BOOKS.

Otago Witness, Issue 1957, 23 May 1889, Page 28

BOOKS.

Stirrup Jingles from the Bush and the Turf t and , other, Mhymes. ,By Kenneth Mackay.— Sydney, Brisbane, and London : Edwards; Dunlop, and Co. (Limited). A Bush Life. By Kenneth Mackay.— Edwards* ( Dunlop, and Co. . " These two little books of verse belong to the school of Australian poetry, which looks to Adam Lindsay Gordon as its master. Mr Mackay is well known on the turf in Australia, and, is himself a rider of note and an experienced bushman ; and as bush and turf are the themes of his song, he starts with the grand advantage of, thoroughly knowing his subject, and of being animated by an ardent enthusiasm. ~ We cannot flatter him by saying that his verses show much polish or elegance : they are often rude enough ; but' they' have a certain vigour and pace, and are likely to be read, with enjoyment by bosh! men and' frequenters of the turf, who will find a oharm in -the bush and turf slang, which is apt to perplex' and weary the ordinary reader. ' The local colouring ef -the verses is unmistakable ; it is pure Australian. We like best the short, simple pieces dealing with some simple incident of Australian biAh life or scenery. Most of al we like a little piece of three stanzas, called 11 Bushed." We quote the first stanza : — 'Xis night; once more 1 , my horse it done, . No sign of life is there ; Surely I know that blasted gum— IVe seen fcbat JhW-top bare. . But why thus strain, my wearied eye ? ' Why need I memory tax ? For there— in yonder basin dry, I see my morning tracks. -• ■ 1 Merciful God! have pity on me I— ,-, \ • Oooee I Oooee t Oooee^ee-ee. ; ' • , The "Bush Idyl" is a more ambitious' .attempt than "Stirrup Jingles," and in; our" opinion much less successful. The day hasjgbne by in English verse when apostrophes after the style. of Young's Night Thoughts or Pollock's Course of Time can <be . tolerated. If Mr Mackay will .only assiduously cultivate the simple muse that observes and describes features in Australian country life, he may yet write ' something worth reading. If he pays his court to the more sombre muse of moral reflection and preaching he will make a mess of it. Let him stick by honest Audrey. > Who is the White Pasha ? A Story of Cqniiha Victory,— London : James Nisbet and Co. Thdre may be some people who find life long eaough to read books of this kind— Latter Day Saints and others. It is an attempt to show that General Gordon isthe fulfilment of Biblical prophecy } and that it is not at all improbable that the hero of Khartoum is still alive — to appear one day as the regenerator of the world and'ußhtw in the millennium. The following passage will givo some notion of the' thesis which the author or authors have proposed to themselves in writing the bqok :— " Since it is admitted, that we are living in the last days, it is extremely improbable that any other person should arise who shall have the same power and , influence that General Gordon had; and since . there is no reliable or trustworthy evidence of his death, therefore it is in the highest degree probable that General Gordon will appear to fulfil seme of. the great prophecies of the last days, and especially to come up as the champion of the oppressed and downtrodden slaves of the Soudan, and afterwards to bring His * suppliants from beyond the rivers of Cash, as a present to the Lord of Hosts. 1 " ' t ' , The Pretty Sister of Jose. A Spanish Love Story By Fbances Hodgson BmtNETT.—Melbourne: George Robertson and Co. Dun». .. edhv. Wise, Caffin. and Co. The authoress of " Little Lord Fauntleroy » could not. if she tried, write anything that was not graceful and captivating ; and this is a pretty story o£ the love-making of a charmingly wilful Spanish girl and a handsome matador. Pepita is a scornful little beauty who will not hear of a lover or a husband ; and when Sebastiano, the handsome matador, for love of whom half the women in Madrid are dying, appears on the scene Pepita will none of him. Of courae, after much passionate contradiction of herself, the comedy ends in the usual way. Banking under Difficulties ; or- Life on the Goldfields of Victory Jfew South Wales, and New Zealand, By a Bank Official.—Meli bourne, Sydney, and Brisbane: Edwards, Dunlop, and Co. The romanoe of the Australasian colonies is p^ yet divided between convict life, bushrangijig a and the vicissitudes of gold seeking. Tb.' d un- q pretentious work- now under review has a good t deal to say about the, two latter. It is v really a series of anecdotes about early ba&fejng days, A when the bank often 1 was nothing better than a n $ent, and a packing case served for a counter v There is much to say about, noli finds, aa'ts

■ wdl as of bitter disappointment^ Tne'cW. i thab treats of license hunting in Victbriai , > racily wrjttap; atod <the; hwtfcry of gold seefev ' i the WesfCo'asr of N6w v Zealand readllffi! pages of a romance. This book'hagPon v • wholei; little literary merit, buttitf has an vw 1 takable value as a record of : days-long .pasCtrj , of a state of society too carious tp'be allowed^ drop.^into fdrgetfolness'.'' $Ir Presnaw's klj? makes it clear that the mining commnnitier ■ Australia and New 'Zealand offer as rich' a fto . for the novelist and poet as California—if Bret-Hartp would make his appearance to yL The Oirl from .Malta. By' Fergus Hmnj , The Hansom Cab Publishing "OonmjT London. 'p,anedm: J. Horsburgh;' ' " We, are glad :t: to >n be,ibjie.' to. Wj^at' thig». distinct advance on anything we have yet gL from Mr Humes', pen. Borne, may proW consider the plot inferior in .interest, tq tW 1 ."..The Hansom Cab "'; we ouMelvea^ftno??!! allnaast agree, th^Jb •' The Girl,frdm Malta?'' fl point of literary workmanship, ni,»?9hjupej| Or / so much so a^ to giye hopea that Mr^umcß., yet contribute to. what may. properly 'pp'^i literature. , The, points of excellence m' H w Hansom Cab" are, ,she>kijful joinery shown? the, , pjot r -a,.mys,f,ery which .VeVy/'succMgy, mystifies ypu, — aud the- lively' quality It the ; despriptive "writing. Life'on.the t Z O. stjeamef is very well hit gf, (> I'anlte/tbeh are, ,of course., We draw aitanfion 1 to tb!o U we most desire. (Mr Hiime'to' ani^nd. ',,'jw there is a unnecessary vulgarity in certafc of his characters who are not in'tehfled { o l vulgar., Hisfavouriteyou'ngrnenareinUrerjH! offensive' ; in thie resnect. Their tipplifa'b J "their talk 'ate alike disgusting, ;•' Mr f Hunn' other sin is his habit of Baying wise things on subjects about which he evident]! knows -very little. 1 One of' tiie^e. s'ubjeots I Woman. ' So long as he lets his women bhara«t«j act and speak for themselves he cannot, go fu wtong : when he begins to gehe'raßse on the jy in the abstract; he runs into .the' wbr^t^form of ;priggiBhrieBB. ; priggi8hrie88. ' '" ' ' ," r ""' " ' Harvest. \Bs' Job® Siiumd. Wu/Tkfi.-w don: The Hansom Cafe Ptjbiishirig'Con!. pany. Dfunediri...'.^. HOrsburghT'"" 1 , . i The interest in this shilling novelette is wet sustained.;,' Rachel Power is a pleasant girl to read about— one ,of those girl? ,' wifh" Americaus call "/grjt." -We reppmm,end for a railway journey or, an after-dinner lounsj. or for an^ other occasion on'wiliFch you object to having much demand made upon you.