NEW BOOKS AND NEW EDITIONS.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1618, 4 March 1903, Page 29

NEW BOOKS AND NEW EDITIONS.

“The Founding of Fortunes.” by Jane Barlow Methuen and Co., London. Whit-combo and Tombs, Wellington. Tins novel is divided into three books —“Of Transfers,” ' “Of Evictions” and “Of Purchases.” and then “The Colophon,” or finishing chapter. It depicts in vivid colours the squalid misery and struggle for existence that some of the poor 3 lrish folk have to endure in the little villages of Port Maguire and Glenore where the “pitaty throve miserably on the bleak stony soil and the fish seldom caught on account of the rough coast.” The characters are all well drawn, especially of Tim Galvin, whoso fortune was founded by his stealing from a little boy—Bernard Conroy —all his father’s well-earned savings. Bernard and his sister Delia had arrived at Port Maguire with their father to stay with relatives, but Bernard, not caring for the place, resolved to save up and return to Aberglavany, whence they had come. Seeing his father's money lying on the table he took it. intending to tako two pounds and return tho rest whcii Tim Galvin lie!pod himself to the lot and forced Bernard to swear secre-cv. Tim thereupon disappeared and eventually became a millionaire through his ill-gotten gains. In contrast to this there is a Mr Hanmer who devoted his fortune to the building up and helping of his poor tenants to the disgust of his poor relations, who expected his fortune, and also of some wealthy land owners, who did not approve of the tenants’ being made better off and given more comfort. Trie book is well written and tho delineation of Irish character is excellent.

“Uncle Charles,” by John Strange Winter. George Bell and Sons, London. Whitcombe and Tombs, Wellington.

This is a quiet domestic tale o” interest and some entertainment. It opens with a garden party at a lunatic asylum at which the hero, a painter named Alan Forbes, and the niece of Uncle Charles and Auntie, Miss Alison Granger, mistake one another for lunatics and end by falling in love with one another. This is very pretty, but there is much better to ccine. Their love-making is delicate and pretty, and the authoress knows hoiv to brighten her pages with gleams of humour. The way these two young people set out to furnish their home with a limited sum, and having spent all their money on furniture bargains find themselves without blankets, bed-line,n and cooking utensils is capitally told. But the genuine and clear old Auntie dies, the artist nearly loses bis eye-sight and a baby is born. Uncle Charles goes to live with Alan and Alison and good times come to them, for he being wealthy pays for everything and takes them a trip to the Continent, where Mrs Deverenx is suspected of having matrimonial designs upon “Uncle,” but she is keeping off an American adventuress and marrying herself to an old lover; everything ends well. There is nothing of an exciting character in this story, but it is all pleasantly told, and the characters are admirably drawn. Indeed, the portrait of Uncle Charles is limned with the touch of a master hand.

“Life, The Interpreter,” by Phyllis Bottc-me. Longmans, Green and Co., Patnernoster Row, London. Whitcombe and Tombs, Wellington.

The title of this story of the career of Muriel Dallerton is against it. It is not nearly as mystical or profound as its name would make it appear to be. Tired of fashionable city life, Muriel devotes herself —her talents and her money—to useful and philanthropic work in the slums of London. ’ The reader cannot but appreciate the selfsacrifice displayed by this attractive young woman, and one is induced to take a sympathetic interest in all her ways. Her life is not without some trials, and her soldier lover did not deserve so sweet a woman, intimately she is wedded to a doctor who is also interested in her work and the end of this tale is as pleasant for Miss Dallerton as one could wish. The book may not be the work of a finished or expert artist, but it is altogether meritorious.

“Jessie Vaudeleur,” by Ethel Colburn Mayne. George Bell, London. Whit combe and Tombs, Wellington.

Since “The Clearer Vision’’ appeared, its readers have expected an interesting character study from the same pen and they will not be disappointed when they turn to peruse the career of a strongwilled, passionate young English woman, Jessie Vandeleur. At the time the story opens Jessie is engaged to be married to Hugo Grantley, and when his career was fixed —and it was nearly so, would marry him. Hugo was secretary to Lord Rutledge, a Widdlcombe magnate, of public men most promising, sure of something some day. These two —Jessie and Hugo—had been tiny play-

mates, school girl and school boy, maiden and young man. They had known each other all their lives lives full of unmeaning intimacies. But Hugo had a sister, Ella, who tired of Jessie, and Jessie tired of Ella and they grew cold, and although their mothers rebuked thorn, they were spirited and hooded it not. Thus the paths of tho pair began to sever, and Jessie, -who could not pretend, heard “the destinies changing horses” when her uncle died and left her a fortune and a London house. Hugo is a manly fellow, and by no means poor, but Jessie displays spirit, is beautiful and lavishly dressed. Sho conics into contact with a painter named l>eyncourt-, and although sho regards him with affection he treats her with indifference, thinking sho is only a milliner’s doll. Hugo meantime has gone to Africa, where he dies. Jessie writes a book that takes the world by storm and Deyncourt is captivated by its power and the genius it displays. Thus a far-famed beauty writes a book to prove her ability to the man sho loved and thereby win him to herself. There is more in tho book than all this, but of its merit as a literary effort, and of tho cleverness of tho dialogue the reader must read and learn for him* self.

“The School for Saints.” By John Oliver Hobbes. London: T. Fisher Vnwin, 11, Paternoster Buildings. Whitcombe and Tombs, Wellington.

The cheap edition of tills oiiarmtng novel —the book that, first reveal id to the world Mrs Craigic’s full powers—has for some years been out of print, and tho present sixpenny reprint by Mr Fisher Unwin will be welcomed by many hundreds of readers. In this work the romantic element is ingeniously interwoven with the historical and political, and the interest never tags. Tho pourtrayal cf the personality of Lord B-eaconsfield will appeal to all interested in that brilliant statesman’s career.

“Tho Secret of tho Cross ; or, How Did Christ Atone?” By J. Gamier. London: Elliott Stock, 62, Paternoster Row, E.C. S. and W. Mackay, Wellington.

This is a theological disquisition, but couched in popular language and sold at a popular price. Its seventeen chapters, occupying 250 pages, are devoted to an examination into the real nature «.f the Atonement, based upon Scriptural statements, of its object and the manner in which it was intended to save men fiom sin. The author’s aim is to remove the doubts and difficulties which pcip’fcx the minds of many. In setting out to perform this task he necessarily lias to show that “the doctrine of Atonement, as at present accepted, is without any real influence, while it utterly fails to attract tho masses.” Not only so, but ho holds, that Christianity itself has practically become a spent force. “In Protestant Britain,” he says, “although the Bible is a household book, and its words have become so familiar that they aro daily quoted in every form of literature, the influence of Christianity seems to be rapidly waning, and it is freely confessed and lamented by the most earnest advocates of evangelical religion that the numbers of their followers, as compared with the increase of population, are steadily diminishing.” The reason of this, the writer holds, is that true Christianity is overlaid by false teaching. Those interested in the vital problem propounded may peruse with profit the theories of Mr Gamier, which aro reasonable, and are advanced with Mi earnestness and - with an evident desire to settle men’s doubts and advance the cause of Christianity.

“A Lons Vigil.” By F. Jenner Taylor. T. Fisher Unwin, London. Whitcomb e and Tombs, Wellington.

This is altogether a remarkable story. As a story it is simple, but a strange and scarcely-to-be-understood character is introduced under the name of St. John the Apostle. The scene is the present day, and the other characters are all up-to-date. It is the representation of the apostle that fills the hook and overawes all others, the reader included. By miraoulous ways ho influences the liero, Gordon Pole, to do things contrary to his natural judgment, and although Pole is guided in a way ho naturally protests against pursuing the influence of St. John ever directs him and the Apostle’s presence stimulates him to do the right. Pole’s case is, it is inferred, the experience of every average sinner ■with a disposition to evil as well as at times a desire to do good. Several modern questions are discussed by Pole and St. John. The weakness of the churches and their apparent inefficiency are discoursed upon at some length, while treatise on anarchy, “a fungus of decay, ■’ -a “cultivated spirit of revolt against power, is one of the ablest deliverances we have yet read. The moral reformer and the clergyman will find much to contemplate upon in this work, but the average reader will find some of its pages somewhat dull. The book, however, is out of the ordinary arid on that account possesses an attractiveness peculiar to itself*