THE BOOKSHELF.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20508, 8 March 1930, Page 8 (Supplement)

THE BOOKSHELF.

A JOLLY JACK JAR.

BLUE-JACKETS IN WARTIME.

There have been hosts of competent scribes to record the doings of our soldiers during the war. The Army was given over to " amateurs," among whom were many professional writers who have made life in the trenches an open book to landlubbers. The Navy, however, retained its professional status almost intact. Such outside help as it accepted was confined to special services, such as-mine-sweeping, which remained outside the routine and discipline of the rest of tho fleet. Consequently the only men with sufficient knowledgo to give ail account of the daily life of the Navy in wartime were either more or less inarticulate men of action, or men so steeped in navy lore that they could not get the proper perspective of an outsider. What was wanted was the seemingly impossible one of an " inside" view of an " outsider." But the nearly impossible has fortunately happened. " Three Rows of lape, by A. Trystan Edwards, described as a " Social Study of the Lower Deck," is written by an English Public school and University boy who, rejected from the Army as physically unfit, had tho good fortune by a littlo pressure in the right' quarters to bo accepted by tho Navy, and served for threo anci a-half years as a bluejacket. It is not primarily a war book, though there is plenty of fighting, for the Great War is hard to keep out. But it is the bluejacket himself, his daily tasks, his manners, his tastes, philosophy and outlook on life, that is the subject of tho book. | Mr. Edwards obviously enjoys his experiences. Ho was fortunate to join a " happy" ship, but he opines that most si lips aro happy. He grew to be a wholesouled admirer and advocate of navy discipline, which in its happy mean between a judicious restraint and a wise freedom imposes rules which must always exist in a commonwealth, without stunting tho development of personality. The book witli its pleasant stories of open-minded sailors who over-stayed their leave and could not tell whether they belonged to the " Yarmouth," stationed at Weymouth, or the " Weymouth" stationed at Yarmouth, is a "light-hearted record of life below .decks, and radiates the spirit of the Fleet. •• Three Rows of Tape," by* A. Trystan Edwards. (Heineraann.) " SHEPHERDS IN SACKCLOTH." THE RULE OF RITUAL. Sheila Kaye-Smith is the latest English author to change her faith. She and her husband, an Anglican clergyman,, have recently embraced tho Roman Catholic religion. Her new novel, " Shepherds in Sackcloth," shows a preoccupation with religious questions, but no bitterness. Rather it holds up what is claimed to be the folly of ritual, and tho undue import--anco given to it. compared with living things. Tho chief character, a dear old clergyman with a surprising streak of obstinacy and strength in his make-up, aided and abetted by his devoted wife, will sacrifice many of his ideals to the material welfare of his Church, but there is a point beyond which neither august bishops nor wealthy parishioners can drive him. He takes his stand and fights all the world on behalf of his parish, and his parishioners love and support hi in because they seo it pleases him to minister to them, but they have not tho least appreciation of what the point is. Contrasting with his gentlo strength is the vigorous confidence of two young people, which vet holds a fatal vein of weakness. These two, niece of the manor, with gipsy blood in her veins, and an'ardent young chapel preacher, set out to explore life with high expectations, but it plays thorn false at the first encounter. Miss Kayo-Smith is always disposed toward the grim and sombre. " Shepherds in Sackcloth," ttough lacking tho epic quality of " Sussex Ciorse," is a minor tragedy told with engaging sympathy. " Shepherds in Sackcloth," by Sheila Kaye-Smith. (Cassell.) FOUNDER OF LYCEUM CLUBS. CONSTANCE SMEDLEY'S CAREER, Constance Smedley, who was the founder of Lyceum Clubs and also of the Greenleaf Theatre, has. published her biography and reminiscences under tho title " Crusaders." Originally an artist with musical tendencies, she began to write plays almost by accident, and thus by .deduction came to her true vocation as a writer of novels. Her club activities naturally brought her in contact with all the notable women of the day, and equally naturally made her an ardent feminist. It is impossible here to give any idea of the famous people whose friendship or acquaintance she enjoyed; in fact her book, in its endeavour to leave nono out, tends to become almost a catalogue at times. Some of those with whom sho was on intimate terms were tho < Lo Galliennes, Mrs. Patrick Campbell, Sir Charles Wyndham, Kenneth Graham, the Phillip Snowdens, May Sinclair, Ruth St. Denis, and by no means least, Maxwell Armfiekl, who happens to be her husband. The meeting with Robert Barr was rather amusing. Miss Smedley had written him « somewhat pert letter, offer* ing to edit his Idler's Club and put soma sparkle into it. Quito naturally, Robert Barr was annoyed with this unknown youngster, but soon after, happening to read her " An April Princess," he took a hansom round to her rooms and eight stories from her and also allowed her to have her way with his Idler's Club column. In the latter she was quite unsuccessful. There are encounters with Shaw, Wells, artists, actors; in fact tho book is a kind of vade mecum of artistic London and America. " Crusaders." tlie reminiscences of Constance Smedley. (Duckworth.)