A LITERARY CORNER

New Zealand Times, Volume XXX, Issue 6450, 22 February 1908, Page 12

A LITERARY CORNER

ORIGINAL AND SELECTED MATTER.

WRITERS AND READERS

(By "Libor.'')

Lib- of JanK*.H Thomson, by (X. C. Mnnaubiv. is shortly to lx> added to Macmillan's "English Men of LctUu-s" **■*. ion. I cont't«rt that it is hut rarely that I take down th«» throo little volume* ,f “The Seasons and OHior X’ocnm," utiicli, ";niorm-d with cuts.” gather duH on a lop -iieif in my little "l J wls’ Corner. ' Tin; second Tli'miton, who also iiad James as his ‘‘iron!-name/’ and who flTol< 4 that stately hut dreadfully x >oSc, m n.islic poem. "Tho City of Dreadful \i"ht ” is lo my mind, much morn ih /7. rving of a l*laee on Messrs Mac m.illan's roll of honour than tin* first pol of that name. I wonder whether Mr Maeanlay will includo a good old anecdote of Jamie Thomson —Jamie tho liiM -which was told by ihe cvcr-gos-cj,j>py Mr BirrclJ in his pleasant chat, "Book-binding," in hits "Essays on Men, Women, and Looks." Tho anecdote is worth disinterring afresh for those (me foi t;uiifUe-s) wlio have not in their spare time go no "Birrfiling," ns the now accorded phrase hatli it. So hero it is:

There is an anecdote of tho ing<mi<rur» author of "Tho Seasons/' “Rahi Britannia." and other excellent pieces, that when ho bent a woII-Jxjujkl cojiy of his poems to his father, who had always regarded him. not altogether unjustly, as a ‘“focklosa loon," that canny Scot handled tho volume with unfeigned doliglil, and believing that his son had bound it, cried out admiringly, •“Who would have thought our Jamie oould have done the like of this." i Tho views oxpre<*Jed by tho second ' Jamo> Thomson wouhl. I fear, have greatly shocked Jam os tho older. Tor many years Ulo former was a follower of Charles Brndlaugh. 11.0 had a stormy life all through- He was in early life an Army schoolmaster, but drifted into all noH« of occupations. lie was a lawyer's ekrrk, a mining agent, and a war correspondent of a newspaper with tho Carlistfi. But his violent opposition to most accepted political and religious views, j>thl a temipor winch even a sympathetic kiocrupheii’ admitted was "intractable tana morose," were serious stumbling blocks to success. Then came drink, and wirso than drink, in the shcupoqf chloral, and one day, after visiting bis friend, -tho blind poet, Philip Bourke Marston, bo broke a blood vessel and dud—in 1882. Many of his were written under the signature, 13. V. The initials show for •*'.Bysshe Vauolis. "Bysshe' was' taken, from Shelley, whom poor Thomson greatly admired, and "Vanolis" was an anagram of Novalie.

Hia bes t m pooms arc “The City of Dreadful Night" and “’lnsomnia"—both terribly morbid in toms but bo had a lighter vein, of which “Sunday up the Rivor" and “Sunday at Hampstead" were fairly typical products. Air Bertram Dobell's edition of .Thomson's .collected books won for the unhappy poet a host of new admirers, but I am afnrd tho ferocity of some of his views on social pioblcms will drive away many a reader in -sheer horror. As compared with the Thomson of ‘‘The Seasons" the micdikl Thomson was incomparably tho greater writer.

Sine a the above paragraphs wore writion a friend, who, is, like myself, a admirer of certain of “B.V/s" -in>, has lent mo a copy of the “New Voj k .Vat ion" (the “Athenaeum" of Amo* rica.i for December 381 h, 1007, in which thorn i-s a Jong and excellent article on Th nisou and his literary career. The writer, who signs himself “P.E.AL,” give- .-0010 very interesting details a© to Thomsons early life as a garrison schoolmaster. lie says that Thomson was iirst stationed at iiallineollig, in the county of Cork, and it was there where he first made the acquaintance of Bradlaugh. the Radical politician and' freethinker. who was then a private in the regiment to which Thomson was attached. Thomson mot at Ballincollig a fair and frail young girl of fourteen named Matilda Weller. . . . “Always dressed in white she seemed to move like a shadow through all sorts of places without contracting n stain." Though little more than a child at tho time she was betrothed to Thomson when, after & your and a half, bo returned to tho Ghcieea. Normal School, and in another eix months he received the news of her death. Years afterwards lie sent six sonnets, not intended for publication, to his old paxrison headmaster, Afr Barnes, and in one of them referred to this bitter bereavement: Indeed you oot mo in a happy place. Dear for itself and dearer much for yon. And dearest still for one life crowning grace— Dearest, though infinitely saddest, too; Pot there my own Good Angel took my hand, , And filled my soul with glory of her eyes, And iod mo through the love-lit Faerie ] Loud Which joins our common world to Paradise, ( How soon, how soon, God called her from my side. Back to her own celestial sphere of dav! And over since she ceased to be mv Guide, I reel and stumble on life's solemn way; Ah. ever since her eyes .withdrew their light, I wander, lost in blackest stormy night. After leaving the Chelsea school a second time, being then scarcely twenty years of ago, he was enlisted as army, schoolmaster, and served at a number of poets, “(pumping muddy information into unroteirtive sieved." Then he went up to London, again, having been discharged because he would not give up tho name of tho actual culprit in an offence against camp discipline. He stayed for a time with Bradlaugh, and for ten or twelve years contributed to the “National Reformer,” for which he wrote some of his best work, including “Tho City of Dreadful Night," which appeared in four consecutive issues. His ovrclo of acquaintance included some well-known name*? in literature. He corresponded, wo are told by “P.E.M.," with W. AI. Rossetti (1). G. Rossetti's brother;, while George Eliot, George Meredith, tho Brownings, and other choice i-pirits recognised his genius, and wrote to him in language of encouraging flattery. In 1872 hq visited America, and the next year went to Snaiii as .special oorrespondont for the “New York World/' Tho drink demon got a stronger hold on him as the years went by, and tho closing ©cones of his life wore sad indeed.

Tho writer in the “Nation" says: Hie last years were the tragedy of n great spirit hunted down and ashamed. There were kind friends who sought him for his brilliant conversation, and magnamimity; he bud always tho more intimate friond-

ship of books; but hit* life ns a whole was, as ho noted in his diary, 4‘obscure, dismal, bewildered, and melancholy. The stanzas written on his forty-ecvcnth birthday havo the same note of final and irretrievable hopelessness aa “Tho Nameless One/ 1 of Clarence Mangon. It is said that hia

hist months wore "a slit, suicide perceived and my,uimed <HiV.-iaU L j„ by him*, if." Oh, the pity of it I

The S’fiiifl to the "*'it\ of Drmiclful NiMH” ]M the nocm "To Mur Ladies ol I><;* fh‘ wriilea in Dm ,-ame M.vr-n line rdanzii. of whirl iiiom-ou wrs buck a roim.::mi.;.te ma.-lm. The only cluing., is 1 1m- >ij b-t i! utiom oi a single fur a doubh- rhyme in llm coupb-l, redi.»Mj c tho lyrical clangour of i he rhythm to .c inoio contemplative charm. The hh-.i was hUgsp.bted, a.- Tbom-ou records, by tho sublime sideihood -1 Mur Ladies of Sorrow, in f he "Su.-piria d<« XHufumlis ’ of Be Cuimx-y, fur Ahe liner SorroAVes we now have tiie three concepf.iomi of Death—Mur LaUj of Bealiludus the graci'-us mother, on whom the bioken and dare not call; iJur Lady ol Anaijiilalion, who aw'aiUs with her scourge "the ft.elli.-di fatuoie-, proud and pitile.-o"; and lastly, Our Lady of Oblivion, \\ ho gathers to her breast ‘‘the weak, tho weary, and the, d<rolat<‘." and to whom the wanderer in the "City of Night" makes hie* plea: Take me, and hill mu into perfect sleep; Down, down, far-hidden in thy duskiest

cavo; While all tho clamorous y carts above n\e WCC’p Unheard, or like the voice of seas that Un far-oif coasts, but murmuring o’er my trance, A dim v«e»t monotone, that shall enhance Tho restful rapture of tho inviolate grave-. Finally, as to James Thomson tho Kcoud. James Thomson "LLV,," a brief bibliographical note may be of practical value to those who desiro to make closer acquaintance with his verse. His "Comiplete Poetical Works" are published by B. Dobell, London, in two volumes, at Lis fd but .for tho ordinary reader who will be satisfied with a election only X would recommend Mr DobolXs edition "The City of Dreadful Night and Miher Booms," the price of which is only Js (kl. Thomson also wrote some very fine prose, and lus "Biographical and Critical Studies" are to be had. from the same publisher, in one volume at Us. This volume contains Thomson «s Essays on Shelley, Browning, ivaixdais. Saint Amant, Ben Jenson, William Blake, and o tliors.

Ale.-ficrs “English Hen of Letters" series has now a young but, 1 .-Uouki say, very formidable rival in “The Literwy Lives" series which, under tho general editorship of Robertson Nicoll, the editor of “Tho Bookman” and “Tho British Weekly," is published by Ilodder and Stoughton. The price is Js Gd. as against tho modest half-crown, ‘of the “Aieji of Letters," but the volumes are beautifully printed, and contain photogravure portraits and other ilh.sti alii n.-.. The volumes which have already appeared arc “Charlotte Bronte," by Clement Shorter; “Ernest Kenan," by Dr W. Barry; “Sir Walter Scott.” by Andrew Lang; “Matthew Arnold,” by G. W. E. Kusreli; “Newman,” by Dr Barry; “John Banyan," by the author of “Mark Rutherford”; and “Coventry Patmore,” by Edmund Uotwc. Uf these. Air Shorter's “Charlotte Bronte,” Hr Russell's “Matthew Arnold, " and Air Gbaso's “Coventry Patmore," are far the best. Air Lung’s “Scoti” i found very disappointing, almost us disappointing as Professor Raleigh’s “Snakcspeure’' (published a year or so ago in Messrs Alacmillau's series,), but both, were highly praised in leading English reviews. To the ‘’Literary Elves” series is now being added a monograph on “Hendrik Ibsen,” by Edmund Gosse. Air Win, Archer is usually regarded as the greatest English exponent of Ibsen's curious philosophy of life, but Air Uo?sc, who is tkaiidmaviau by dtocout, Kao uico written much on Ibsen, and his new book should bo worth purchasing

Not a few people have strongly recommended me to read "The Lady of tho Decoration," a book which has created, it is said, quite a record in American publishing. At Chrisimas lime the sale m New Aork alone *is said to have readied 15,000 copies a week, and the book has also “caught on” m England, which is not always the case with books which make a big hit acres* the Atlantic.

Airs Humphrey Ward's new story “The Testing of Diana Alallory" is b.ung- published as a serial in Harper’s Mo.Uiily. iTom a casual dipping I gather that it deals largely with life in ait English country village. There is a priggish parson who already promisee to develop into one uf Airs Ward’s bast characters. The illustrations by W. LLatlierell, R. J.. are excellent, and all the more welcome in that they arc not printed in the smudgy glaring teokmiA' iso objecLionaily prominent in so many American magazines. Talking about Ha r por'd I rejoice to notice in its -programme'’ for RK)B the following statement: “Harper© Alagaziuo i;o ';.d©. It will print nothing about politics, crime, graft, or other subjects of a purely timely or controversial interest." It has often occurred to me that the man with tho muck-rake te iar 100 much to tho front in many American magazines, and, to me at least, tho announcement ju»t quoted is very welcome.

In the January issue of tho ‘'Century* is the first instalment of a now serial story by Dr V. S. Weir Mitchell, whose “Hugh Wynne, Quaker," was such an excellent novel. The title is “The Red City," a. story of the Second Administration of Washington. Dr Mitchell is head and shoulders above the groat juck of American novelists of to-day, and yet I do not often, see hie name in tho lists of “best sellers.* Tho naivete with which certain American journals (and, of late, so I am sotry to see, English journals also) which print lists of ‘toest Boilers" ceera to draw tho conclusion that these “best sellers" must necessarily be tho “best written" would ho amusing wore it not positively pathetic. To across tho literary merit of a novel, or indeed of any class of book by its sale, is verily childish. If Thackeray were living to-day and say “Esmond" came out as a new book, I have no donbt that in a list of “best sellers" it would be very low down, whereas the garish melodrama of a Hnll Cain.*> or the ineffable rubbish produced by a Corelli might ho found challenging each other for first place. But that would not prove that the Caine and Corelli off unions wore bettor books than “Esmond." And yot deductions of this nature are quite frequently put forward. and apparently in nil seriousness by American and English magazines and journals whose editors ought to know and must know much better.

T?ie “Autobiography of ‘Walter Omne.” the artist Socialist who has done so much to populoxtsc “Arts and Craft*?” in England, should be good reading judging bv the extracts given in some of the English papers. “'An Artist's Reminiscences” is the title. Mr Crane once met Tennyson at a dinner party at the Eev. Stopford Brooke’s and the .noet related the company by reading his “Ballad of the Ploet.” Mr Crane describes the scene: He read it in his deep, impressive voice, in a way which reminded me of his own. description, in. the “Morto d’ Arthur” of how the poet Everard Hall (who may havo boon himisein — “Bend mouthing out hia hollow o’s and a’s. Becn-chested music.” When the rending was finished, and when the applause and gratitude of the small audience had subsided, the Laureate growled out: “Yos, and to think that these wretched fellows of the “Nineteenth Century” only gave mo d>3oo for it!” What an anti-climax! Another biographical book which is. I seo. full of good things, is the recently published Diary of William. All high am,

Hie poet wh wife. Mrs Allingharn, paints «vueh charming wafer-coluurs. mostly <n l-hiyli-h n.v,.l -cc.,<-.-y, nnjl n 11 ;r-1 1 i,, fl„. Hirk.-t -t.vic. AUinyii.Liit, in.i n v of irhfrr hosl. por-ms—-of 1 hoiii—-o.ppoiir-oil in tin-, olil ••Cornliili" in Iho 'lay* when 1,..,-lir. Stopin-l, -.vi,,* odilor. >tiO-.-r mo*l of I!|<. ivril. !« of hi- iimo. lli.ii'-. <1 t ns 0.0, lovio-.i-or puls if, 1.0 ha-1 a f-nins for flii :i.!‘-hi|i mol to a lioro-woi-.-hip-,,T 01, (1,0 s„iiio lime. Kwh no. a a* Temivioii, lliov.inn;;. (.orlylr. 110.-etli. Ti,... |;.rrov mill l.’n kin »trc ik-vot-'-l ’<> hi,n, oml unlK-ni. in his ooinpony more Hn.ll Ih, y <ii'i in Ihe pio -o-nrc of <l:eir intimate..-. In lfi-I'J .'.llinp-linm ehl-oiooirs o visit: lo- noil! io I lie fornoiio Cock Tavern in T-'lcol ,t n-ct. the plump ivaiior ill whieii ins in.inoi-taliso-i in one of Ton a Vi-on ’* ix-si known poem*. lie turned out U> be a very pio.-aic peroon. “Are vo a All- T-iinvcon's frit nd r” “Ho rays so sir.” ‘•line lie nfloll hcnll 10-rei-’ ‘•I don't know hi.- npnearnneo at all sir. A stenVlmim miyid l« coininor ere for fwenty year.- witliout rnv knowinjf Iris naine. Thousand* ■ave ask-sl mo the some oml ion. and some won't believe but Unit I know all about if. Tint I don't. I should like In see him—veil' much. I’m fold lie’s breakino. sir. I .should like lo soo him.’’

lint it was many years after that that Tennyson was “hreakinfr." Mr Aiiinirham has nirav c-iiriona storied to tell about Carlyle. Tho anchor of" Karihr Jtes-nrillT' dreamed, in his days of old ap-o and pain of "losini? his , loilu-d and tile like.” and lor six month-- on end. in --M lIKO dreamed of Kecb-fechan. Ca.riyto believed anaesthetics in surgical operation* to he a miißtnkci “The pain is a. naturnl nceoni pen iment and has ils use.’’ AVe cannot all he so philosophical and even this p.-uddcnliu- philosopher lylieved. wo are told, in the virtues of a bine pill.

I hav* rend many books and magazine articles on Disraeli, indeed wore l]q»ro ten new books by Du-mel. in a year I should try and see them all. for "Dizzy’s” personality is most fascinating. T confess, however, .1 have rover vet rood (until I dinned into Air Ailiugham's Diary) that “Dizzy 1 ' over Inokid on the wine when it wns red. Such a end state of things is quite commonly spoken of in •connection with a certain British ex-premier, still living and with a certain member of the present British ministry. But of Disraeli such a charge is new. And yet 1 find Mr Allingham saying: Enter Sir John Simoon with Air Austin Brnco (M.P. for AlerthyrTydvil;. Sir J. presses me to go back to Swai.nston with him. I hesitate, thou agree, and wo walk over tho Downs. Dine eight—they talk of Parliament behind the f-cems. “Dizzy” often vmosus—one evening ho spoke in such a state (keeping hi© legs with much clitlicult.v; that Sir J. S. feared a public scandal, and was in pain for tho credit of the House, (N.B.—Simeon is no scimdal-moug-cf. One swallow docs not make a summer, but here is a statement that Disraeli was “often vinosus." This is “Dizzy” in a new character indeed. Two more biographic© of the recent English publishing season are those of Tom Hood (the elder) and Shirley Brooks, nt one time editor of “Punch." Hood’s biographer is clever Walter Jerrol.d (son of Blanchard Jcrrnld) who edited AfacmiHan’s excellent edition of Thackeray. For a professional fun-mak-er Hood's w/ 5 rather a sad life. He was never in really good health and had a small income and a large family. Ho had got a better standing by 1813.(when in ‘•Punch" (tho Chrit-tmas number) there appeared his famous “Song of tho Shirt." But before that he had written in ‘’Hood's Magazine and Comic Alisorlbvny” “The Bridge of Sighs," which Browning hailed as a poem alone in its generation. Hood war a peir-onal friend of Thackeray, and the year before he died he wrote the following short note which tell© its own story.

Aly dear Thackeray,—l am glad to hear of your ill-health, and sincerely trust that before many days intervene you will have thoroughly recovered. I fear that so far as myself am concerned Ring Death will

claim t mt' er? many months elapse. However, there’s a good time coming if nor. >u this world, assuredly in tho next. Always yours, Tom Hoed.

Poor Hood was only too true a prophet for ho passed away within about ten month© from tho dote he wrote as above, Dickons, Thackeray, Ci'uiksharik being at the graveside. There is a beautiful monument to him in Kensal Green Cemetery. Cowden Clarke's portrait of Hood is quoted by his biographer as follows: His worn pallid look strangely belief l tho effect of jocularity and

Ho punned incessantly but languidly, almost as if unable to think in any other way than, in play aipon words. His smile was attractively sweet; it . bespoke tho affectionate naturod man which his serious versos—those especially addressed to his wife and children—show him to be, and it also revealed the depth of pathos in ids soul that inspired the “Bridge of Sighs'’ and “Eugene Aram." Such a tribute is well worth remembering wheu on© roads “Ben Battle" or any other of the hundred and one delightfully humorous poems that wo owe to Hood's quaint fanby and facile pen. Shirley Brooks, tho “Punch'" editor, was a man of a very different stamp, wolf educated, and never, save through his own. follies, in want of money. Air Layard's biography is much too long, but it contains some good reading and gives. many interesting side-lights on tho history of England’s famous comic periodical. Certainly Air Layard’s book is an, immense improvement upon Sir F. C, Bumaud’s Reminiscences, so dull and full of priggish self conceit, which were published four or five years ago. Brooks first mad© a name on “The Man in the Moon," which appeared in 1874, when “Punch" was only seven years old. Tho “Alan in the Moon" printed a skistch of a man speechless with astonishment, entitled “Portrait of a Gentleman Finding a Joke in Punch." Aloo it offered XSOO reward and a “free pardon" to one of the “Punch" artists if Tie would appear before “The Man in the Aloon" and explain the meaning of the sketch entitled “Horrible Tragedy in Domestic Life." As a matter of fact, though the editors of “The Man in the Moon" did not know it, the artist who drew the picture was Thackeray.

When Mark Lemon died Brooks was offered the editorship of “Punch” in a letter which begun “W© propose to offer you a thousand a year, as editor, and six guineas a week for contributions/’ The letter was signed W.H.B. (Bradbury, of Bradbury and Evans). Seeing that Brooks was very hard up at the time one can. quit© understand hie feeling of jubilation. Brooks wrote one ov two good novels but his chief work was humorous. He waa a good father and ono reads with regret that his two sons, both very clever writers, turned out badly, and died young. Ono Reginald Shirley Brooks was for sometime a member of the “Pink Tn’’ istaff. Shirley Brooke died in harness, in Lis editorial chair at the “Punch’'’ office, just as ho had cracked a joke with a visitor and was in the act of lighting a cigar. He was throughout life good type < f the well educated Bohemian, and although, perhaps, he was in many ways a weak, self-indulgent man., ho had a warm heart for a friend ux distress and of friends impecunious he had always many.

BOOKS.

(By -Liber.”)

“Mafoota.” By Dolf Wyllard (Bell’s Colonial Library). London: Georg© Bell aml S ••»?, Wellington: A\ lutcombi* and Tombs. Limited. “Daring” is an adjective which has more than once been applied to certain scones in Dull Wyllard's stories, and we are fain to confess that two or lime time© in tho course of “Malocta the author deals so openly—shall we say alIlW ,t so courageously —with certain phase© of sexual passion as to render the book somewhat unsuitable lor perusal bv oilier© than adult and worldly u-i*e readers. But fiction cannot always ]*> written virginibus r rankly as wo detest the “Fleshly hcliool of Fiction," and such productions as I !1 / Yoke” and “Cynthia in the \\ ildernes©, wo cannot assent to the theory chat tho novelist should deliberately. ignore suxual passion as a factor in )iie, and let *t bo wild at once ot "Mafoota” at leas... that the moral of Dolf W yllard s stery is noble and in every way admirable. The scene is cast in Jamaica, where tae heroine, a young wife, who has", just cause for a feeling of revolt against her husband, na.-ses three strenuous years ou a cattle station. Hero she becomes acquainted with the terrible influence of the “colour line” in Jamaican life. There is a brief period during which what is almost a flirtation with a “goneunder” Englishman, bids fair to be fraught witu perilous consequences, but tho “detrimental," scourged by the heroine’s bitter denunciation of the immoral life ho had been leading with a native woman —a phase of life considered in no wise abnormal nor improper when viewed in the light of the generally lax morality of up-country life In the island —deliberately sacrifices himself by marriage with his negro mistress, and then virtually commits suicide by drowning his misery in rum. Ellice emerges from the firo of trial a stronger and better woman, and wheu fate at last brings husband and wife together her now clearer understanding of the human soul and its working paves the way for a reconciliation, winch is described with great delicacy and literary grace- The husband, however, is a mere shadow in this story tho main interest of which lice in its fine descriptions of the open air life on tho Mafoota station, the constant intrigues of the negroes and “off colour" servants, and the gradual de•velcpmcnt of Ellice Hillier’s character. The author touche© lightly on the obeah superstitions and rites, which still survive, despite the vigilance of the Government, and incidentally is very isevero upon the general ineptitude displayed, so she asserts—giving some notable instances thereof—by those responsible for the administration of island affairs. The novel has many strongly drawn characters, indeed, save for ELillier himself, who is somewhat unc&nviucins, there is not a weak character in the whole story. A© we have said above, although like all this author's books, the adjective “daring” must again be applied, “Mafoota’' carries with it a fine moral. It marks a distinct advance on the part of its author, and should not be missed by those who like a powerfully told story, possessing an exceptionally novel and picturesque background.

Tho Company's Servant." By B. M. Groker (Fell’s Colonial Library). London: George Bell and Sons. Wellington: AVhitcombe and Tombs, Limited.

Miss Crokor always writes well when her story has an Indian background, and "The Company© {servant, a romance of Southern India." is a meet readable novel, full of local colour and containing quite a number of characters who have evidently been drawn from life. The hero, John Vernon, is a railway guaul at Tani-Kul, an important railway junction in the Madras Presidency, but the leader docs not proceed very far before he discovers Iliac Vernon is no ordinary railway servant. As a matter of fact he is an Englishman of aristocratic birth, who, disliked by his uncle, and accused of a theft of which he was not guilty, is shipped off to tho Capo' as a wastrel and finally finds his way to India, where, like many another man who has “gone under," he enters the service of a railway' company. Ho is a line, honest, temperate fellow, and is immensely and deservedly popular .with all the little circle at Tam-Kul, especially with the ladies, including a very pretty little flirt, a French Eurasian, Rosita Fontaine, to whose blandishments he fall© an easy victim. Rosita's real character is, however, suspected by a queer old fellow, Gojar, the Hindu station yard watchman, who is given to narcotics. Vernon saves Gojar's life one night, and forthwith the eccentric old watchmauV devotion to his benefactor becomes intense. Presently, under very romantic circumstances, Vernon becomes acquainted with a young English lady, Beatrice Armigor, and is invited to spend a holiday up at Simla with an old army friend, who lias discovered his long lost chum to be identical with the modest-mannered, handsome young guard. At Simla all sorts of complications occur, not the least notable 001115: the. meeting of Vernon with his cousin, Lucilla Talbot, now Lady WinMade, and the confession by this lady (wheu in fear of death by hydroohobla) that it was she who 'was guilty of the theft of which John Vernon, otherwise John Vernon Sachevorell-Talbot, had been unjustly accused. Talbot, true gentleman as he was, had known the truth and had remained silent under the charge rather than expose a woman’s dishonour. That the confession is made to Beatrice Armiger, who is in love with the handsome railway servant, is, of course, one of those special coinc'dencea which a novelist is free to invent. Talbot is cleared, and, freed from the minx Rosita, who had, previously to tiie Simla I trip, throw r n him over for another rail- ■ way man with a higher salary, marries ! Miss Armiger, returns to England, and i is accepted as her uncle's heir. But there is more romance still to come, for the eccentric old bhang-eating Gojar reveals himself for a few moments in his true character as a scion of English nobility, and makes Talbot his lieu 1 , dying very soon after he had succeeded I to a large fortune. The chief merit of the story lies in its cleverly drawn pictures of the life led by the residents at Tam-Kul. The author's description of the struggle for social pre-eminence which goes on between Mrs Sharratt, tho sta- i tionmastor & wife, and Madam© Tanzy (Rositas aunt), the wife of the foreman fitter, is excellent, and in Gojar she has drawn a character who is well worthy ot Kipling. “The Company's Servant" is a very lively/well written, wholesome story, and should materially enhance Miss Oroker's already high reputation as a novelist, whose special forte is the depicting of Indian life and character.

"Pigskin and Petticoat.” By Helen. Mathers (Mrs Beeves) (Bell's Colonial Library). London: George Beil and Sons. Wellington: Whitcombe and Tombs. Limited. Mrs Beeves' practiced and skilful hand has not lost its cunning though it xa now a good many years ago since she delighted so many novel readers with 1 Cherry Ripe,” and other novels which attained a widespread popularity, especially with the fair eox. Her latest production is admittedly a story which deals mainly with the turf, and icminds us not a little of some of the late Whyte Melville's rattling yarns. The two principal characters arc Miss Pat Surrender!, a young lady of good family and possessed of an unquenchable love of horses, and an outdoor life, and Tony Durham a friend from childhood. When old Mr Sumsuden dies his will is found to express a curious condition that his niece shall carry on crosscountry racing to which he was specially devoted, for which she is to get an allowance of .£3OOO a year. If ten races

are won in a season Pat is to get another thousand a year from a sum left in the charge of a trustee. Lord Oleadow, in which her cousin. Lady Flossie Fleetwood, on© of the “smart set" has a life interest. But if the stable does not .annex tho said ten wins per season the gay Flossie is to have the extra JNO'JO. 1 It is a curious will, but it is declared valid, and Pat take© tho advice of her old chum, Capt. Durham, eventually giving him the management Of tho stable and the racing campaign. Tony’s first move is to “fire out" the Surrendcn chief jockey, Dawncy Reece, who is as “crooked as they make ’em," to use an expression not unknown where racing men congregate. 'Rcecc swears vengeance which is whetted by two or three brilliant wins scored by the gentlemanrider. Mysterious troubles crop up iu the Surrendcn stables, a favourite is “hocussed" and the suspected culprit, a young jockey bribed by Reece, is sacked. Nevertheless the Snrrcndon stable bids fair to pull off the necsssavy ton win© and Lady Fleetwood, who has induced a millionaire, Drucker (an old lover of hors) to engage Recce a© his trainer, take© a further hand in the game. A bosom friend of hers ; Rose Tnrquand, a beauty with a most docltjed “past." is introduced, and by an ingenious but very nnscrupulque device poor Tony is made to appear* a© being Rose's lover, to the great indignation of poor Pat. Drucker, who ls tired of dissipation and tho now wearisome charms of Lady Flossie, proposes to Pat and is accepted, and poor Tony is about to rejoin tho array and go cut to tyomo deadly helo on. the AVret Least of Africa, when tvhe plot is exposed; Rose Turquand tells Pat tho truth, and Drucker after a. great struggle, relieve© the girl from her engagement. Tho rest you can guess—•tho reconciliation and marriage of the hero and heroine, and tho discomfiture of Lady Flossie, who, howoAcr. being heavily in debt, accepts the foolish Lord Gleadow, and promises for the future to “run straight/’ ’’Pigskin and Petticoat" is an excellent storjq of its kind. Pat is a charming heroine, and Tony Durham a fine young ’Englishman “all of the modern time," but vho best drawn characters are undoubtedly tho ultra “smart" Flossie, Rose Turquand and Drucker’s mother. The author acknowledges her indebtedness to her sen, Mr Phil Reeves, for the racing scenes in the book. Those are full cf life and go.

‘The Lost Clue." By Airs O. F. Walton. London: Religious Tract Society. /

Captain Kenneth Fortescuo is brought up in the belief that ho is the son of a rough mannered man who has made a largo fortune, and who has given him a good education.j But tho old man dies very suddenly j after informing Kenneth 'that his vast .fortune has been, lost in certain mini ing speculations. On his deathbed he | tells his son'ho wishes him to re id a I ceitain. letter he has left in his safe. ITlie letter, however, is tempered with | bv a dishonest servant, and tho Captain 1 retires from the army and becomes a ; working engineer. Under circumstances :wl ich do credit to the author's ingenuity the missing letter turn© up, but one all important word has been * blacked out’’ after the manner of the Russian censorship. The “lost clue," hdwover, is finally discovered, and the romantic discovery comes "to light that Fortescue is in reality the eldest son of Earl Derwentwater and heir to an immense fortune. There is a pretty little lov© story, subsidiary to the main plot and if some of the leading incidents are 'mostly far-fetched the characters are mostly very interesting people. The general tone of the story is, as might be expected, in a novel published by the Religious Tract Society /somewhat “goody-goody." The “Lost Cite" would have been described a lev years ago as a story “eminently suitable for family perusal"; but it is well told and should bo popular with a largo close of readers.