BOOK NOTICES.

New Zealand Times, Volume LXXI, Issue 4319, 30 March 1901, Page 1 (Supplement)

BOOK NOTICES.

NEW BOOKS AND NEW EDITIONS "A Tragedy of Errors,” by Geraldine Hodgson. London; George Allen. This is a simple little tale, with a healthy tone, and tho obvious moral that only those who understand children should bo placed over them. The Griselda of the story is a lovable child, but her aspirations and affections are distorted under the stern and unbending rule of a maiden aunt, who has Puritanical notions as to the upbringing of children, and acts on the principle that they should bo ruled by fear rather than by love. The characters in the book are admirably drawn, but the incidents are not well grouped, and here and there a tendency to exaggerate displays itself.

‘Long’s Colonial Library.” Four volumes.

Four volumes comprising tho latest additions to the series of copyright books now being published for colonial readers by J. Long, Chandos street, London, have reached us. They are of the usual class of domestic fiction circulated during the last year or two from tho same source, all are of an entertaining character and particularly well printed.

“The Way Out,” by C. B. Burgin, author of “The Bread of Tears” is perhaps the best of the four, and deals with its subject matter (the reclamation of a well-bred English ne’er-do-well) in sympathetic though forceful style. The scene is laid in Canada where, through, the unreasoning impetuosity of Deacon. Hartopp, his daughter Delia is forced into a marriage with one William Cuthbert Peniston-i’oeli, the drunken heir to a baronetcy. The necessity for the wedding is brought about by Delia’s mother in this way: The young Englishman in escaping from justice on a charge of murder is befriended by the occasionslly-sane Mrs Hartopp, who, after making tho escapee drunk on rye whisky, locks him, unwittingly, in a room occupied by Delia as a bedroom. Delia wakes up eventually- and finding the intruder in a stornuous slumber screams for help, though why she does not get out of. the window is not explained. Up rushes the Deason with a revolver, awakens the unconscious guest and insists upon the pair being married right away in order to conserve Delia’s “honour.” All this is, of course, very hackneyed and inartistic, and savours much of melodrama, but tho story is well told in spite of imperfections in construction. Eventually the young couple are driven into a loveless <md never-to-be-consummated marriage by the infuriated deacon. The bridegroom, stricken with remorse, becomes a total abstainer without delay, and proceeds to seek “a way out” by working at a sawmill, where by the way he is generally regarded as an inoffensive lunatic. In the meantime Delia spends her time nursing the man she loves, he having been previously injured by the fire-eat-ing progenitor of the young lady. Mr Peniston-Poell having worked many gallons of alcohol out of his system while toiling with, mighty logs at the sawmill, comes to recognise that he is the only obstacle to Delia’s happiness. Were she a widow then she could marry the other fellow! Having arrived at this conclusion he sends to England for a famous surgeon, who at once operates on Delia’s lover andi restores him to health. Then the self-denying Britisher digs a grave near his hut in the forest and commits suicide in a state of complete sanity, to the unutterable grief of a half-bred damsel who had fallen violently in love with him. Thus ends tho story which, it will be seen, is brimful of incident, and leaving aside the author's tendency to exaggerate, it may be said that ho has cleverly reproduced in the guise of fiction a narrative of what, given a weak-minded hero, may occur in any of the colonies. In the same series comes “I’d Crowns Resign,” by J. jsxacLaren Cobban; a pleasantly told story of the loves of “Prince Hermann, heir apparent to the Crown of Boeotia,” and the daughter of Colonel Herries-Hay. a retired British officer. The authors work dices not make any pretence at originality of plot, dialogue or situation, except in one instance, where he finds it necessary for the development of the story that the Chancellor of Boeotia should make a personal appeal to Queen Victoria at Balmoral, with a view to enlisting her Majesty’s assistance in preventing a marriage between the Prince and a commoner’s daughter. With this exception there is but little exaggeration in the book, tho chapters of which follow one another in orderly sequence and in simple language. Prinoo Her. manii, while spending a holiday in the Highlands of Scotland, decides on renouncing his claim to the throne of Boeotia in order to wed Miss Herries-Hay. His friends and relatives are, on the con. trary, determined that he shall not do so, and the young lady’s father—an admirably drawn character, looks with misgiving on the Prince’s wooing, with a paternal anxiety that may well be understood. However, his Highness carries out his intention, renounces the succession, and the Count von Augeinar retires with the maiden of his choice far from the white light that beats upon a throne. All this makes up a interesting story, which may be heartily recommended for its simplicity. Mrs Henry Dudoney’s collection of short stories, styled “Mon of Marlowe’s,” are couched in a dismal view throughout. Some of the stories are well devised, but all are indifferently finished. The short story is not yet overdone as some writers aver, but it must be handled by a master in order to be effective. Of Mr Fergus Hume’s “Traitor in London” it may at once be said with’ entire and cheerful confidence that of all the dreadful books that have been published since the outbreak of the Boer War his is the most dreadful. It is made up of melodramatic rubbish from beginning to end, and while in the early stages of the struggle it may have achieved a vogue amongst those persons whose gospel is that of the sensational halfpenny “newspapers” of London, at the present time it can only be written down as being the very dreg* of the hasty slops poured out by publishers since tho invasion of Natal.,

“The Ace of Spades,” by R. Andre. London.: Ward, Lock and Co. Wel-

lington : S. and W. Maokay. This novel .will appeal to many tastes, but not to all. The material out of which it is constructed Is of the QimsL

ost. A lunatic murders his warder, and, with a fine affectation of sanity, wanders at large, and makes things distinctly interesting for quite a variety of people. The chapters which deal with the iunaatic’s impersonation of a young man whom he has previously drugged in a railway train, and whose place he takes in a professor’s household is splendidly told by the author, and makes excellent material for reading aloud in home circles, but there are -other chapter.-. especially the opening one—which are the poorest journalese, and it is antipathy to these which will deprive an otherwise enjoyable novel of many read, ers.

OTHER PUBLICATIPNS. '‘The Empire Review” (Macmillan and Co., London). The first number of the first volume of this now review is before us.‘ It is being edited’ by Mr C. Kinloch Cooke. The “Review” has been founded, as its name implies, to foster unity, and provide a special platform for the discussion, by recognised authorities, of raattars concerning that great estate in which every subject of the King possesses a life interest. The first issue deals with a variety of subjects of an Imperial character, and the contributors include such well-known authorities as the Duke of Devonshire, Sir Charles Dilke, Lord Brassey, Sir Herbert Jerm: ;;ham and the Hon., W. P. Reeves, who writes of New Zealand’s attitude towards tho Australian. Commonwealth. “Tho Empire Review” is. to be a practical organ of Imperial . opinion. The Imperial aspect ef the Empire has never been sufficiently grasped. >lt has required a war to bring home to, us the living reality of those territories, great and small, painted red on the map of the universe. It is the fostering of a practical unification of the Empire that the “Review” aims at, and it ought to be successful.

“Agricultural Economist” (Agricultural and Horticultural Association, Limited; 92, Long Acre, London, W.C-) This journal enters upon a new series with the opening month of the now century. Assisted by a number of departmental editors, it is admirably edited by Mr Edward Owen Greening, who has enlarged its scope, illustrated its pages, and added many new topics to a monthly publication of interest to all farmers and gardeners.

Tlie March number of the “Pall Mall Magazine” is altogether a very acceptable publication. Its principal contents are a poem by the Duke of Argyll on the death of the Queen, and a biographical sketch of Her late Majesty by the Right Hon. Sir Herbert Maxwell, MP. This paper, entitled, “Victoria, the Well-Be-loved,” is well written and beautifully illustrated. One of the most admirable features ol the current nuramy of “Pail Mall” is a character study of Pope Leo XIII., by. Vicomto de Voque,,who treats his subiect in a sympathetic • manner. j.he Pope ” the writer romr.ite’in conclusion, "nas genius, but he has .also goodness, which is far better.” This paper is also admirably illustrated. An important interview with ex-President Kruger is also published in the “Pall Mall.” , In this study of Oom Paul, Mrs Emil Luden gives a sympathetic impression of her hero. Paul Kruger is, m one passage, represented as weeping over “die Band,” and calling aloud how for arbitration. “Will no one arbitrate? We may have done wrongly. . . We declared this war; but our hands were forced —wo‘can prove it! Let someone judge/’ Then again, as if recovering from his temporary contrition, he exclaims: “In the end we shall win. Be sure of it we shall win.” Mrs Laden a powerful pen and ink sketch of what historians will agree is a great, though misguided man, who buried his- countrymen asainst Great Britain, to their extinction. Thd magazine is, in other respects, worthy of its predecessors.