WITH PAPER-KNIFE AND PEN.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1260, 23 April 1896, Page 12

WITH PAPER-KNIFE AND PEN.

‘ Sonnets,” by William Gay. (Published by the author, at Bendigo, Victoria.)

A slim little volume this, in its modest yet tasteful paper covers, but the contents, if not remarkable in (juantity, display both poetic power ;tnd grace on the part of the author. Mr Gay has for many years been the inmate of a sickroom, and under those circumstances it is not unnatural that his sonnets should for the most part run in a minor key. The range is limited, but within the limitations are many merits, a grace, a sweetness and a striking happiness of phrase being shown throughout. 'The spirit of courage and faith is strongly exemplified in a beautiful sonnet now quoted — Vestigia Nut la Eeteoksum.

0 sleep and rugged Life, whose harsh ascent Slopes blindly upward through the bitter night! They say that on thy summit, high in light, Sweet rest awaits the climber, travel spent; But l, alas, with dusty gannoms rent, With fainting heart and failing limbs and Sight, Can see no glimmer of the sinning height, And vainly list, with body forward bent, To catch athwart the gloom one wandering note Of those glad anthems which (they say) are sung When one emerges from the mists below. But though, 0 Life, thy summit be remote And all thy stony path villi darkness hung, Yet cccr upward through the night I go. There is a sonorous .stateliness, too, in a lino sonnet on Australia, which is agreeably reminiscent of Mr William Watson. Thus — Australia, 1891. She sit? a queen whom none shall dare despoil, Her crown the sun, her guard the vigilant sea, And round her throne are gathered, stalwart, free, A people proud, yet stooping to the soil, Patient to swell her greatness with their foil, And swift lo leave, should dire occasion be. The mine, the Hock, the store, flic furrowed Ira, An 1 force the invader lo a dark recoil. - Vi ta - she oVr (lie plains that lie Fiuitful. air,lit her thr-me she ,ighs fid! To .-ce the barriers Greed lias budded high, Dividing them who brother-! were before, Wiien it.dl they d'.',ell, beneath u sterner j... Ati'l heard Lie thunder.-: of a wilder shore. We should like to see Mr (i,poems have a good sale, especially as tlm ciicmnstances of the author are such as to render the financial success of his modest venture of no small importance to him. “The Imperial Aliium of New Zealand Scenery” (published by the New Zealand Scenery Publishing Co). Through the courtesy of Messrs McKee and Gamble, the 'Wellington representatives of the publishers, we have received ail advance proof copy of part i. of the above publication, which is to be issued fortnightly, and will be complete in 1 wenty-lour parts. The part before us contains sixteen really superb views of New Zealand scenery, executed by Messrs McKee and Gamble from photographs taken specially for the Album by (be well-known firm of Wheel"!’ and Bon, Christchurch. We can honestly compliment the engravers upon having turned out in this part the finest half-tone work yet achieved in the Colony, The softness and clearness of the various pictures leave nothing to lie desired. In the part before us tire views of Christchurch (Cathedral Square), Napier, Lyttelton, Port Chalmers, the Itimutuku, the Waimakaviri Gorge Bridge, the lleathcote Valley, others representing well known scenes on the West Coast of the South Island, and others again in Otago, If tho

standard of artistic excellence attained in the first number of tho series is kept up throughout tho Imperial Album will be the most handsome and useful pictorial guide to this Colony that lias yet been published. The price of single parts is eighteenpenee; if taken by the series, one shilling. L’iiotographers and engravers alike are to be complimented upon the result of their joint labours.

The Minster Magazine for February. (Wellington: 11. and J. Baillio.) A magazine which gives no less than 18S pages for the small sum of sixpence (eightpenco is the price of the Minster in the colonies) is wonderfully good value—that is, of course, if the contents are not rubbish. The literary features of the Minster, outside tv story by Mr Gilbert Parker and a gossipp.v article on “ Poets I Have Known,” by Mr J. Ashcroft Noble, tiro not remarkably brilliant, but we cannot too highly praise the excellent black and white work contributed by Messrs "Waltor W ilson, KI., Bernard Partridge, Dudley Hardy, Rub Sauber, Max Cowper, A. B. Wenzel 1 and other prominent young artists of the day. The Minster editor avows his belief that people are tired of photographs in the magazines, and expresses an intention to encourage good original black and white work - —a laudable determination, to which we trust ho will remain true, if future numbers of his magazine contain so many admirable sketches as (hies the one before us. Tho Minster deals in light—some of it very light—reading only, and those who go to their monthly magazine mainly for amusement will find in this particular publication exactly what they want.

A number of book notices are held over