BOOK NOTICES.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 14702, 9 December 1909, Page 4

BOOK NOTICES.

"The Score." By Lucas Malet (Mrs Mary St. Leger Harrison). London: Johil Murray. Dunedin: Whitcombe and Tombs. (3s 6d, 2s fid.)

" For and against—how stands tho score?" Such is tho motto of Lucas Malct'fi new book, which contains two long short-stories (if such an expression be permitted), both of them bearing out the title. The first story is tragic and pessiJttistic; tho second is lively, even comic. Tho first shows the author in the manneT bost known to most- readers—that of tho " Wages of Sin," " The History of Sir Richard Calmady," and " The ' dateless Barrier." The second takes up and emphasises tho lighter touch which relieved " The Far Horizon " and " Little Peter." It would appear that Lucas Millet, like many of her confreres, takes a less mournful view of lifo as she grows older; cither she herself becomes moro tolerant, or 6ho finds that the cup of life is so mingled that the hitter and the sweet, the good \:nd the ill, the tragedy and the comcdy canrot ho divided and set one on one side, •tho other on tho other. Thus the tragicstory Ka_- a. touch of comedy, and the comic story ■>, touch of tragedy. " Miserere Noibis" is the confession of a murderer, dying from _ seli-inftictcd ■wounds, in an Italian hospital. Tho settings and surroundings are admiiably conceived: the tare, airy Toom, once part of the banquetting hall of an ancient fortrea;, the screened ibed of the dying man, the tall ascetic priest, tho praving nuns, at onco impress the Tcadcr and prepare his mind for tho tale of wrong, insult, injury, vengeance, and murder which is being poured into the ear of the patient ecclesiastic, varied with erics of pain and intervals of delirium, until at last tho benediction is given and tho.screen drawn closer. "The Courage of Her Convictions " introduces us to Miss Poppy St., John, the delighLful variety actress who played the part of Sinner in " T.ho Par Horizon," and who has grown a little older, wiser, and not less Handsome. Poppy has now cliinbcd a few rungs of the social ladder, obtained a settled position, and a reputation for virtue. She has still a strong, self-reliant nature, some few convictions and the courage' of them. When Lucius Denier wishes her to marry him, her heart pleads for him, and the life" of ease and respectability which he represents; hut her convictions tell her: "It wouldn't work, dear old boy! I wish it would; but for neither of us would it work. Wo artist people are niado to love and be loved, but not.to marry. We can't conform for long together, can't obey orders and stay in line, ... If wo mean to live good, wo've a rough time of it ourselves and give other people a. rough lime too." So having the courage of her convictions tho lady says good-bye to her serious admirer, and becomes " more than ever the darling of tho Anglo-Anicrican play-going public:Both stories aro admirable in their way, tho light, sparkling, serio-comic style of the second being particularly attractive. In oacli case tho local colour adds much to the effect, the austere severity of the hospital ward .in 'the one case being balanced by tho romantic Devonshire scenery in which Poppy's little love-affair is transacted. But 'in the description of tho band of frescoes still adorning the ward we find the following, which certainly needs further elucidation:—"Here tho iconoclastic hand of modern sanitation had liappily been stayed. So that from a setting of elaborate arabesques in monochrome, .richly coloured, buoyant with all the magnificent heartlessnefs of the classic idea Ganymede, Bacchus, etc., gazed in hard-eyed "ndifference upon tho samples of tortiireil ami mutilated humanity outstretched on tho narrow beds below." We do not see how anything executed in " monochrome" could ho " richly, eolonrctl."

"The Last Ixrnl Avanley." By Gerald Maxwell. London: Mills and Boon. liMivedin: J. Braithwaite, (3s 6d, 2s

This clever story deals with pre-natal influences, and suggests tlio question •whether in any circumstances it is permissible for a man, doomed before his birth to an almost unendurable fate, to take tho laiv into his own hands and bring his wretched existence to a violent end. Back in the Middle Ages the poe(ifissions of Colthrop, Lord Avanley, having been wrested from the Church, and a. sisterhood of Dominican jums forcibly ojected from Barkstone Priory, one of. tho sisters, Uremia, solemnly cursed the vltolo Coßhrop vace in the fateful terms ■ wsual under such circtmiskncce. Tho prophccy fullils itself for many generations, 110 <son succeeding life father and all dying violent deaths: until we come to the Inst la>v<l, and be—born after his father's death—is no terribly deformed as to be scarcely human. Neither the death nor the pre-natal injury was accidental, but was the result of the machinations of the next-of-kin. Lady Avanley adores her deformed son, who lias a sweet, nature and a singularly acute and wellkained mind. She secures for him the fervices of a tutor, a physician, a priest, and a brilliant companion of his own eex. Each one of theso is exceptional in every way ; but when she tries to provide him with a wife, whom she has specially tfruined for the purpose, her schemcs fail and a crisis becomes inevitable. Among the other peculiarities of tho Colthrop family is a lovo for tho study of chemistry on the sido which approaches idchamy and a. general dabbling in the back art. When crossed in lovo the last Lord betakes himself to these studies, and the reader is treated to some very distinctly uncanny experiences in the marvel lons suito of underground chambers in which the young man, who dreads the light of day, spends most of his time. Here with his friends he discusses a number of subjocts bearing upon his Studies and sundry ethical questions, especially such as are connected with tiro history of his liouee-tho characters and temptations of his ancestors, heredity, nnjl suicide. As may bo supposed, the priest holds the latter in horror, ■ and urges tho young imm to put tlio thought ttf it out of his mind and to relinquish, his dangerous studies. But Kdric cannot' do this; tho Jlodiieval curse, the crimes and misfortunes of his ancestors, his own Tepellant permit—.more hateful to himself than to anyone else,—combine to render him a monomaniac, obsessed bv on-o idea,' and not responsible for his actions, and' under the pretence of destroying a number of dangerous chemicals, he commits suicide and disposes of his body and all evidences of the deed. The main issue of Iho story, which is at once powerful' and repcllant, is relieved bv"a. prcltv love-story and tin; tali; of tlio frustrate!! machinations of the heir-at-law and his disreputable but amusing associates In the pages of Mr Herald i„ real life—comedy and tragedy aw never Jar divorced from each other, and the humours of the lower strata of niidi'« class suburban society form an excellent foil, to tho serious and sombre interest which attaches (o the main history.

Mtko I'lannery, On Duty and Off." . By Kills Parker Butler'. London: 'fodder -and Stoughton. Duuedin • K J. Stark mid Co. (Cloth, I>.) It ifi impossible to read this intensely amusing booklet by the author of " Pi<-' s is Pigs," " Tll.lt" Pup." etc., wil.ho«t giving way to tits oi hiugntei. We do not, as a rule, see much fun in thai form of American humour ivhicli is chiefly manifested in bud spelluiy, but although Mr Mike Flannery's orthography is of the kind which allows the utmost latitude in the way of " fancy spelling" it is much more than that—it. is genuinely humorous and mirth-provoking. Mike Flannerv is the agent of tht Interurbaii Express Company, and he has charge of a little office * ill t-ho Jimr York suburb of WV.-tcote. Two out of the three ijtorii'i contained ■in this little work relate his experiences when "on duty" ; and the third gives an incident, which occurred when " off duty." The first story, entitled " Just like a Cat," shows that a cat. even when dead, has tho special characteristics of its r.w: " It is always around ■when it- isn't needed, and when it- is needed it can't be found," and, also, "it—comes back." The story also ..hows the danger of using words that arc not understood and the amazing confusion •which may be the result of the chimge of a single letter. The third story, "Fleas

will be Tleas," relates the amusing adventures of a " Professor of Flea*" ami his educated troupe, and contains many sly thrusts at tlio theory of " siieoinliping " and tho United States tarill, lint it is Ihe middle story, "The Three Hundred," which is the gem of the collection, ami wo don't envv the person who can rend it without tho liearlv laughter which takes revenge in tears. It is a skit on the " simplified spelling " which was exploited bv President Roosevelt and other distinguished persons, and shows the difficulty into which a simple express may ho cast by the rule of the autocratic Interurhan Express Company commanding the spelling of three hundred weds on new principles, plun<pn<r the unfortunate agent into despair, and wringing from him the following letter" Gentlemen,— I received the ginral order 719 and will oba it but I have to. practise v and n awhile first, .somo of the words don't como natural to me first hand, like polyb and stivate, what is the rate on these if any comes exprest. what? a etiology, pleas advice me, am I ti use all these words or only sum. Mike Flannery " Then come the consignors, ignorant of the ntv rule, and the fun becomes fast and furious. In the end General Order 720 cancels general order 719 and the original spelling is reftored. " A Miniature Mutiny," and other Sea Yarns." By Frank Ball. Sydney, Melbourne, etc.: George Robertson and Co. Dunedin: K. J. Stark and Co. (Piper, Is.) This capital collection of sea sketches, dedicated to " Tho Men of the Sailing Ships," was written expressly for tho Melbourne Argus, and is now reproduced by courtesy, of the proprietors of that journal. Here we find 21 lively, realistic tales and sketches, oil dealing with nautical life and manners, such as " Ships of fho North," " Tho Call of the, Ocean," " i\:n Frolics," "A Sea Tragedy," "Deep Sea Christinases," etc. Peloru's .Tack and tho legends concerning him find a place in these pages. There are one or two '" Borderland " yarns, for sailors are still superstitious, and a most interesting chapter on " Sea Mysteries," which show what unplumbed depths of tragedy, what nnguessed worlds of incident are' hidden in the simple prosaic statement, seen s-o often .in the newspaper, that such-and-such a ship is " missing," Taken altogether Mr Frank Ball's collection is above the average, and will give pleasure to many readers-.