WITH PAPER-KNIFE AND PEN

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1440, 5 October 1899, Page 22

WITH PAPER-KNIFE AND PEN

T.-TI Coventry," "Rosine," and '"Sister Louise," by G. J. JVhyteMelviiie. London and Melbourne: • v* ard, Lock and Cd. ; Wellington : vt hitcombe and Tomos. lll.—"John King's Question Class,'' by Charles &*• Sheldon. ■ London: Wis. Keinernar.n. IV.—MAdrian Rome," by '-Ernest Dawson gnd Arthur Moore. (Methuen's . Colonial Lib-r&jry). . Melbourne: George Robertson and Co.; Wellington : Whittaker Brothers.

The new illustrated edition of Whyte-Melville'-s novels, now being published by Messrs AVard, Lock and Co., is deserving of liberal patronage by lovers of good, wholesome fiction, presented in handsome print and binding. The two latest volumes to reach us contain respectively, "Kate Coventry" and two stories of old France, "Rosine" and B -'Sister Louise." "Kate Coventry" (I.) purports to be the autobiography of a- spirited, handsome, sport-loving country girl, who flirts and hunts with equal zest and who, after trilling with a "detrimental," is lucky enough to discover his true character, and settles down happily with her faithful cousin John. The story is simplicity itself as to plot, and is chiefly remarkable for its amusing portrait sketches taken from country society, the .racecourse and the hunting field. It is written with a vivacity which never flags, and is not without value as a series of pictures of S-nglish society,of thirty years asp. A breeay and healthy, "if not particularly brilliant, novel, it has been a favourite with 'WLyte-Meiyille's readers. In its new and attractive get up it should attract a fresh -host of. admirer's. * The illustrations', by Miss Lucy Kernp are so good that our only regret is that there are so few of them. Miss Welch's horses are always delightful. (Price, 2s 6d paper; 3s 6d clcth).

In "Rosin©" and "Sister Louise" (II.), Y/hyte-Melville challenges comparisons with- Dumas. "Rosine" is the story of a French peasant lass, who with her lover Pierre Legros, comes up to Paris to escape" the unwelcome attentions of a profligate marquis, Arnold de Montarbas. "The period is that immediately preceding the Revo nitron, and once in Paris wo are introduced to a throng of more or'loss historical characters and incidents. De Montarbas, detected cheating at cards .at the Tuileries, is disgraced Rnd turns citoyen and revolutionist, iinding an admirer and ally in a handsome termagant, La Wolverine, whose mother, "Mother Redcap/' is a bloodthirsty "B.ed," a true forerunner of the petroleuses of the Commune. The marquis still pursues Rosine, but she escapes the evil fate to which he had 'destined her, and finds refuge with Marie Antoinette, at Versailles, where she marries her peasant lover. De Montarbas, denounced as a traitor, is killed by the revolutionary leader, Santerre, but not before La;Wolverine has received one of the : bullets intended for her ""companion. The stormy scenes at Versailles and in

Paris afford plenty of material for exciting incidents, and the story is decidedly readable. 'SisterLouise" .i 5..., a; well written and pathetic study, of the career of Louise de la Vaiiiere, who became the mistress of Louis the Fourteenth. "She is.'pictured.-by;-the-; : nQ.ye]J3t:;a§ haying a -most ardent and sincere affection for the King, who, after her Duchess de Vaujour, tires of her pretty face of. her, lamentations over:- her ■■hsbo.y/ and neglects her for the intriguing^-piquainte Athenee de Mortemar, afterwards Marquise ae Montespan, who, it will be remembered, was, . in her turn, cast aside - for the elderly "Widow Scarron," famous in history as Madame de Maintenon. The story is well told, the novelist esm biting considerable ingenuity in" the plan by which Athenee gradually wheedles herself "* into the King's favour, and usurps the place.of Door*Louise. The latter retires to a. convent, and Lhe of her repentance and expiation is told with much graceful pathos. Of course Whyte Melville's story owes union to Dumas' "Vieomte de Bragelomie" ;..w9 have De. Gulches, De Brissac, and even the great Fouquet himself introduced, but although the story is cleverly done, we prefer our Dumas undiluted. The illustrations, by G. Jaeomb Hood, are excellent. (.Price, 2s 6d in paper; Ss 6d in cloth).

The enormous popularity which has been achieved by Mr Charles M. Shelden's semi-religious stories, "In His Steps" arid others,, or which, there being no copyright in force, so many cheap editions have been published, has no doubt induced the author to write "John King's Question Ciass" (III.), a copy of the authorised English edition, which is sent us by Mr William Heinemann, a publisher whose name is generally associated with "sex-problem" and other of a character totally different from Mr Sheldon's effusions. The "New Sheldon" is built largely on the old and now familiar lines. The hero and* 'heroine are Victor and Victoria Stanwbod, twin children of great musical ability, the yotxth possessing a tenor voice of surpassing "purity and power, the girl being a violinist of a high order of merit. The father, a professional musician, is a coniirmed drunkard, and whnst Victoria- has a noble character, being self-sacrificing, sincere,..modest, and a Christian, the son is vain, extravagant and dissipated. Victor comes to ruin through gambling, and sinks lower and lower in the social scale until he commits a crime and serves three years in the penitentiary. Taken by the hand by John King, the pastor of the church at which he had first sung, he reforms for a while, but eventually goes to Europe, falls again into dissipated habits, and becomes an outcast and once more a criminal. Meanwhile Victoria has become a great violinist, and earns a splendid income. She marries well, and is able to- furnish a refuge for her errant brother, who returns to America a hopeless paralytic. The story takes its title- from the "question c'ass," .held every Saturday at uie- ministers house, at which the younger members of the church assemble and seek counsel as to the roliqious and social difficulties which assail them during their daily life. Much ci: tne advica given is of a healthy, truly Christian character, although here and vthere are traces of the same impossible Quixotism and resistance upon evil h\ really innocent things which Mr. Sheldon nut forth in some of his earlier books. The story is ; what might be called "improving" in character, and will doubtless maintain the writer's reputation with his own particular' public. Price, 2s.

Some three or four years Messrs Ernest Dow son and Arthur Moore collaborated in writing a very clever novel, entitled "A Comedy of The same authors have hardiy fulfilled, in their new story, "Adrian Rome" (IV.) the promise discerned by English critics in their earlier work. The hero is a young man of good family, who, upon leaving Oxford, at tne age of 22, is heir to an immense fortune. Possessing wealth and leisure in which to indulge his literary and artistic tastes he has apparently everything that can make him happy. He publishes a volume of verse which is recognised as being something much above the output of the average "minor poet" : a play too, of which he is the author, is also a success. Unfortunately he marries the wrong woman. In his youthful days, when under a tutor in a country village, ho has certain "love passages" with a pretty girl, Sylvia Drew, the daughter of the local postmistress. When Adrian goes to Oxford there has been a. naif declaration on his part, but the girl, although loving him, fully appreciates the difference in their respective social positions, and there is no formal engagement. Once launched into juondon society, the memories of Sylvia's pretty face fade away, and Rome marries a haughty, cold beauty, Marion Brabant. The pair have wealth, youth and good looks, but they are not happy. "The htisband is devoted to his writing, the wife is anxious for society triumphs, Adrian's literary and artistic tastes find no responsive echo • in Marion, and the husband chafes under what he feels to be her deadening influence. There are moods, and differences and disagreements, and without openly avowed separation, husband and wife drift apart. Sylvia comes up to London and goes on the stage. Adrian sees her, and his old love returns. The girl is distraught with love on the one side, and on the otner a desire to escape from evil. Finally Adrian asks her to join him on his yacht. The girl agrees. He goes to Southampton and awaits her- She repents and writes to

say she will not come. Again changing her mind, she goes, only ..to Jfi,nd the dead body "of her lover ; before Adrian had been drowned in trying to save the lite of his drunken sailing master. The story, which ends so miserably,; has jts lighter .side.; Corbyn, a college* chum," who becomes a theatrical critic and theatrical manager, is a capital" arid the theatrical scenes- are evidently drawn from life. Lord "Henry Minaret,- Marion's cousin, is also a success, and some minor characters show careful study. The general result, however, is disappointing. If true to life Adrian is a sad example of the misery which can tome from an undue development of wnat is, known as the artistic temperament, and his wife; although not a little tried by her husband's fads and foibles, mighthave exhibited a trifle more patience. (Price, 2s 6d ..paper-; 8s 6d cloth).