PLACES AND PEOPLE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22084, 14 October 1933, Page 4

PLACES AND PEOPLE

“ Anchor Lane." By C. Fox Smith. Illustrated by Phil W. Smith. London; Methuen. (9s net.) , Knockmaroon.” By W. M. Letts. Illustrated by Kathleen Verschoyle. (11s net.) In her-preface Miss Fox Smith warns against wandering down “Anchor Lane ’’ those “whose air is a somewhat forced one of amused condescension towards these : places, ships, and men _ who are largely instrumental in providing important personages like themselves with their bread and butter.” If the people of “Anchor Lane ” do not actively resent such a display by retaliating in the Midlands manner, with ’arf a brick, they still are susceptible to condescension, and withdraw into themselves “ with so final and dignified a completeness that you might as well be in a foreign country whose language you-don’t know ” for any information you may hope to get out of your visit. The charm of her book is, of course, primarily in the fact that neither the weird smells, nor the shattering noises, nor the strange reports that came from dockland have ever affected her; nor has she been content to react conventionally to the exotic interest of the region. Apropos of which she makes sage comment: —

There has been a sorry deal of illinformed, insincere, sentimental tosh written, and talked, and sung of late about ships and the sea by people to whom it probably never occurred to care a continental about them until it became “ the thing ” to do so, but who have now discovered that all they want is ■ a tall ship and a star to steer her ■by. ;. . —■; There is no Romance in the sea, she says, if you define that word in terms of the kinema. “ But if you mean by it that indefinable something . • . that saving something in humanity which • makes the least thing easily attained the thing most, greatly to be desired—that unfailing ‘ cornfortress of unsuccess to give- the dead good night*—then in Anchor Lane you shall find at least some far glimpse of it if you find no more.” It is mainly in such- glimpses, with something more added —the understanding of ' the author —that this book is concerned. Miss Fox Smiths essays will delight those who have e,i> joyed her previous books containing gossip of the sea, and of the sights and sounds of seafaring places and ships. They are illustrated with sketches . entirely in character,- . . ''■■■■.' Miss W. M. • Letts provides in “ Knockmaroon " a book that is similar in spirit, since it also tells of things loved and understood. She writes of an Ireland which exists in spite of politicians and irregular armies; of that Ireland of the sentimental tales which many people believe —and who could ■ blame them ?—has died. The title of her book is the name of an old house by the Liffey, and is used symbolically to what is kind, even if sometimes a bit sad, in life. People who lead quiet lives, and Have quiet gardens into which they can retreat, may discover much to suit the atmosphere in this volume, which contains both prose and verse. - M'G.