“LIBER’S” NOTE-BOOK

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXVI, Issue 8091, 20 April 1912, Page 10

“LIBER’S” NOTE-BOOK

‘‘Wairima’s” Kipling queries will be answered next week. Mr Butherford, a Canterbury squatter, who, at one' time, was a member of the House of Bepreseatatives, has published, through Whitcombe and Tombs, a volume of letters describing bis travels in Great Britain and the Continent. The title is “A New Zealand Pastoralist on Tour/’ The book is published by Whitcombe and Tombs, but I have not as yet had an opportunity of perusing it. Now that the Hon. G. W. Bussell is Minister for Internal Affairs, . and, in that capacity, is exhibiting"' an intelligent and, indeed, enthusiastic interest in the preservation of old New Zealand records, it, is to be hoped he may hud time to go into the question of continuing the “New Zealand Historical Kecords," the first volume of which, edited b£ the ever-industrious Mr McNab, was a most valuable addition to the literature oh New Zealand, \

I understand the “copy" for the second volume was prepared by Mr McNab, bjat the volume has not yet made its appearance, although long and eagerly awaited by students of the history of the Dominion. If Mr Bussell would look into the matter and expedite the publication of Volume 11. Jhe would earn the gratitude of' not a few people who are interested in New Zealand's early history. Dent’s keep adding to their useful series, “Lee Chefs d'oeuvre de la litterature fraucaise." x Becent additions are Alfred De Musset's “Nouvelles" and Paul Louis Courier’s “Pamplets Politiques et Lettres d’ltalie." it is a pity the print is so small, and close. : In this respect the Nelson series give* much better value. A new French novel suitable for “family reading" is “La Neige sur les pas," by Henri Bordeaux (PJou-Nourrit). The greater part of the story has Switzerland for a background.

Personally I should not think of wading through Southey’s “Letters." But there niay be those who still take a faint interest in • the “stodgiest" of all the “stodgy” “Lake school of poets," and these may be interested to learn that a selection from Southey’s “Letters" has now .been added to .L'rowde’s “World's Classics" in cloth, and two shillings in leather). Chesterton’s latest, a story called “Manalive," published by Nelsons in their two-slulling series, is described in ‘'The' Times" Literary Supplement as a “metaphysical extravaganza." The reviewer says: “When a Frenchman, a Russian, and a Chinaman begin to tell us what Mr Chesterton thinks about the way they think, they remind us of Mr Chesterton in another mood. . . . Wo gasp, and say! ‘Prodigious/ and wonder what it is all about."

"Frank Dauby’s” (othefwise -Mr* Julia Frankau) latest novel bears the curiously suggestive title of “Joseph in Jeopardy.’ The hero, Dennis Passiful—where on earth, or elsewhere, did . Mrs Frankau discover “Passiful"f—is the, Joseph, and one Lady Diana Wayne is a sort of-re-strained twentieth century “Mro P. From wljat I can gather from Lnghsh reviews, the story is net equal to - the same author’s “Baccarat" and the muchdiscussed. "PiKs in Clover. ’ _ J. K. Huysinan,' that clever but mor-bid-minded ■ Frenchman who wrote ‘‘La Bos" and “En Boute.” but whose later works,' especially“La Cathedral#, were so markedly -religious in tone, • is the subject of s' special study, Vrai Huysmans," by G. Coquiot, and published by Plon-Nourrit.

Miss Beeves’* (Mis Bowman) novel,, “The/liewardi-of.Virtue," reviewed last week,; las, 1; see- by. late English ‘files, gone into a third edition.' Apparently it. is a. success. ' In answer to a-oorfespondent, ‘.'J.N./‘ I may state that the . Home price of the "-English 1 Review/' alluded .to lostweek in this column, is a shilling not. This means fifteenpenoe .hero, . and "J.N.'s” complaint that the ‘ local bookseller" who wants to chargethateum tor a copy is “having" him, ,is mere silliness As a matter of fact, 'there is very little profit in selUng at fifteenpence. It is out of the rubbishy, «*- pennies” of the “Pchrson” and Isridon” class that the’ bookseller inakes the most -profits, and ev?n <hen . it. is not excessive. There, is very. Attle wmi to the good in the handling of periodicals of any kind. • -.r^ 'Duckworths publish/ Eden. Philpotts play, tho' Secret. : Womnn'’-7r«(booed by the stupid Censor —at, two shillings. Ihe same firm issue-a similarly edition of John Galsworthy* play. Ihe Pigeon/' - V •“/?,■...• ' Another “tabooed*’, play; “The New Religion," by Israel Zangwill, is published by William Heinemann;-at two, shilling*. Roiitledges have published- a ‘‘Kipling 'Dictionary;*'- simUpr an to the same firm's“ Dickens," “Thackeray * and “Thomas Hardy"; dictiofiarics. Mere book-making. ;

Will Dyson, the Australisnartist, Is doing a good deal of work for "T.P/s Monthly," and has made his appearance as a cartoonist in “T.P.'s Weekly." His first effort, a skit upon that recent - and awful job, the appointment of Charles Brookfield as dramatic' censor, is only u poor production.

Arthur C. Benson gives *' scholar’s appreciation of the “Master of Laughter" in an essay on Charles Dickefi* in-the March number of the “North American Review” / ■' ■;

. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, while presiding at a dinner of the Anthers’ Club in London recently, told; a good story against himself. - While visiting Cornwall he said he went out rowing with a native boatman, who.. not knowing Sir Arthur’s identity, began. discussing his stories, and said: Jon know, when Sherlock Holmes fell 'ever ' that cliff he did not kill himself, but I think he must have done. himself some damage, for he was never quite the same afterward." ' \ ■/ ■ / The preparation' of the late ‘Henry Labouchcro’s biography, a book that ought to contain much highly entertaining reading, has been assigned by. his executors to Mr Labonchore’s nephew, Mr Algar Thorold.

1 Phillips Oppenheim,‘.being in Boston the other , day, the St. Botolph Club- of that city whose sons love to call it “The Hub," dined and wined him,-and print ed on their menu card' some verses composed in special honour of the English novelist. The concluding lines run:

We' never bad- a oloeh in rhyme. Till you turned up, O . Oppenheim.