A Literary Corner

New Zealand Times, Volume LII, Issue 12211, 8 August 1925, Page 12

A Literary Corner

(Conducted by R.A.L.)

' “PIRIKI'S PRINCESS”

Here ar* ton delightful atones of Use latter-day Maori by Moaa Tracy, a Christchurch writer, who goes to her. subject with a lira enjoyment ana an unusual freshness of language. There is - nothing of the narrative about theee talee of the Matapouri, . V they are vivid little pictures whose only fault is their brevity. They deal mostly with that difficult time, the transition to the semi-civilised. The superstition, the spirituality, the pig simplicity of the Maori are admirably drawn, and again and again one’s heart is caught up by the pity of their romance with the white man. . put there is all through this' hook : the olean freedom of the hush, toe sweetness of mosaee and fern, and the 3pring growing things. It ' gives more than a Knowledge of them. . . ake-afce, titoki houhere. . . it uses them somehow to reveal the deep beauty of toe Maori himself. . , to colour toe days when life was a simpler, happier thing for him. The dark heart beats strongly throughout. . ~ there is laughter here and tears It is hoped that “Piriki’s Princess” ia not an only' ohild of her kind. New Zealand needs these books. (Oopy from Whlteombe and.ybmbs.) AN AUCKLAND SKETCH BOOK This is s slim bock presented, in the - manner of “Edinburgh? l “London,” oi the “Cambridge Water Colours,” and , containing twelve pencil pictures of and about toe city. Mr Nelson Isaac appears to be bappier in landscape than in architecture, though occasionally wherever the draughtsmanship falls- Short an excellent sense of tone values saves. Shortland street, with its labyrinthian caging of wires between pavement and sky t .end strips of sunlight falling between its buildings, is among the best of these. The rugged pohutukawas give a careful study, anJ a very successful ' impression, thohgh it is in presenting spaces and dietanees that toe artist finds himself. His work reveals the rare wisdom of knowing what to omit. One feels that Mr Isaae has achieved an admirable purpose in a reasonably, satisfying manner. For those who have Auckland in their hearts, here is a •many reminder of her many beauties* (Copy from Wbitcombe and Tomb*.) LABOUR—PAST AND PRESENT Hr 'Rappoport has written one of . toe most comprehensive volumes ever pub-; lished. Consider what an outline* of; the, ' history of Labour in the world—-Opibsli Persia, Judea, Greece, Rome—must he. There is reference to the democratic' ideals of the Hebrewjprophets, and the Stoic philosophers. There axe reviews of Labour under toe Mosaic code, and the Christian ideal about Labour ' engages the author-seriously. In toe, result lie concludes with his own ideal which he oaU* “Labour. Social Reform, and Democracy.” .Naturally the Work is• . voluminous. Also it is .cogent in reasoiling. He is strongest in-his desaripu tion of what men nav* done in the: past. His strongest plea is 'that the; knowledge of the past—vividly studied . in his pages—ought to be the guide to the conduct of the future. The teaching o> history is toe touchstone of his text.; The woricTls too full of "ologies” and’ “isms” to afford much hope of the acceptance of. his plea. But it is certain that the only way to the industrial -peace in the world—is by the. careful, close and unbiased'study of the past.' .... ~ shi» the learned earnest doctor’s nook "" will enable men of good Will to do. with advantage. ■ The learning of the book is prodigious, reviewing as it does the-thoughts and systems of the world ancient and. a odern. He who reads will have obtained a clear idea of all the thought and writing, perplexing and contradictory -as they are. But whatever conclusion he may come to between the spiritualand materialistic ideas so fully expressed and urged, one thing he will assimilate It ia the necessity of seeking, guldsnoe for the confusion of the day from the facts of nistory, which arc very fully set out in the pages of the work. A fine series of portraits from Confucius downwards in the order of; • time gives an air of reality to toe ■ vcrk. CLabomv Social Reform; and Democracy,” by Dr Rappoport. Copy from Stanley, Paul, Loudon.) A THEORY OF THE BRAIN ' i Mr 8. Cameron has a new theory about the human brain, and tokes pains to impart it to hie fellow men. He has discovered that the brain is not the special seat of intelligence. For this, it appears frdlp the Tittle volume before us. there is much to be said, and much that is capable of being well said os it is astonishingly well in these * pages. Herein is & new angle for the study of religion and philosophy. The . author describes his creed as “A Brainless Psychology for toe Plain Man, or Philosophy to end Philosophy, ” that is if he agrees With its conclusions, he will not concern himself further with certain metaphysical disputes that have been long standing. “To guide the man in the street, to whom the book ia.addressed, a list of psychological works is recommended—the course includes such writers as Bergson, Kitchin, Holt, Stace, Joad, Keith—in particular his “Engiqps of the Human Body,” which we noticed last week— Harrison, and Professor James. To the - author the book he has, written represents concentrated essence of knowledge, and to one so equipped his advice to the man in the street oan he very valuable as a guide to understanding. But the average man' will dud the business of following the line of reasoning roost difficult. The book is » short cut. But it is a short out , to the longest , way round. For those who have patience and mental equipment there is therein much of illqmin- , a ting interest. i (“More Light,” by S. Cameron. Copy from Williams and Norgate.) THAT WILD AUSTRALIA One of Arthur Wright’s pleasant . Australian stories, this. It runs through gambling dens, racecourses, . bushranger camps, exhausting the possibilities of adventure afforded by each, anil reaching the standard of . narrative and description for which the author is well known. '"'11'" .I’"- from lliillarah,” by Arthnr Wright. Copy from the State Publishing Company, Sydney.)

“HIGH EXPLOSIVES” During toe war toe efficiency of gases and. explosives as a means of destroying life was wrapped in eshreoy. Since the armistice,, however, more than one announcement has been -made that it has been found possible to manipulate an explosive of so deadly a nature that the great war would be an impossibility, as toe destruction' of life Would he so appalling. Mr Phillips, in his latest work, has found in' the announcement toe theme for a humorous novel., Harold Winiperley, who is engaged in a most secret Branch of Government research, entangles himeelf and his brother in a peculiarly difficult' situation. He has perfectedon explosive liquid, and toe person to whom ft is given becomes a magazine. Excitement will cause him to explode with disastrous effects. The fragments of his shattered body are in themselves a source of danger, and may cause many deaths. wimporley was entertaining his brother, and on his leaving found that he had given his guest some of the explosive liquid to drink. One can imagine the anxiety that i# -experienced until the "human arsenal ia secured and pieced where, ho cannot oauae harm to h» fellow, beings. This presents considerable difficulty aa Wimperlsy junior is not easily captured, although all Scotland Yard ia on his track. ,It is at the very end of the story that a diverting emution highly satisfactory to evet/yotteis tos-covcred.---(“Hi&J!Jxpl(»ives,V by Gordon Phillips. Our copy iromNesbit :-.nd CO.) PUNCTUATION Mr Herd proposes to-give » simple guide to the rules of modern punctuation, saving, readers from the tormaJir tiea of toe art which helped >in _ toe formal writing of other days to obscure the meaning they were intended to elucidate. The explanations ■ .are. very simple and clear,. showing mainly how punctuation can be made to serve its proper purposes, which is to ‘help people to understand toe meaning .of, the text. ,i (“Everybodyl s Guide to Punctha tion," by A. Herd. - Oopy from oeorge Allen and' Unwin,; London.)’ in the jAfcofeiTE Days The era of this story^is'known na toe ‘Jacobite. It was. an,-era in which queer things wepe done; ' Rebels and "troublesome folk . . wereui sent out to ■“plantations” in >ihe'. West Ladies as slaves, ahd the slave popujatfoa was added to by kidnapping* in Africa ;ana revolting voyages, across, .toe /Atlantic., The hero of the story begins a Jacobite prisoner serving as, a slave, goes on to his escape to-aea, and. sets him on a slave ship commanded by a. friend of old days whom he li'fOfced to join in his nefarious trade. As he has a conscience the story -becomgs very interesting, centring round s . most adventurous strugglo fof 'freedom. Out bfitois .material Miss Imp? "•» woven a fine romance, xcf wnichr. she Was devbted the -fine style, gtophic.pgw-i er and good characterisation for which She lias made a name known to many readers.. ~ ' (“The Slave Ship,” by Mary- Johnstone. Cojpy from Thornton,' Butterworth, London).; ■ DETECTIVES IN INDIA Much wealth is stolen from palaces and rick houses throughout India 5 toe police "are baffled ana the chase , is ■ undertaken by amateurs; one of whom is a charming lady, with the consent and support of the Scotland Yard of India, They have adventures which/ make good' reading, all the bettor, for an originality not* sound in fllj modern detective stories. (“Caravans by Night.*’ Copy -from; ’Thornton, Butterworth.) . FORTUNES OF A GAMBLER, Mr Bell has written several stories of .adventure and romance—-“ Whither Thou Gdest," “Thou Fool/’' “Till the Clock Stops,” etc., And this is . another of thb same kind winch his readers will welcome. ' The tale turns on, the fortunes of A gambler ; desperate, enough to risk his life and the lives of his friends in satisfaction of his Inordinate passion. The interest is heightened by 1 the mysterious nature of the plot. ' (“The Invisible Net,” by J. L. Bell. Copy from John Long, London,) -LOVE AND ADVENTURE When Halliwdll Sutcliffe undertakes to write about a storm you may be sure it will be a hurricane of emotions. It rages around the region of Bolton, Abbey, where many legends of Lancashire and Yorkshire found a common centre in days of yore. In this case the storm comes out of a feud between, a squire of determination and some people quite unconventional living m a small valley iii his neighbourhood. Danger, ambuscades, ptratagems and spoils, are‘the material of toe, Storm, and a fine love story manages to subsist with great vividness in that very disaourfiging atmosphere. The interest throughout Is thrilling. 1 . “Storm,” by Hslliwell Sutcliffe. (Copy from John Long, Loudon.) A MADMAN SANE AGAIN A French' etorjutMs of surpassing interest, •by Henrißhraud. translated by, Mrs H., Sandwith. The author ahuta a man up for eiiteen years In; a mental hoapitaf-and let him out, .curep, fin w world which hail forgotten him, which be can find ■ho place, which, in fact) he has totally, forgotten. In his perplexity he*’is haunted -by memories of his days of insanity,' and at last cornea to be haunted to:..the phantom -.of his ‘own mad srif. £p»e: story plunges into the occult at this 'point and produces effect* of the .most astonishing;' set forth In a style of, rare perfection... (“Lazare,” by Henri. Beraud. , Copy from Thornton Butterworth.)

Mr Lytton ' Htra'chey, author of “Emnenfc Victorians,” has written a play. '

A tidal. “wave' cothea, up the river and overwhelms the "little town. She tells of the drowning of her son’s wife. • Elizabeth—- " That flow strewed wreoks about the grass: . ’ That ebb swept out the flocks to sea; A bitter ebb and flow, -alas, To many more than mine and pae: But each Will mourn his own (she sayth) A sweets#, Woman ne'er drew , breath Than my sonne's wife, Elizabeth. I shall never see her more . Where the reeds and rushes quiver, Shiver, quiver; Stand, beshle the throbbing, rivei, .Sobbing, throbbing in; its:falling, To the sandy 1 lonesome shore | I shall never hear hdr 1 calling, ‘loave your meadow grasses, mollow, Mellow, jbelloW: . . Quit your , cowslips, cowslips -yellow: Come uppe, Whlteroot; Come up,:Xiight#odt; . . Quit your pipes of parsley hollow, nollbw, . holloW; Come up, Lightfoot, rise and follow Ufehtfoot,' WhjWfobt,' • i'rom your hlbvers lift your head; Come uppe, Jetty, follow, follow, Jetty to the milking-ehed.'"

Her vowels art as mellow a* toe meadow grasses. In parts the poem is over pootical to be wholly a peasant

inMUiiiiiiiiiioiiiiiiiiiiiiniiHiiiiiiuiaiiiiiimnioiMMimiMiniiiritii Unconsciously the'tongue lilts and the words <sin'g thetoseltfes," 7 . But, Housman will -be known fordver as tljo poet of Bi'edon. ■ Bredohis -Tnurmurotts with bells, . leaping ■ Sabbath S :bri ]S, bell upon bell, bell ■ answering l, ,all that joyous jangle that rings 'oufeb a tfuiet toyn on a clear Sunday. -"That at the beginning, but at the end the oife bell only, .tolling, mourn,ing, oalhrCg, a heavy bell, a slow bell, a bell of .woe. ."The bells would-ring to' call her . In volleys miles away ; - air to church, good ’people; l good popple, come and pray.* But;- here my love would stay. But in the tittle, of snows— ' "They tolled the, one hell only, Groom, there was. none to see, The raonvOMsi followed after, “ ■ And so to church went She', And would not wait'for tae.ff < . „t.-: One gutsses.' that Housraan'himself - , had spent many a Sunday morning on Brcdon*, above ..the coloured oounlies, - listening to the voices of tHo eph-es. '. And listening not vainly, for his poem - is ns murmurous of. bhllsaa a shell is of the tides. EILEEN DUGGAN. I Wellington.