SUNDRY PUBLICATIONS

New Zealand Times, Volume LXXI, Issue 4289, 23 February 1901, Page 1 (Supplement)

SUNDRY PUBLICATIONS

TKe best thing, perhaps, in, the “Argosy” for January—certainly that which will interest Australasian readers most—is the “Letter to Jack Cornstalk," by r Henry Lawson. In this we have som'o fresh and entertaining discourses on Lbndon sights, as they appear to Australian eyes. Take as a sample the following on St. Paul’s: —“I’ve seen buildings, in Australia and elsewhere, of less than half the size of St. Paul’s, which look much more imposing—the Hotel Australia in Sydney, for instance, or the Yankee insurance offices next the G.P.0.; but then in one case we have unbroken height, and in the other fresh clean granite and freestone work. In the guide-book pictures St. Paul’s stands out complete —as in guide - book pictures of most buildings in the world. There is an atmosphere suggestive of wide spaces—of asphalt walks and gardens running out a mile or two in any direction. This is one of the apparently useless lies of civilisation—but I suppose it’s born of commercialism, like most other lies —a little branch lie cf commercialism. You don’t see much of St. Paul’s in London—it is so crowded by buildings nearly as grimy and dingy as itself. A coat of soot round the lower part of the building hides the fine or graceful lines which may be in the stone work and throws the columnswhich should stand out clean and defined—flat against the inner wall: also it reduces tho height of the building. The upper half of the building is a dirty, rain-washed white, and the soot is washed in streaks down over the ledges. T remember a black cliff in a corner of the ccast in New Zealand, with a cave in it and a round tussock hill on the top ; on the upper ledges of the cliff millions of sea birds were in the habit of roosting. St. Paul’s, from a little distance, reminds me of that cliff. A Londoner tells me that he’ll go past St. Paul’s every day for nine days and see nothing in it. but on tho tenth day he’ll look up and have a feeling. I suppose when I go back to Sydney and seo the General Post Office or the Town Hall, I’ll have a feeling too — because of many things;

but üboii 1 was in Sydney I passed those buildings nearly every day for years, the only feeling 1 had was one of resentment, called up by tho vicinity of a cheap restaurant in which I dill a six months’ perish in other and braver years. English home people are remarkable fur their invulnerable common- ■ ' vise, hut they allow the appearance of an awful lot of senseless idolatry in Loudon. And worse —there is in London a fashionable dog graveyard—headstones and ail complete—and on one of these headstones tho fashionable bereaved one expresses a hope that she’ll meet her darling in heaven. But I didn't mean to touch on that; I’m not ready for it yet. Such thing., excite me. The interior of St. Paul’s does not impress me ; it suggests to me an imitation of tho interior of some older and larger building which I haven’t seen yet. Tim statuary, of white marble, is so smoked that it suggests at, once cheap plaster casts coated with grey or stone-coloured paint to preserve and keep them together. This after the pure white marble in Sydney gardens.” After some particularly candid criticism of individual statues in the Groat Cathedral, wo have tho following characteristic passage : “The stone angel business has been 1 carried to a sickening extent in St. Paul’s. If it were not so concerthallv, and thus beneath contempt, I would call it —well. Jack, I would call it blasphemy' and you know I’m no saint. To see everywhere crude angels in stone in senseless attendance on stone gods supposed to represent dead heroes who wore only lucky to be leaders, who wore no braver than thousands who fought under them and some of whom were greater cowards in domestic life than tho majority.—as our friend tho shearer’s cook at Come-by-Chance station used to say% ‘There’s more money and sympathy wasted over dead an’ rotten humbugs than there isi common jusiiee done to straight, honest - living men.’ It’s the way of all the world, and all time—Make gods of the (lend : crucify tho living.” The letter quoted from is one of a series that should prove of groat interest. The other contents of the “Argosy” arc all excellent in their way.

There are several articles of particular interest in February’s "Pall Mall Magazine.” “Hooliganism” is a subject upon which Mr Arthur Morrison, author of “Tales of Mean Streets,” etc., discourses learnedly. Firstly, ho says that ‘Too much pother is made over what ih’o newspapers call ‘Hooliganism,’ but when he warms to his subject he is earnestly persuasive of the fact that “the Hooligan” is a personage to he feared, and held at arm’s length by society. Mr Morrison wants “Hooligan” whipflogged, because lip, .asserts the latter “bolds the whip in healthy fear,” He (Mr Morrison) regrets that at his suggestion "the sentimentalist lifts up his voice and blithers. . . for it is our modern way to meet crime with indul. pence, and wo have cockered the Brute for years. . . hut indeed it is xho influence of the sentiraentlist, if it is anything, that has enabled the Hooligan to disport so freely in our midst of late.” Mr Morrison’s article is inconsistent, and advocates “brutality for brutality.” Nevertheless it is interesting. Other articles which especially claim attention are “The Life of a War Correspondent,” bv “Smiler” Hales—to whom it appears that the day a newspaper man receives his commission as a war correspondent he has “won the Victoria. Cross of journalism”—and “A rcrsonal Reminiscence of Sir Arthur Sullivan,” by George Grossmith.

Wn have received from Messrs Angus and Robertson and 00., of 89, Casttercagh street, Sydnev, a brochure on “The Metric System of AVeights and Measures and Decimal Coinage,” designed !for the use of upper classes in primary schools and others who may desire to become acquainted with the principles of the metric system of weights and measures. The system is now in “use in all the countries of Europe, with the exception of Great Britain and Russia. The Imperial Parliament in 1898 legalised its use within the United Kingdom, but has not yet made the. system compulsorv. There is no doubt, however, that it will presently come into universal use : therefore, it is well that tho mastering of its principles should form a part not only of the hoy at school, but of tho up-to-date man of business.

A further copy is to hand of “The Picture Shakespeare.” an admirable, illustrated, cloth-bound tolumo. especially adanted for encouraging youthful minds to the study of the great master. For the purposes of the edition, both texts and notes have been ve-ised by practical teachers, in order to secure entire suitability for class use, and particularly for the needs of those reading for college examinations. An admirable compilation of onotations at the end of the book facilitates the mastery by students of characteristic expressions now out of date, hut minus which Shakespeare would be robbed of ranch of his charm. The volume, which is published by Messrs Blackie and Son for one shilling, is exceedingly well printed, and no more suitable publication could he placed in the hands of a studious and intellectual child or .-junior student. The illustrations are admirable.

A further instalment of “Class Books of Geography” are to hand, published by Messrs Blackie and Son. Ltd.. London. We are not enanroured of the issue. The information contained therein is scrappy, and brevity is sometimes secured at the expense of absolute accurracy. As an auxiliary to a. system of “cram,” the “Class Books” referred to would be admirable, hut students would get _ more real, reliable information about this colony. for instance, even from New Zealand guide books.

Blackie’s Modern Language series has been enriched by an addition of M. F. .Th’ion, of King Edward’s School. Five Wavs, Birmingham, under the title of “Parlons Francais.” The ambitious effort of the author is to convey to the pupil by means of, a multitude of examples a speaking knowledge of French language. His theory is that “words, plenty of words : sentences used and practised affirmatively, negatively, interrogatively. must enable pnnils in a short time to read and write ; drill will prepare the ear to he a good introduction to conversation.” The hook has been written in support of the theory that “instead of beginning with the grammar the language should be learned as an infant

learns to talk.” In the hands of a pupil under the tutorship of an accomplished linguist, “Parlous Francais” would probably advance a pupil in proficiency both as a speaker and writer of French quicker than the ordinary books of instruction. I or the single-handed student it would bo an immense help in the mastery_ of tho simpler forms of the language, but would probably lead him into pitiable pitfalls in regardAo pronunciation. To the ambitious, cautious student, bent on selfeducation, the publication will come as a help and an inspiration. It can be purchased, eloth-bound, for 2s 6d.

From tho same publishers comes a little booklet containing a short story, “Tumangs,” by Prosper Nerimee, edited for the use of French students by Mr JE. Micholl, M.A., Ph. D., Corpus Christi College, Oxfo.-d. It is published foils 6d, and is provided with notes and vocabulary as an appendix, so as to assist tho student in assimilating with case the idioms and the information contained therein. It’s publication will bo hailed with pleasure by those anxious to obtain a nodding acquaintance with the language.

Now that “war is in the air” and volunteering on the up-grade, a number of publications which are leaving the printing establishment of Messrs Gale and Poldcn, Ltd., of Paternoster Row, Loudon, E.C., and Aldershot, cannot fail to command attention. “Soldiers’ Training and other Notes,” by Major H. do Bert liovoll, of tho Worchoster Regiment (author of “Soldiers’ Shooting”) published in cloth for 2s nett—post free to any' part of tho world —is the most comprehensive of the series. It is full of information as an egg of meat, and gives instruction on every phage of drill instruction likely to be of use in modern warfare. It is certainly a publication winch should be in the hands of every conscientious soldier, either amateur or professional. To tho street-corner general it would, of course, be invaluable. Wo cannot too highly recommend it. Accompanying it, and from the same publishers, arc informing brochures on “Skirmishing Made Easy,” by Major B. Witherby, and “Practical Bayonet Fighting,” by F. B. Forester (champion swordsman ‘of the British Army) procurable for sixpence each.