WITH PAPER-KNIFE AND PEN.

New Zealand Times, Volume LVII, Issue 2543, 22 June 1895, Page 1 (Supplement)

WITH PAPER-KNIFE AND PEN.

“ Silcote of Silcotes,” by Henry Kingsley. (Melbourne; Ward, Lock and Bowden, Lid. Wellington: H. and J. Baillie, Cuba street.) Tho possessor of the complete set of the new edition of the lute Henry Kingsley’s novels, now being published by Messrs Ward, Lock and Bowden, will be able to make a very handsome addition to the contents of his bookshelves, for in point of typography and comeliness of outward dress the edition marks quite an era in the publishing world, especially when the modest price of tho volumes is taken into consideration. Those three well-established favourites, “Geoffrey Hatulyn," “The Hillyars and tho Burtons," and “ Ravenshoe," have already been noticed in these columns, and we now havo to acknowledge the receipt of that less known but powerful novel, “ Silcote of Silcotes." It is too late in the day to detail one of Henry Kingsley’s plots in full: suffice it here to say, for the benefit of those who do nob yet know the story, that it deals largely with English country life, and also, at a later stage, with tho Frcnch-Austriau war in Northern Italy. Like " Ravenshoe," to which it bears more resemblance than to either of the two Australian stories, “ Silcot© of Silcotes" is ono long and delightful gallery of firmly-etched portraits. No one lias drawn the typical English lad so well 1 as Henry Kingsley, and hero, again, as in "Ravenshoe," we havo some delightful specimens thereof. The character of the book, however, is tho Dark Squiro of Silcotes, a portrait which is not to be bettered in much English fiction that has been more generally popular than Henry Kingsley’s. There is tragedy and comedy in tho story, and it is difficult to say which is the better done. Not so great a book as "Ravenshoe," never to be so popular as “ Geoffrey Hamlyn," " Silcoto of Silcotes " is, nevertheless, worth a skelf-ful of the slipshod, pretentious stuff put forth in such enormous quantities by English novelists of the present day. We havo said it before, we say it again—no colonial library should be without a set of this most desirable edition of an author whoso merit never received full justice in his own day, but who must surely be enrolled by all who read him amongst the princes of storytelling.

“A Pastoral Played Out,” by Mary L. Pendered. Hciimomaun’s Colonial Library. (London; William Hcinncmann.) Mr Heinnemann is certainly a lucky publisher. He has brought out several new writers of lato, and although not a few of the volumes in his now-familiar scarletcovered Colonial Library are “daring” to such an extent as would give poor Mrs Grundy the proverbial “fits,” they contain a vast amount of far more than ordinary talent. A few weeks ago we noticed “A Daughter of This World” as a remarkably original and striking, if somewhat unpleasant, story, and much the same verdict w© would pass upon Mrs Pendered’s “Pastoral Played Out.” The title is somewhat mis leading, for tho ruin of an innocent country girl by a dramatic author and “man about town ” can scarcely bo held to be a truly “pastoral” incident on tho scanty ground that it takes place in a village instead of a city. This, however, is by tho way. The story is that of Gylda Mariold, a bright and handsome girl, who lives with her grandmother in a village whence comes one Conway Etheredge, dramatic author, for rest after a surfeit of city toil and pleasure. Playing at love ends in tho real thing, and tho poor little moth, singed by the wings of the wily, gay and handsome town butterfly, falls a victim in the old, old, sad style, and goes-away to live with Etheredge .as his mistress Mrs Etheredge in everything (so she thinks) but the name. After a time comes the inevitable corrollary. The man tires of hia plaything, leaving her to go to Paris, where, being made frantic love to by an American young dame of fabulous wealth — the widow of a Russian prince—he forgets his poor Gylda and marries tho fair Princess, Katrovna. Gylda, upon hearing the news, goes up to London with a faithful servant, studies for, appears and makes a huge success on the stage, dabbling also a little in literature. But Etheredge does not love his wife, and when he meets again with Gylda both ho and the latter fall in love again. She appears in one of his plays, and finally, to escape from her own weakness—for she feels she is in danger again—goes to America on tour. Meanwhile, Mrs Etheredge, who trifles a little with something like theosophy, goes to India—partly for health, partly, perhaps, to seek consolation from one of those mysterious being, the Mahatmas. She now fully realises that her husband does not love her, and eventually writes releasing him from the marriage bond, and practically counselling him to make another alliance, lawful or otherwise she is apparently indifferent with Gylda, whom she evidently recognises as what Artemus Ward called “ his affinity.” Tho story ends with tho meeting of Etheredge and Gylda, the confession by the latter that she deliberately killed tho fruit of their first union, and the reader is finally made to understand that they once again embark on tho perilous sea of “free contract.” A sad story, all this, but relieved by much really brilliant writing and clever humour. Gylda’s friend in London, a lady journalist, is a most amusing creation, and a dissipated peer, Lord Newbury, is an excellent bit of character drawing. The moral of the book we shall not discuss at any length. Aj>parently, Mrs Pendered’s motto as regards the sexual relationships between man and woman is “ Fay cc que vouldras ,” but what would become of society were her principles in any very general adoption we do not care to speculate. vVe may say, in conclusion, that “A Pastoral Played Out” is decidedly not a book for “sweet sixteen.” Mrs Grundy would, no doubt, call it “ shocking,” but it is, perhaps, precisely because of this that other people will be eager to read it. Whatever its faults, it is assuredly not a dull book.

“ The Adventures of Harry Richmond,” by George Meredith. Bell’s Colonial Library. “Short Studies in Great Subjects,” by J. L. Froudo. Longman’s Colonial Library. (Melbourne : Geo, Robertson and Co. Wellington : W. and J. Baillie, Cuba street.) The Colonial Editions, now so numerous, should prove a great boon to the reader whose purse is none too plentifully garnished. Hero wo have Messrs 801 l giving us George Meredith’s “ Harry Richmond ” for 2s 6d, whereas hitherto Mr Meredith’s novels have generally come under the 6s list. Other volumes of Mr Meredith’s novels are, we notice, to appear in the samo cheap and handsome form, and will no doubt have a large sale. Messrs Longmans send us the concluding volume of “Short Studies in Great Subjects,” by the late J. L. Froude. The contents arc nob perhaps quite so generally interesting as those of the preceding volumes, but Mr Fronde’s study of “ Tho Life and Times of Thomas Beckett” is a notable contribution. to early English history, and whatever be our opinions as to his political prejudice and bias, every one is agreed in admiration of the deceased historian’s delightful style. SOME MAGAZINES. Scribners’ Monthly; The Ludgate Illustrated Magazine; and Current Literature. (Wellington: H. and J. Baillie, Cuba street.) An Australasian edition is now published of that old-established American magazine, Scribners’ Monthly, Messrs H. and J. .Baillie are the Wellington agents, and we have to thank them for a copy of the May issue, a perusal of the contents of which shows us }bat neither in its artistic or literaryfeatures does Scribners* exhibit any falling off from its old and high standard of general excellence. The fact that tho two serial stories now running through its pages are by Mrs Humphrey Ward and Mr George Meredith’s Is proof that Scribners* gives its readers tho very best fiction to be procured. There are two admirable short complete stories, one, bearing the curious title of “The Martyrdom of John the Baptist,” being a quaint and pathetic little sketch much in the style of Bret Harte’s earlier work. “Golf” is the subject of a capital article by Mr Henry Howland, and scientific and artistic subjects also receive attention. Perhaps the most interesting feature of the issue is a copiously’ illustrated article on “ French Posters and Book Covers ” Of late, both in Paris and London, leading- -kayo lent their aid to the rescue of tho ordinary poster from the thralldom of ugly commonplace, and have elevated tho “ Art of the Streets ” to quite a high standard of picturesque beauty, Mr Henry S. Marks, the English painter.

was, we believe, the first to do an artistic poster, and in Paris the practice is now quite common, with tho result that the street walks are enlivened and beautified with pictorial advertisements which are veritable works of art. Of such works the article in question treats at some length. The new Scribner is decidedly an excellent shilling’s worth.

The Ludgatc Illustrated Monthly is a bright little sixpenny magazine, much on the lines of the Strand and English Illustrated, There is no serial story, but each issue is complete in itself. The on© before us contains some very readable articles, some of which are remarkably well illustrated. The best is a description of Newnham College, the Cambridge prototype of the Oxford Girton, Tho life of the lady " undergrad" is described with a facile pen, and the illustrations add much to the interest of what is a most interesting article. Another descriptive article deals with "Lloyds," the famous meeting place of the London marine insurance fraternity, and in tho City of London quite the next place of note after the Stock Exchange. “John Strang© Winter” contributes a complete story, and there is a good account of the process of tobacco manufacture. “ Whispers from Woman’s World," “ Dramatic Notes," both liberally illustrated, and " Notions from an Easy Chair," make up a very good number. Current Literature is an American magazine to which Messrs Baillio havo introduced us. We are distinctly grateful for the introduction. Current Literature is, on a wider and better plan, much what Mr Stead originally claimed his Review of Revictvs would be, namely, an eclectic compendium of Hie best articles in tho leading magazines and reviews of England and America. Unfortunately, Mr Stead is the most erratic of men, and the Review of Reviews, though still in its way an admirable monthly, now too freely represents its editor’s hysterical notions on politics and society, too liberally mirrors bis devotion to the fad of tho moment—Theosophy, The Latest Quack Cure for Cancer, Spookism, Ac., Ac., to havo room for the full carrying out of its original plan. In Ctirrcnt Literature there are, thank goodness, no editorial remarks, but there are nearly pages of articles, verbatim or condensed, from practically every English and American weekly or monthly magazine or review of any reputation. Not only this, but both paper and print are excellent, and the selection of the matter presented exhibits a cosmopolitanism, an eclecticism which is altogether just what is needed in such a publication. Wo can cordially recommend Current Literature as being the best thing of its kind we havo seon. All sections of |tho magazine literature of the day are represented, political, social, economical, scientific, poetry and fiction, and the manner of arrangement is altogether admirable. C.W." in tho N.Z. Mail.