BOOKS AND WRITERS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19418, 28 August 1926, Page 7 (Supplement)

BOOKS AND WRITERS.

A book certain to create a great deal of interest is Olive Schreiner's posthumous novel, "From Man to Man," to bo published in September. It is the longest book she ever wrote, and somo think it bigger in every way than "The Story of an African Farm." It is a study of two sisters whoso lives are tragedies depicted with intensity and compassion. I'ho theme suggests all the possibilities of a great psychological story. "Raffles (1781-1826)" has no connection with E. W. Hornung's famous cricketercriminal, but is a sketch of an almost equally romantic character in real life, Sir Stamford Rallies, who served tho East India Company, became Lieutenant-Gov-ernor of Java and wrote a history of the island. Ho prided himself on a rule "not only without fear, but without reproach." The foundation and development of Singapore was his gveatest work but tho fact that be and his Sumatra collection were responsible for tho beginnings of the London Zoo endears him most to posterity. * * # * * Some good stories aro told by Lieut.Col. Mackenzie Rogati in "Fifty Years of Army Music." Beginning by enlisting as band-boy in 1867 ho became director of music to tho Coldstream Guards and senior director of music to tho Brigade of Guards. Once while King Edward and Queen Alexandra were leaving Buckingham Palaco in the State coach to attend the opening of Parliament the guard of honour presented arms and the band played tho National Anthem. But something had gono wrong with the ponderous old coach and it refused to move. When matters were finally adjusted tho band had played the Anthem six times over! • • * ♦ * John Buchan, who now holds an important position in Messrs. Nelson, has found tinio to write a new novel entitled "Tho Dancing Floor." It is to deal with "modern English life with a love interest and heaps and heaps of adventure." His sister, the popular "0. Douglas," has also written a new book, "The Proper Place." ***** J. Storer Clouston, creator of that delightful lunatic, Mr. Maudell-Essington (whose further adventures are related in "The Lunatic in Charge"), is, according to John o' London, an enthusiast about the Orkneys whero ho lives and about which he is at present writing a book. Most of his time for many years past has been taken up with antiquarian research and. for 12 years he has edited "Tho Records of the Earldom of Orkney." It is surprising to find tho chronicler of the lively lunatic a staid member of the Orkney County Council.

Additional examples of howlers by literary men range from Dickens to Gilbort Frankau. In "Thfi Love Story of Aliette Bninton" thn author causes a West End doctor to smash up ice (for use in arresting haemorrhage) with a poker when, as it has been pointed out, any medical student and pi-obationer nurse could have told him that a pin would have been more effective. *■*•*»* In "Nicholas Nickleby" at the beginning of the eighth chapter Sqtieers greets Nicholas with: "Hero's a pretty go. The pump's froze ... so you must be content with giving yourself a dry polish till we break the ico in the well." Shortly afterwards Squeers asks: "Where's the second boy?" "Please, sir, he's weeding the garden." "To be sure," said Squeers', by no means disconcerted. . "So he is B-o-t, bot, t-i-n, tin, bottin, n-e-y ney noun substantive, a knowledge of plants." Yet it is not usual in England to weed gardens when wells are frozen. * *. ■» » An interesting selection of dedications is made in one of the essays in "Excavations," by Carl van Vechten, beginning with that most famous and mysterious one which prefaced the piratical edition of Shakespeare's Sonnets in 1609. To the Onlie Begetter of These Insning Sonnets Mr. W. H. All Happinesse. And that Eternitio Promised By Our Ever-Living Poet Wishcth The Well-Wishing Adventurer in Setting Forth. #■**** Of anonymous dedications may be mentioned "To the Wittiest Woman in India" (Rudyard Kipling's "Plain Talks from the Hills'"). «By far the most general are "To My Mother" or "To My Wife." The latter is the only one used by John Masefield and S. P. B. Mais. R. L. Stevenson's dedications were a little too elaborate to bo natural except in the following b To My Mother In the Name of Past Glory and Present Sorrow I dedicate These Memories and Portraits.