WITH PAPER-KNIFE AND PEN.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1211, 17 May 1895, Page 12

WITH PAPER-KNIFE AND PEN.

“The Tale oe Chloe and Other Stories,” by George Meredith. (London and Melbourne : Ward, Lock and Bowden. Wellington : H. and J. Baillie.) / To the vast majority of readers of fiction, the novels of Mr George Meredith are as the proverbial “caviare to the million.” They are repelled by his intricacy of phraseology, they do not tinderstand his numerous, and often very laboured epigrams, and his plots, often so vague as to be incomprehensible even to Meredithian devotees, affright thein by their occasional incoherency. And yet there is a Meredith cult, a band of admirers, ever increasing, so we are told, who swear by the author of ' “ The Ordeal of Richard Feverel ” and “Diana of the Crossways” just as fervently as Dickens’ worshippers swear by “ Bqz " the Great and Thackerayites by the creator of “Esmond.” Frankly, we make personal admission that, emboldened now and again by seme more than usually enthusiastic eulogy of his works by English literary critics of standing, we - have “had another go” at a Meredith novel; but, with all the good will in the world, with all the ardent desire to worship at a shrine before which so many cultivated readers willingly prostrate themselves, we'have hitherto utterly failed to appreciate Mr Meredith’s alleged genius. It has appeared to us that when he has a good, plain story to tell, often interesting in its maib'incidents, he wilfully covers it up with a -mass of strained metaphor, far-fetched epigram, or attempt at epigram, and a laboured and complicated phraseology. To chase His real meaning through sentences in which one out-of-the-way expression is constantly jostling another, and, to use a colonial colloquialism, “bailing up” the reader, making him puzzle his brain to get at the real meaning, is so tiresome a task for the seeker after the gist of the thing that he gets quite bewildered, and gives it up in despair. Such at least has been our own experience of Mr Meredith up to the present, and when the other day we received a volume of collected stories by his pen from Messrs Ward, Lock and Bowden, we ate fain to confess that we gave a shrug of something like dismay at having to go through a prpspectively wearisome ordeal. Having said all this, let us now add that in the opening story, “A Tale of Chloe,” we found a really delightful little episode related with a grace, a reticence, a distinction, which so thoroughly charmed us that we quite cheerfully contemplate a systematic series of excursions into Meredith during the winter evenings now upon us. The “ Tale of Chloe ” is but very slight in plot, a mere incident of fashionable life at Bath in the good old days of that once famous arbiter of fashion, Beau Nash, but the charm of the story lies in the telling of it. It is true there are not wanting many evidences of that literary affectation,

of that putting on of the garb of the literary precieux, which has so often repelled us in Mr Meredith’s previous work, but there is such a sweet pathos in this short story of a rascally adventurer's “ love passages ” with two women that we feel inclined to make penance, as it were, for any old distaste for its author’s work, and avow ourselves, for IVio fnfiirp at. lftnsf. flip most; devoted of Mflt‘e-

dithian worshippers. Of society at the famous old watering-place Mr Meredith gives some very happy little sketches —the periwigged dandies, with their brocaded coats and elegant lace ruffles, the gallant dames of high degree, tricked out in silks and satins, laces and furbelows of the most modish style, the water drinking at The Wells and the liqueur “nipping” in the antechambers of the Assembly Rooms, where the Beau himself led the revels and

had his own Draconian laws of etiquette; even the gambling at “Pharoah” and other then fashionable foregoers of the modern poker and baccarat —all are hit off with satiric touches; but it is the purely human interest of the tale, the sacrifice made by poor Chloe to save her young friend from the peril of dishonour, which is the chief attraction. “ Chloe " herself is a most lovable woman, and one grieves for her end, which is tragic. Beau Beamish ' Beau Nash in a new guise) is altogether delightful, and the silly little Duchess of Dewlap is, with i all her silliness, a most charming little personage. There are two other stories in the volume, “ The House on the Beach,” and “ The Case of General Ople and Lady Camper.” In neither of these, however, can we

find anything to justify the chorus of unqualified praise in which many of the English papers have recently indulged. “The Tale of Chloe” is, beside its neighbours, as a pure white flawless diamond to some feebly glittering paste. The book is well printed on excellent paper, and—this is a thoughtful thing for its publishers to have done —is bound in the same style as the library edition of Mr Meredith's other works, an edition which is issued by Messrs Chapman and Hall, and to which the volume under notice can now be added. - - “ Strikes, Labour Questions and Other Economic Dieficulties,” by A. W. Johnston, M.A. (London: Bliss, Sands and Foster.)

This is a very well written and, to the political student, very useful little work. “A Short Treatise of Political Economy” is its sub-title, and not often do we find so ordinarily abstruse a subject dealt with in so readable a manner. The author has an excellent grasp «f many of the more difficult problems now presenting themselves for study, and, if possible, for solution by the political and social reformer, and in the course of some 120 pages he contrives to place the more important of these problems very lucidly before the reader. The chapters entitled “Labour and Capital,” “ Services and Monopolies,” and “ Wages,” contain a vast amount of carefully compiled information presented in a brief compass and of considerable service to the political student. Mr Johnston is an ardent single taxer, and although we may not altogether see eye to eye with him as to the remedies he would invoke for the evils at present afflicting humanity through the unequal distribution of the “ leisure, pleasure and treasure of this life,” as Mr Massingham recently put it in the London Daily Chronicle, we can heartily sympathise with his well meant effort to find a satisfactory solution of the many grave problems of political and social life. The chapter on “ Australian Credit” should be read by all who take an interest in politics, but Mr Johnson is, we think, rather too hard on the labour party in attributing to them the larger share of the responsibility for the loan policies of the past, and the disastrous results of squandering the borrowed millions on unreproductive public works. Whatever the differences of opinion which may arise between the readers and the author of this useful little, book (differences arising from the various standpoints from which the problems discussed may be viewed) a perusal of Mr Johnston’s little volume will conduce to a much better understanding of many ques tions upon which there is at present much wild theory and wilder talk. F<~r the author’s industry and lucidity we have nothing but praise. He has produced a modest but extremely valuable work, which we trust may enjoy a wide circulation. SOME MAGAZINES. The April number of the sumptuouslyprinted and beautifully-illustrated Pall Mall Magazine is to hand, and contains a rich stock of entertaining and instructive literature. The frontispiece is a photogravure reproduction of one of Van Ostade's pictures—a very good example of the Flemish school—and there are several handsome full-page illustrations of a very high order of artistic merit. A fox-hunting scene, one of a series now appearing in this magazine, is full of life, and some illustrations by a rising young artist, Mr H. Granville Fell, are suggestive of alceeu appreciation of Mr Albert Moore’s graceful female studies. The serial story is supplied by Mr Rider Haggard—not here altogether at his best, however —and there is a very weird, Poe-like short story, “Huguenin's Wife,” by M. P. Shiel, which will enthrall the attention of the most careless reader. Out of a host of general and descriptive articles, we like best “ Yachting in France,” an account of a trip along French rivers and canals; and Mr Norman Gale has a very graceful pastoral poem, “A Fine Musician.” Amongst other contributors are Messrs Walter Besant, Alfred Austin, and the Countess of Cork and Orrery; and Mr Zangwill's “Without Prejudice” (the best of all “current gossip” columns) makes, as usual, very delightful reading. The Pall Mall Magazine should have a very large sale in the colonies. It is an excellent shilling’s-worth. An old acquaintance, and one always welcome, is Chamber s' Journal, the April number of which is also to hand. Chambers’ has always been noted for its excellent serial stories, and when we mention that Mr Anthony Hope, of “Prisoner of

' Zenda” fame, and Mr Gilbert Parker con- | tribute the two continued stories now ! running, it will be seen that Chambers’ is thoroughly up-to-date, and secures the best fiction to be got. Amongst the general • articles we notice a gossippy and very readable article on “ The Humours of the House of Commons,” whilst travel, science, art and literature are all well represented. Chambers’ Journal is still conservative enough to eschew the aid of illustrations, but its budget of reading matter is so liberal as to quantity and so satisfactory as to quality as to make it one of the best of all the cheaper-priced magazines. From Messrs Waid, Lock and Bowden, Ltd., we have received the April number of their new venture, the Windsor Magazine, to which allusion has previously been made in this column. The number before us well maintains -the standard oc literary and artistic finish set in the opening part, and the Windsor must prove a very formidable rival to its numerous competitors for the sixpences of the great army of magazine readers. The serial stories by Messrs Guy Boothby and H. S. Merriman are con-

tinued, Mr Boothby's novel especially promising well. Mr Morrison gives another chronicle of the detective genius of “ Martin Hewitt, Investigator,” a first cousin to our old friend “ Sherlock Holmes,” and there are several short stories and general articles of more than average merit. The illustrations are admirable, and the special features, “ Talks upon Home Topics,” by Mrs Humphreys (the well-known “ Madge” of Truth) and Mr Gleeson White’s “Home Gossip,” both appeal to the fair sex. We can strongly recommend the Windsor to our country readers. C.W.

BOOKS RECEIVED. We have received from the publishers, through Messrs S. and W. Mackay, Lambton quay, the following volumes of Macmillan’s Colonial Library:—“ The Ralstons,” by. . F.; Marion~Crawford; “ Sibylla,” by Sir H. S. Cunningham; “ Seething Days,” by Caroline C. Holroyd ; “In the Lion's Mouth,” by Eleanor C. Price; “ Chapters from Some Memories,” by Anne Thackeray Ritchie; and “ Far from the Madding Crowd,” by Thomas Hardy. The above will be noticed as soon as space will permit.