REVIEWS.

Otago Witness, Issue 956, 16 May 1889, Page 2 (Supplement)

REVIEWS.

JnM Domini 2000,- or Wamari*. Destiny. By Sir Janus Voaar., 'K.C,ia.G.— -London j ' Hutchiaeoa and' Co., Paternoster equate. Duriedin: sJ. Hofcsburgh. " ; . in the concluding pages of the epilogue to Sir Julius >ogel'« novel, ♦•Anno Domini 2000," the ttithorjexplains that *f three leading features have been kept in view in the prodnotion of the foregoing anticipatiou of the futote.'' , The firsfris explained in the following words :— M It has been designed to show that a recognised dominance of either sex is unnecessary, and that men and ! .women may take part in the affairs of the I world 1 on terms of equality, each member of' either sex enjoying the .position, to which he or she is entitled by reason. of his or her qualifica* • <aons. w Next, " The second ob, ject is to suggest that the materials are to hand for forming the dominions of Great Britain into a powerful and beneficent empire." Finally, « The third par- ! po«e is to attract consideration to the question as to whether it 'is not possible to "reUeve the misery under which a large portion, of mankind languishes on account of extreme poverty and destitution.'* And explanatory of this third heading the author expresses a "strong conviction that every human being is entitled to a 1 sufficiency of food, and clothing and to decent j lodging whether or not he or she is willing to or j capable of work." l( "'•" • ' J That there is ample material here fox the elaboration of a work of a deeply interesting I character must, be admitted. Whether the ] author has fulfilled the roasdriable expectations' Jof the intending reader must, we think, ; be j answered in the negative. And yet an absolute I condemnation of the novel, suoh as we have heard by some of those who have read it, is, we | think, palpably unjust. It is undoubtedly is I parts, crude—very crude., It betrays in the mpsfc j unmistakable manner,, in many of its pages, I such an absence of literary grace— such a atUted, I commonplace, and entirely unsatisfactory treatI mentj of passages that could have been made graceful and fascinating— that it is difficult to understand how a facile writer such as Sir Juliue I Vogel is well known, to be,oould have read! the J final proofs without an instinctive prescience j that the critics would give him' an uneomfortI able time of it when- they came to expr'ejMf' their I opinion of his first venture in the arena of fiction. I Nor is it alone the crudeness and sterility of I passages which ought to have been examples of j graceful diction and satisfying completeness that I c*U for adrerse criticism. ToNewZealandreadera 1 at any rate the introduction; of such personages las Lady Taieri, Sir Central Vincent s¥«t. j Lord Larnach^ &0., Ac., will certainly raise, a I smile and a decided feeling that the names area j source of weakness rather than the ,raven& (Nor can the description of the momentous | events comprised in the. chapter headed " Love I and War," in which a declaration of war between I United Britain and America is followed by the capture of New York and Washington and the I taking prisoner of, the l&dy president of the j United States, be characterised as anything bat I an extravagant description of possibilities that I maybe the outcome of ooientiflo research. Yet J withal there ia , power in ,the book, and the I major part of it can be read with pleasure and j interest. I Sir Julius begins his novel with a prologue, in I which a typical case of the destitution prevailling among the poor is portrayed. George I Claude Sousing is a man who in his youth had [apparently a prosperous career before him, bat whose hopes wsreJblast«d in consequence of the email fortune of hisiather being swept away by the failure 1 of a largo banking company. George Soosins had, however, been given a good education, and obtained a position as foreign correspondent in a large mercantile house. At 25 he married, and three" years afterwards he met with -an accident which made him' 5 : helpless invalid for two years, and finally left hup, with ( hia right hand useless. Losing his appointment, his existence subsequently became "one con* tiaual struggle with, eves increasing. want and penury. The end was appioaobmg. T,he father and mother and their one crippled son, 12 yean old, dwelt ia the miserable attic of a most dilapidated house in one of the poorest neigh* boarhoods of London. The roof over their heads did not even protect them from the weather. , The room was denuded "of every, article of furniture, with the exception of. two worthless wooden cafes and a horsehair- mattress, on which the unhappy boy stretched his painwrung limbs." For 80 hours this-unfortunate family had been without food, " when the, father, maddened by the moanings of his wife 1 and child, rushed into -the street, and « passing a bakar's shop which appeared to be empty, stole from it a loaf of bread." The proprietor had, however, noticed the theft, and 1 seizing ' the miserable father administered summary punish- j menjfc by dealing, him .two severe blows in the ace. The shook of the blows was too much for, the weakened and emaciated : man, and he; fell on the pavement and died without regaining consciousness. The .author, explains that the sad end of poor George Sousins has nothing to do with the ;sfcdry, ,", but his fate led ,to the. alleviation of a great deal of misery that otherwise might,have ; been in store for millions' of human, beings." The fierce discontent among the masses which! had' been smouldering for, years burst into flames. A powerful secret society called the, "Live and Let Live "wag formed, and a bold 'declaration made that "every human being had an inherent right to sufficient food and, clothing and,comfortable lodging." Following the tonohing death of poor George Sousins and the ominous declaration of the secret society, we have presented to us an important meeting of representatives of some of the largest and most powerful financial houses throughout the globe to " discuss the present material condition of > the world and its future prospects." Lord de Cardro&se, the president of the meeting, and a powerful figure in the financial world, explained' that his family after prolonged deliberation had •■ some, to the. conclusion tha$ v " certain influences were at work which would cause great suffering; '' to mankind and sap and destroy thebest institu- J , Sons which civilisation and science had com-) ,-i )ined to create," and expressed the opinion that ] 'the time had come to answer' Ihe question, i Should human knowledge, human waritsVahd j laman skill continue to advance to an extent to i vhich no limit could be put, or should the sur- < rival of the strongest and fittest be fought 1 »ut in a period of anarchy?" The con- f t erence lasted three days, and it was finally teoided "by the use of an extended paper enr- a ency, with its necessary guarantees, to raise the t •rices both of products and labour." 'Some t aether resolutions were adopted, having for b heir object the amelioration of the condition of t he poor, and "so ended the most remarkable s onf erence of any age or time.* 1 . * This brings the reader to the year 2000 and a ] ( Tnited Britain, and here 1 the book proper com-

mences. The author shows that the strongest point of the century which h&s just passed away ". . . . With its tborni anrtiti ro«ei, With the dust of dead ages to mix," has been. •Vthe^astonishing improvement of tha condition of mankind, and the no less striking advancement of , the .intellectual power of woman," Woman has attained such intellectual superiority that she has become the guiding-; mau the executive— force! of the world. <«gjj e has attained, to the highest political and govern* ing positions, all the disabilities from which she had suffered in the preceding ages having been removed. Nor has woman alone benefited by the marvellous progress of the century. Crime as ah occupation has become unknown; an)n] e provision has been made by the nation for tha prevention of destitution; the .recovery of debu by legal means has been abolished, " posting the name- of &, debtor who refuses to satisfy bis liabilities, haying been found to be far \more efficacioilßv. thin any process of hv» Luxuries have become general, and the poorest households in the land are now possessed of comforts which 100 years previously were not found in the homes of the better classes. The power of the colonies, with their teeming mil. lions, haa, become .enormous. s This great power had been established for mtny yeab,andlii4d first shown itself prominently about the year 1920, at which time the Irish question, was still undecided. "The' internal dissensions caused; by this thorn in the side of successive Governments had caused the power of the Nation to sensibly ' wane ; and rumours of a great war filled the air, a war "upon the result of which the very exist* enoe of Great Britain as % nation might de. pend." The time for colonial interposition had arrived, and tha deliberations of a powerful intercolonial .conference resulted in represent*, tions being made to the Prime Minister of England which took more the form of a man* date than, a request., The answer returned wm insolent, and within 24 hours the colonial Ministers had intimated to the King of England that they were equally his Majesty's adviser* with his Ministers residing in England, and that they declined to make any further communica* tions through his present advisers. This bold stand resulted in the retirement of the Ministry, Ireland received; its long-claimed boon of local self-government, the British Empire was quickly federated on a lasting basis, and the King of England and Emperor of India,, was crowned vnth great pomp as Emperor of Britain. i Coming again to .the' year from which the novel takes its title; the great Federal Parliament, comprising the intelleotandthe wisdom of the mother country and her great colonies, is sitting in Melbourne ; its sittings being held in the different leading cities of th» Federated Empire in successive years. The Emperor is present, in the city wherein his' "Parliament meets, and occupies 1 a magnificent palace on the banks of 'the Yarra. .And now we are introduced to the heroine of the story. Let us quota Sir Julius Vogei'B description of the lady :— , . ;" In a large acid handsome room in the Federal buildings,* young woman of about 28 years of age was seated. She was born in l^ew Zealand. Sh entered the local Parliament before she was 2C At 22 she was' elected to ; tbe Federal Farliv ment, and she had. now become, Under-seoretar. of State for Hpme Affairs. From, her earliest youth she had never failed in any intellects*, exercise. Her intelligence' was considered phenomenal. , Her , name was Hilda Richmond Fitzherbert. She, was descended from families which, for upwards of century produced distinguished 'statesmen 1-*1 -* *• word, it should be mentioned, which ,inpluies both sexes. She- iraa ' fur to .look at in botb fajoe and figure. Dark', violet eyes, brown hair looked with a golden tinge* clearly-cac/e&tures, and a glorious complexion, made .ups face artistically perfect; bat these charms were What the observer least noticed. oMs 'Expression of ih,e face was by far its' chief attraction, and words fail to do justice to it, ., There, was about it a luminous intelligence, a purity, and a pathos that seemed to belong, to another world, No trace of passion yet stamped it. . <.< ;, ," ; This is the picture of Hilda Fitzherbert, who, it] will be conceded, possesses attractions and qualities of mind sufficient to call into existence the admiration and love of susceptible beings of the opposite sex who may be brought into contact with her. Naturally hex career is no ordinary one*' ' • '« "'"'.'<,". . '( ■ . Hilda Fitzherbertfs } political abilities are such that she rapidly,, rises, to a position Of great influence, and is the chosen confidante and' political' associate arid adviser of the Prime Minister "of, the Empire, who, at this particular time is .the Right Honourable Mrs Hardinge, a powerful and dfefcinguTshed " statesman,' 1 and a dignified and ' beautiful woman. Hilda in timer attract? the attention of, the Empe/or, hi whom is centred all the, qualities .which go to make a, noble and generous monatoh. Affairs of great iinportancau ate at th& time agi* tating the, .Empire, The Eppeior has been asked by his Cabinet to acquiesce in a change in 1 the 'Constitution, which is distasteful and repugnant to. him— no less' than the right of female succeMion to -.the; Grown on equal terms with male, heirs. The existing Cabinet held this view, and in ; certain negotiations which had: proceeded with respect to < the proposed marriage of the, Emperor with the daughter of the lady FreiidenV of the United States, the latter wished to impose it' aa 1 a condition of the marriage '.that should.' the.' eldest child be s daughter, Bhe;should,s»ooeed4o the, Crown, ,Th« proposed nuptials were not to the.liking of his Royal Highness, and in an "interview between him . and < hiaitalented lady. Premier, he had -also strongly opposed-.thejntroductiion of a, bill into Parliament having for. ite object the'propwed chinge in the Constitution. J The matter' is discussed by, Mrs Hardinge arid;her.secret*ry,and friend Miss Fittfierber^iand, as tfcey are, talking the matter over their conversation is ihterrnpied by: the entrance of an- aide-de-camp of the Emperor, who conveys his royal nsaster'sirequesti For the presence of Miss Fiteherbert., It' is not surprising to learn that a ! 'summons i»o unusual raised a flush to the girl's ctieekj nor that at the sonolusion of the Interview; after she' had given szpression. to her views, the fimperor, scarcely son'cealing his admiration for the lovely 'girt, expressed his 'great indebtedness for her frankness rod candour., r , Needless, to say f also, that his de* semination to break off 'negotiations for bis narriage were made firmer thin e%r. In doe tourse, after rendering eervfce to the 'empire of (•striking and important chfutacfeer, and'jßMßiDg hrough ,tnalfl of 'no 'ordinary' naiure "arising out i the per^cntic'g attention* Of- Lord Relioaß *asjramitfcav:Ja Jovec f^c oririiomfflne'has the itmosfc d?BtMfe, Hilda Fiteherberj, become a tetsonage of great' importance. It nf^y here iot he out of place s fco mentibd i <hafe- ) Hfl3a represented Dnnedin in the,i?ew Zealand Farliaient, and that she, had been pressed, to join the Jabinet, bafc under the able' guidance of Mrs lardinge sfie' preferred /devoting her great ilent» toj federal politics. ; ; At, this , ftage, in ithe. novel we. are tnade cquainted with tb'e woodarfol powers fit tbe ]t-miß&ti bi the 3ay; powerful aerial miobioes lat flash through the air. to and; .from all parts F the Empire?; To itinstrat^'th.e rapidity of ransit by these extraordinary] vessels it wiii ba ifficient to say that Lady Taieri's air-cruiser, ith a! largo .party oj! ; ladies aud[gentlei».en, >ft Melbonwia" v ,» . little, 'after ' [ sunrise *on rorint? moTzonit. "'* Tha' - iaalohfnarV **■

veif powerful, and the cruiser rose and ( fell with the grace and ease of a bird. After clearing the land, it kept at a height of about ] gOffe above the sea, and, without any strain on i the machinery, made easily 100 miles an hour." Abont 4 o'clock in the afternoon of the same day Stewart's Island was reached, and alter spending a couple of hours on the island inspecting the immense fishing 'establishments, &c, a s tart wa3 again made, and Dunedin quickly reached. For an explanation of the motive power which propels the air-cruisers with such velocity we must refer our readers to the novel, following the chapter which treats of these flying machines, there is a description of certain fforfes which are being carried out in order to obtain the immense deposits of gold which are supposed to bo lying in the bed of 6he Molyneux. Fifty years previously the grandfather of Hilda pitzherbert had ' determined to unravel the secret. His design, as described by Sir Julius Vogel, was to deepen the bed of the Mataura river, to make an outlet to it from Lake Wakatipu, and simultaneously to " close the outlet from the lake into the Molyneux, and by the aid of other channels, cut at different parts of the rirer, to divert the tributary streams and lay bare and clear from water fully 50 miles of the river bed between Lake Wakattpu and the Dimstan." How Sir Julias has committed the extraordinary mistake of imagining that' the Molyneux flows out of Lake Wakatipu it is difficult to imagine. He surely must be aware that the Molyneux flows out of Lake Wanaka, and that the Kawarau river carries the waters of Lake Wakatlpu to the Molyneux. The day of the eventful ceremony of turning the waters had arrived, and thousands of people had assembled from all parts of New Zealand. The pressing of two small levers were to have the effect of "opening the gates that barred the Dew channel to the Mataura and closing the gates that admitted the lake waters to the Alolyueux; and it had been arranged that; all the guns which had been stationed on the river bunks should be fired if, on the subsidence of the waters, any conspicuous deposit of gold became apparent." We must, however, let the author tell this part of his story in his own words. " At a quarter past 1 o'clock the guns pealed forth, and loud as was the noise they made, it seemed trifling compared with the cheers which ran up and down the river from both banks from the throats of the countless thousands of spectators. The announcement of success occasioned }<!most delirious joy. It seemed as if every person in the vast crowd had an individual interest in the undertaking. The telephone soon an,l'Hinced that, at a turn in the river, about seven miles from the lake, what appeared to be a large ,n'ol of fine gold was uncovered. Even as the news bicame circulated there appeared in the middle of the river, right opposite Lady Taieri's stand, i faint yellow glow beneath the water. Gradually it grew brighter and brighter, until at length, to the eyes of the fascinated beholders, there appeared a long, irregular fissure of about 25ft in length uy about 6ft or 7ft in width, which appeared to be filled .with gold. Some of the company now rushed forward and, amidst the deafeuing cheers of the onlookers, dug out into boxes which had been prepared for the purpose hhovelgful of gold. Fresh boxes were sent for, hut the gold appeared inexhaustible. Bach box hcH 5000oz,and supposing the gold to be nearly pure, 50 boxes woalii represent the value of a million sterling. Five hundred boxeot were filled, • tid still the pool opposite Hilda was not emptied, «nd it was reported two equally rich receptacles -?ere being drained in other' parts. Guards of ■he volunteer forced were told off to protect the (/old until it could be placed in safety." Shades of Hartley and Riley, how the golden '■• nches of the Molyneux which yielded up their ■ .'inurrtß to you pale into insignificance before •In- fanulous yields which are to be the portion i Hilda Fitzherbert as depicted in "Anno I; mini 2000"! Hut we must draw this notice of the book to ■> ( lose, as it is already of inordinate length. virtice it that the congratulations of the Emjv rcr wore conveyed to Hilda on the success of «°r graudfather's great undertaking, and as has limmi previously mentioned, she was raised to the unk of duchess under the title of Duchess of New Zealand, and tbat before she left Dunedin to attend to her political duties as one of the Fertt ral Cabinet — to which she had been ap[Miuted as lord president of the Board of Education — hhe " placed at the disposal of the mayor half a million sterling, to be handed to a properly constituted trust for the purpose of encouraging '.inning pursuits and developing mining undertakings." Following the career of Hilda, Duchess of Now Zealand, a little further, it will probably not surprise our readers to learn that the Emperor on her visiting England sought audience of her with an object having greater significance ilian anything of a political nature. But we f-hall let the author tell this interesting episode vi bis own language, and for the further gratifying of their curiosity as to the other characters ami incidents treated of recommend their per-ii-.nl of the work itself. This interview between monarch aud subject took place at the house of 'bo Right Honourable Mrs Hardinge, and it is thus described : — " The Emperor did Mrs Hardinge the honour < f visiting her at her own house. So little did ■•lie seem surprised, that it almost appeared she t'xpected him. She, however, pleaded an urgent I'ngagement, and asked permission to leave Hilda as a substitute. The readiness with which the permission was granted seemed also to be prearranged, and the astonished girl found horself alone with the Emperor before she had fully realised that he had come to see Mrs Hardinge. He turned to her a bright and happy face, but his manner was signally de- ! ferential. j " ' You cannot realise, Duchess, how I have l fi nged to see you alone once more.' " Hilda, confused beyond expression, turned to him a face from which every trace of colour iad departed. '"Do you remember,' he proceeded, ' the last time we were alone ? You allowed me then to uk you a question as from man te woman. May I again do so ? ' "He took her silence for consent, and went f'O in a tone from which he vainly endeavoured '"banish the agitation that overmastered him. 1 Hilda, from that time there has been but one woman in the world for me. My first, my only lose, will you be my wife ? ' " ' Your Majesty,' said the girl, who, as his a ldt&tion increased, appeared to recover some presence of mind, • what would the world say? The Emperor may not wed with a subject.' "'" ' Why not ? Am Ito be told that, with all tho power that ha 6 come to me, I am to be less trcv to Eecure my own happiness than the humblest of my subjects ? Hilda, I prefer you to the throne if the choice had to be made. Bub it has not. I will remain Emperor in order to make you the Empress. But say you can love the man, not the monarch.' " ' I do not love the Emperor,' said the girl, almost in a whisper. ''These unflattering words seemed highly satisfactory to Albert Edward as he 6ought from her sweet lips a ratification of her love — not for we Emperor, but the man." , •

The Riven Cloud.

By William Ross.— Dun-

cdin : James Hor&burgh.

This is, in truth, the most fiction-loving age the world has seen. It is only necessary to inspect the bookshelves of any of our athenaeums and circulating libraries to find convincing proof of the novel-devouring taste of the great majority of readers. While scientific, historical, and theological works lie in undisturbed security in their places, sensational- stories and bipodcurdling romances find thousands of greedy readers. When the demand is so great it is not surprising that so mauy young authors should be found anxious to distinguish themselves as j manufacturers of "shilling shockers." The Australasian colonies, not to be outdone by fchemother country, have given to this brauch of literature some clever contributors, among whom moy be mentioned Marcus Clarke, Farjeon, Whitworth, Patchet-Martin, Fergus Hume, and others. The success which has attended the efforts of the last-named writer has acted as an incentive to several of his fellow New Zealanders to try the field of fiction. The latest local aspirant .for fame in this direction has just published a novelette called . " The Riven Cloud." Thetitlepage informs us that it is " a sketch taken in New Zealand," and a perusal of the work illustrates the facb that the writer j is well acquainted wiih the lights and shades iof Otagan scenery. The prologue gives v us a [ very pretty description of a marriage ceremony at Knox Church. The cue of the story is discovered on the occasion in question, when au "identity" of the old school, one Joshua Beale, narrates an experience of bis owu in douoection ! with a former marriage in the same place. The plot of the tale hinges upon the circumstances unfolded by Beale. It is always a thankless task on the part of a reviewer to forestall the anticipations of the reader by giving extracts from a work of fiction, and we shall not therefore mar tho pleasure of those who may bo curious to discover the drift of " The Riven Cloud." Suffice it to observe that the plot is well developed and the characters fairly drawn, while fche sensational element is not wanting to add piquancy to the tale. The author's descriptive powers are worthy of commendation, and some passages in the book exhibit considerable taste and a vivid imagination. The preface is from the pen of the Rev. Rutherford Waddcll, who regards "The Riven Cloud" as " a book of promise." The cover has a striking illustration, and the mechanical get up of the little work leaves nothing to be desired. , • Our Kin Across the Sea. By J. C. Fihth. With a preface by J. A. FfiOunE. — London : Longmans, Green, and Co. Dunedin : James Horsburgh. We confess to having approached this book with no very friendly feeling. Not that we did not know the name of Firth as that of an estimable New Zealand colonist and a man of good judgment; but we said to ourselves: " How is it possible that the thrice hackneyed theme of a colonist's trip through the United States can be turned into interesting and readable matter?" Further, we knew that "Our Kin Across the Sea" had originally appeared as a series of letters in an Auckland paper, and we have a fixed distrust of resurrection pie of every kind. Yet we are bound to say that having once dipped into Mr Firth's book— not beginning with the " Pacific voyage," oh no, but right in the middle — we f ouod the author's observations and criticisms so tellingly told and so full of shrewdness and insight that we road first the chapters forward from our starting point, and then the chapters backward from our starting pomt — statistical tables and all — till wo came to the first chapter. That chapter we have not read, nor will anything ever induce us to read the experiences of a New Zealand coloni3t or any other kiud of colonist on a voyage across the Pacific. We should say — meaning no offence to Mr Firth— that in writing this book he has set before him as his model his right approved good master, James Anthony Froude. And in certain very essential respects what better model could he follow? For though we should be sorry to suppose tbat any respectable New Zealand colonist did not possess a sounder and more impartial judgment than Mr Froude, we have always thought him on whatever subject he chose to touch, one of the most delightful writers in the whole range of English literature. Many a foolish page has Mr Froade written, but never a single dull one — or if he has we have not read it. So that when we say that Mr Firth must have taken Mr Froude for his model (quamvis longo intervallo), and yet that Mr Firth's pages are not foolish, it will be seen that oursuggestion is the very quintessence of delicate compliment. Not that Mr Firth possesses or affects to possess a style or anything of that sort. As Mr Froude says in his preface to the book : "He is not a man of letters. He makeß no attempt at style or literary ornament." But ; his observations are shrewd— often in their way philosophic, and are recorded with a certain piquancy that keeps them from reading flat; and further, though he sometimes preaches he never proses ; nor when he broaches a subject of interest does he wear it to tatters. He has his apologies to make for the American citizen and American institutions, and his indictments, too, to make against them. We had supposed the phrases, " I guess " and " I calculate," pronounced with a variety of nasal inflections, to form a large part of the American vocabulary. One ought, we suppose, to be thankful to Mr Firth for clearing our kin across the sea of this charge. But we do not know ; it is a delicate matter this rooting up of healthy, green, wellrooted prejudices. We had got to love and respect our bony, drawling, spitting, sprawling Brother Jonathan, as the hero who discovered that all men are born with equal rights, and who put his discovery to very practical uses; and now comes Mr Firth to tell us that our Brother Jonathan does not exist, and never has existed, so that we are forbidden to think of him, even as a " dear departed shade." Now Dickens, when he went to America, brought us back what we were content to believe an excellent portrait of our brother across the sea ; and he pleased us the more by emphasising the various well-known features. All the hairs on Jonathan's head were so many interrogation points; the entrance halls of his hotels were paved with opened oysters : he invariably addressed the stranger with— " Wall, what dyu you think of this great country ? " and he spoke a language which was not English, though it might be said to resemble it. Alas for Dickens (or because of Dickens?) this brother Jonathan, if he ever was, exists no longer. Mr Firth's Brother Jonathan is a wellbred gentleman, who speaks " as pure English, both in construction and pronunciation, as is spoken in the Australasian colonies " ; hem ! He no longer 6pits — except into a spittoon ; nor puts his feet on the mantelpiece, though he still likes them high and lifted up. When, however, a woman enters an elevator he is mean-spirited enough to rise and stand uncovered till she steps out again. We in New Zealand could teach him better than to have regard to such silly forms : he should see in Dunedin how we keep our hats on. On the whole Mr Firth gives his American brother an excellent character. Not by any means that he blinks his vices. Jonathan is an inveterate smoker of cigarettes and cigars— a habit of

which Mr Firth does not .at all approve, and which in his opinion is the causd'bf dire physical evils. Farther, Jonathan does not laugh enough, which, we agree with Mr Firth in thinking, is very foolish of him. He works too much and plays too little, and brings on dsspepsia because he will not take exercise. He eats afc a single meal: Tomato soup, boiled. codfish with 1 lobster sauce, corned beef md cabbage, escallops of veal, lamb and green, peas,, spring chicken, potatoes mashed, baked sweet' potatoes, 'add ' Lima bepns,, farina pudding, apricot pie, rujxGd ; cakt's, ladies' fingers, winding upfwifch kse-ureanV cheese and coffee. Oh, Mr Firth, how can you ! Of course wo believe you ; but with all this how can Jonathan find time to take off his hat when a woman enters an elevator ? There is oue fault which Mr Firth very properly chides and moralises upon. The American will not say ' thank you 1 . " • Thank you' are words rarely heard in this polite and courteous country.even among equals, for any little service offered." It is, of course, satisfactory to know that America is a polite and courteous country, even if it .neglects such a pleasing amenity as " Thank you" ; but even this omission is preferable to the drawling indolence of tile ooloniai " Tha-a-anks." Matthew Arnold, in writing of Americans, complains that they are not interesting', and, ha vine, found, as he supposes, a suitable tffcrd and italicised it, he proceeds to explain the interest- ; ing as having for its sources beauty and distinction. There is a plentiful lack of the beautiful, Ke thinks, in America— in its buildings, its landscapes, and m its proper names, its Briggsvilles, Higginsvilles, acid so on. Distinction is,a term invented by Matthew Arnold, and in his mouth it has a connotation of its own. It means that elevation of character which inspires awe and reverence, and he quotes a line from Goebhe : — To stand in awe ib manhood's bptfcer part — Das Sckaudern isi der menschhett bestei Tkeil. Now in the matter of das Schaudtrn Matthew Arnold fount! the Americans very defective, and so does Mr Firth. Material progress and the dollar, as ' gods, do not sufficiently possess ' distinction ' to beget veneration in their worshippers. " Respect for authority and the virtue for obedience are steadily ceasing to influence large numbers of young men and women. This dangerous development is, I think, ' greatly due, first to the rampant democracy current bo*h in the United States and in the British colonies ; and, second, to the atheistic philosophy so much in fashion in our times. To .whatever cause the decay of veneration, of' respect for authority and of obedience may be due, it is directly developing/ ' larrikinism ' and ♦hoodlumism,' and destroying religions sentiment and parental authority."