j love ~r order, and its fidelity to work, which gives it a superiority : and we see j no reason why this character should' in any degree deteriorate.' | RICHARD DEHAN'S NEW BOOK. The authoress of "The Don Doctor" contributes in "Earth to Earth (Heinemaim, London; Wildman and An-y. Auckland) .'. volume of short stories 'pertaining to many things. Interspersed anion'' them are different phases of one Me™ Waugh—his attitude to society, his infamies, and his self denials. Another telling story is "A Nursery Tea.'' and that lor which the volume takes its name. viz.. "Earth to Earth." is exceedingly telling. An unnecessarily morbid cast of thought pervades some of the tales, and Richard Dehan's attitude is at times too cynical for pleasant reading. "FELICITY CROFTON." Marguerite Bryant, who entered the field of popularity with "Christopher Hibhault. Roadmaker," has written "Felicity Crofton " (Heinemann. London). Her work is that of a close student of temperamerit : and as a study of contrast between two women and of diversity among men. all of whom are college students, this new work quite fulfils anticipations. Felicity is. one of the women who do not grow old. The students all call her " Mad re." and enter into real good fellowship with her. .She has a genius for patching up

other people's quarrels and misunderstandings. She spurs the fainthearted boys on, and discusses their difficulties with them. Her own daughter she sees happily married to Bessington. Then she befriends Stella Forrester, who marries Adair., without confessing an incident in her youth. The incident the gravity of it arises from Stella's former addiction ,to drugsalmost wrecks the Madre's life. For, finding that Stella, after her marriage, has again reverted to morphine, Felicity visits her to take care of her. Unfortunately for the Madre, Stella's husband discovers a secret hoard of his wife's, and attributes it to the elder woman. To shield Stella, she acquiesces in his denunciation of herself; and the story spreadi ing, she, from being most popular, falls into disgrace anions; her friends. Exactly why in these days this shielding of another should be accounted a virtue is hard j to understand. Rut as many authors still use it as a plot, it is manifestly acceptable j as a core round which to build a story. j Felicity Crotton takes a good deal of pains to keep Adam from knowing his i wife's failing; but her brother. Mark. I hearing gossip in India, travels to Eng- | land specially to undo the wrong caused by his sister's cowardice. The explanation is suggested to Adam that Felicity, now I a suggested t>> heart trouble, owing now a sufferer from heart trouble, owing to a strain of some years previously, uses lie I drug for necessary sedative purposes, and with this suggestion Mrs. Crofton's good name is evidently restored, and Stella's I delinquencies further hidden from her adoring husband. CAPTAIN KETTLE AGAIN. Cutcliffe Hyne has brought the famous sailor up to date in " Captain Kettle on the Warpath" (Methuen, London; Hicks, Invercargilll. He is always a favourite, and to have adapted him to the present war is a capital idea of his creator. So Captain Sir Owen Kettle goes on the warpath as a free lance, unhampered by restrictions of the navv. He goes to America, and by the aid of some patent explosives captured from German soldiers in Belgium, he fires a whole factory-ful o£, cotton. Submarines are nothing to him: he can ship Belgian mechanics to England : he captured a Zeppelin— all with his old disregard for danger, and his accustomed aplomb. It is good to find something to laugh at in war-time literature; and Kettle's farcical exploits do provide a humorous element, and as such will meet with a warm welcome from his old admirers.