INFANT AUTHORS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 17973, 28 June 1920, Page 7

INFANT AUTHORS.

During the month t of June, according to un American announcement, there was to bo published " Daisy Ashford: Her Book." in which the much-boomed author °n ", Tlle Yoan o Visitors" has collected all the remaining literary ventures of her childhood, together with a story by her Bister,, Angela Ashford, called "The Jealous 'uoverness." The other stories are said to as quaint and as naive as "The Young Visiters." now in its second hundred thousand.

After that tho deluge; anticipating which Mr Clement Shorter has written an introduction to a little book called "A Girl's Garland," containing verses by a, girl of 14 years named Annetto Bryee-Wilson, daughter of Major Brvce-Wilson of tho. sth Lancers, and who while in India was the original of the young subaltern in one of Mr Kipling's stories in "Soldiers Three." Mr Shorter testifies that this young authoress is "a dear little girl wi'tli no nonsense about her. I refuse to call her precocious. She cycles, swims, rides bareback, has a passion * for horses, and may be said to have beeiK brought up in the stable. Her father and mother are both English, and Annetto was born in England.", "Wo may soon expect." says Mr Shorter. " a hundred volumes by baby authors," and as introducer of Annetto Brvce-Wilson ho compares .himself to Charles Lamb and his "Dream Children; to Dr John Brown and Marjorio Fleming, and to Sir James Barrio and Daisy Ashford. There is everything to be stud for Charles Lamb and for Dr John Brown. As for Sir James Barrie there are still to be found sceptics ■- iis to the bona fides of Daisy Ashford; and whether Mr Shorter is wise in standing sponsor to Annetto Brvce-Wilson makes matter for diccussion. He comments on tlio fact that this first book is " duly set oub in ; brave type by an enthusiastio publisher, but ho abstains from criticism contenting himself by saying: "Poets do but interpret tho life they know. The vision of a man or woman of sixtv is far other tharv that lof a man or woman of thirty. Childhood also has its vision, and in the attempt to interpret its love of animals and flowers, the human relations, the innocent dreams of fairyland, wo find a justification for tins little volume which, indeed, nocds no apology for its appearance." ' The verses which follow, and ono or two prose pieces are also included—arc no better or no worse than any intelligent girl of 14, with a taste for versifving might be able to write. They are the sort of thing which budding poets ordinarily confine to exercise books, and keep carefully hidden when critics are about. Whether proud parents are well advised in encouraging their children to appear too early in print may bo questioned—at least no harm will be done by waiting a while—it is doubtful whether tho average boy or girl rp'l any patience with "A Girl's Garland. And except as ,a ■ curiosity, the verses hold nothing for readers of mature years.