WRITERS OF TO-DAY

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 7301, 3 December 1910, Page 9

WRITERS OF TO-DAY

Mr A. E. AT. Mason, author of "The. Open Road," "The Four Feathers/' and so many other excellent novels, is still quite a young man, having been born in 1865. Educated at Dulwich College and Oxford, his earliest predilections were for the stage. An amateur actor at Oxford, when he left the university he joined Mr Benson's famous Shakespearian company, and toured also with a comedy company. But gradually he wearied.of the stage and commenced a how career as an author. In 1895 appeared bis first book, which,. I may say, does not' generally appear in lists of Mr Mason's stories, for the simple reason that its author suppressed it, not being satisfied with the first exposition of his literary talent. The title was "A Romance of Wastdale," and the publisher was Mr Elkin Matthews, who, by the way, . usually publishes -poetry and not fiction. The next year U 896), however, witnessed The' production of "The Courtship of.' Maurice Buckler/’ which I weU remember/.reading when it came out as* a volume of. Macmillan's Colonial Library; in the days when colonial editors- of /English novels were not so numerous/as they <nonv are. , It was a vigorously written; .capital romance, and “caught/on".with, the reading public from tho first. The " (1897) was not quite so . successful -in hitting the public and "Laurence Claveriug” US97) was rather disappointing. But "Parson Kelly," written iu collaboration with Mr Andrew Lang, who doubtless supplied the Jacobite and

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historical flavouring, is a great favourite 'of mine, and X commend it to those who only know Mr Mason by his later stories. Scon followed one of the best of Mr Mason's novels, "Mirandfei of , the Balcony" (1899)’which lias a completely charming heroine and a strongly drawn character, a blackmailer, not readily to be forgotten. "The Watchers" (1899) was a short story, published a-s a Clmstmas . a.nn ual by Arfowsmiths, and "Ensign Knightley” (1901), a collection of short stories. "Clementina" . (1901) was a very delightful story, with as truly chivalrous a hero, Wogan, the Jacobite, as there .is to be found in all English fiction. As to "Clementina's" successor, "The Four Feathers/' with -its splendid story of how Harry Feversham disproves the charge..of cowardice and makes the girl he loves take back her- white feather, it made a distinct hit. The quality ; of the story is well known to the vast majority of New Zealanders who find pleasure in a good novel, and the same raay'be saad of "Running Water" and "The Broken Road." Mr Mason's latest story,. "At the Villa Rose/?, is reviewed in another column. In 180 GMr Mason contested the Coventry election and. was successful. He is said to have made an, exceptionally clever maiden speech, : and to have proved .himself a clever- de'batcr. But/apparently he , did not find the atmosphere of the House‘ of Commons congenial, and at the last general* election, he declined to stand. '/Readers of Air Mason's admirable novels will assuredly .be the last to complain- of his decision.