A CHAT ON BOOKS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2325, 22 September 1898, Page 51

A CHAT ON BOOKS.

" Helbeck of Bannisdale," by Mrs Hum* phrey Ward, comes up to that clever and cultured writer's highest level. It is a, lengthy book, and in its final denouement a sad one, but all the same for that it is a book of which one reads every page — and having thus read, desires to possess for future joys of re-perusal. The story is the story of a charming, graceful, and clever girl, brought up undor singulaily; unconventional circumstances, and leit alone in the world to test the outcome of such bringing up, in the very spring and beauty of what should be her fairest years of girlhood. Laura Fountain's mother died when she was a baby, and while she is still young enough to be indifferent to such changes her father marries again. Stephen Fountain, though a man of attainments and culture sufficient to procure him an Oxford lectureship, is of peasant birth, of shy, retiringtemperament and cynical temper — he is, moreover, an atheist. By a mere chain of coincidences he takes as his second wife Augustina Helbeck, of an ancient and impoverished Catholic family. Augustina's only relative is her brother and head of the house, Helbeck of Bannisdale, a man of iron will, great and austere piety, and reserved nature. ' The timid, gentle little old maid shrinks from existence with a brother so removed from herself by character and sympathy, and dreads the cheerless solitude of Bannisdale with its empty corridors ana deserted rooms, stripped year by year and month by month to provide funds for Helbeck's orphanages and church schenes:| sj she marries Stephen Fountain. The marriage is a happy one on both sides, despite its manifest incongruities. Surrounded by other influences, cut off by her marriage from all communication with her brother, Augnstina almost forgets her religion — it i 8 when the easy-going husband, "who has made her colourless little life so happy, is dying, that she wakes up with ever-increas-ing remol*se and' fear to the neglected claims of her religion. Augustina is always something of an invalid, and the strain of her husband's illness an-i death, together with her newly -awakened religious zeal and remorse, throw her into such a state of physical weakness that SteShoii Fountain's hist injunction to his aughter, the last promise he asks from her, is to remain with and care for poor Augustiau until she is strong enough to be^left. H-ir husband once dead, and the wa/fo recoreilation paved by a kindly letter from h.jr brother, nothing wirt serve Augustina' lvi that she must return to the old house at Byrnisdale and live out the rest of her days there — making her own soul's peace and passiutately praying for tho peace of that sweet vagi ant soul of Stephen Fountain, which now begins to loom upon her trembling spirit as v tortured thing, accursed and doomed. Laura's future is secured, she. inherits from her mother £300 a year, and her plans for travel and study" with her friend Molly Friedland, the daughter of an Oxford professor, are all made, and only await Augustina's convalescence to come into action. Meantime Laura accompanies her step-mother to Bannisdale, and then begins tho ''raison d'etre"of the book, the keen, cultured, finished analysis of the position in which Helbeck of TBciunisdale and Laura Fountain find themselves placed as host and guest. Laura, of ccurse, is violently prejudiced against Helbeck, and prepared to resist every word and action of one who "looked down upon" her beloved father. To her irreverent, cynical outlook Helbeck's reverent and austere piety is ridiculous and irritating. Another element of dissension is found in the fact. that; Laura throws herself with enthusiasm into a friendship with some cousins of her father w!n live in the neighbourhood. These Masona are rough, uncultured people, Methodists of the rankest and most prejudiced type, who look upon the " Papist " Helbeck as only one remove from the devil. Hubert Mason, the son, an athletic handsome boor, with a curiously fine taste for music, an exceptional fondness for gettingdrunk, and a coarse love of intrigue, falls in. love with Laura, thus adding another element of difficulty to the position. Slowly an-i surely, with infinite anguish and bittec struggling on either side, Helbeck, of Bannisc'ale and Laura Fountain grow to love one another, with a might and intensity which, is truly more potent for suffering than for joy. But oh ! it is a splendidly-conceived study of human nature — I feel so small and puerile in trying even to give you this feeble outline of a picture so artistic in conception, so full of exquisite detail, so rich in colouring, so strong and virile in its tragedy. The might, the exemsiveness, the power and piety of the. Roman Catholic Church on her adherenta breathe forth like an incense — and just as clearly does one see the weakness and futility of all the elaborate scheme which arrogates to itself such powers. The conflict between mere human love and intense spiritual conviction, in Helbeck's nature is tremendous — it stirs one with profound sympathy. While for Laura, proud and brave, fearless and determined, who cannot help loving Helbeck, yet will not_impej ll his happiness by letting him marry her as she is, and cannot stain her own loyalty by pretending to be what she is not, every woman's heart will go out to her — many a tear, I know, will fall on the page that tells of how death was more merciful to her than life You see I have given you no detail, I have ataxco hinted at the number, of fir^h-.

sseal until 2 o'clock in the morning. As ; Messrs Yates's band supplied the music, I it is almost superfluous to say it was excellent. Mrs C. Rattray looked extremely well in a black satin gown, the bodice made quite plain, only trimmed with bands of jet, and chiffon sleeves ; Mrs Petre wore a ■ white silk dress ; Mrs Kirkcaldy, lovely dress of cream brocade and bengaline, the bodice trimmed handsomely with pearl passementerie and lace ; Mrs C. Reid, white silk dress ; Mrs Paterson, black brocade, the bodice relieved with touches of white chiffon, and with long rucked sleeves of black and white chiffon ; Mrs M'Lean, ' grey silk dress, the bodice trimmed with white lace and. pink roses ; Miss Lulu Roberts looked very stylish in a lovely dress of pale blue moire, the bodice trimmed with lace and ribbons ; Miss Nina Gibson, white satin dress ; Miss Denny, i white silk frock, the low bodice outlined j with white swansdown ; Miss M. Ramsay, | pale green silk dress, trimmed on the bodice with tiny frills ; her sister wore her pretty " coming-out " dress of white silk, the bodice trimmed with a deep fall of white lace and outlined with chiffon frills and rosettes ; Miss Kempthorne, white satin j dress ; Miss E. Kempthorne, an exquisite ; dress of white chine silk, the seams of the skirt outlined with bands of silver einbroi- ■ dery, and the whole bodice covered with sparkling lace and chiffon ; Miss H. Salmond, white silk dress; Miss Stronach, pale silver grey silk gown trimmed on the bodice with falls of white lace ; Miss Brown, yejlow silk dress trimmed with lace; Miss Neill, a rich pink satin dress, tho bodice covered with chiffon and trimmed with jewelled passementerie ; Miss F. Butterworth looked very nice in a

and trimmings of white flowered chine ( silk ; Miss Webb, white silk dress, the ! bodice trimmed with orange coloured rib- ' bon, and sash of the same at the waist ; s Miss Murdoch, pale pink silk dress trimmed ' with chiffon and lace ; Miss Morris, piuk | crepon dress, with chiffon frills. I

On Friday evening*- a 1 large and most sue- ; cessful musical party was given by Mr and i Mrs Sargood at their residence, " Roma- j noff." The night was cold and wild out- ! side, but that seemed to make the bright rooms and warm welcome at " Romanoff " all the more appreciated by the numerous guests. Between 60 and 70 guests were j present, a good proportion of whom were • married, although young people were cer- j tainly in the majority. Mr and Mrs Sar- j good received their guests in the drawing room, but there were no less than three ! reception rooms and the hall, from which | the visitors could wander about. One room ; was reserved as a music room ; in another , there was a gramophone ; while in a third ! euchre and such-like games were indulged j in by the more juvenile members of the ■ party. Two rooms were used as supper , rooms, so there was ample room for all \ to be served at once. The tables looked > lovely, loaded with all kinds of dainties i and decorated with the choicest of spring j flowers. During the evening there was i some good music. Miss M'Lean sang a I eolo, and she and Miss Kempthorne took part in a duet. Miss L. Shand, Miss R. Reynolds, Mr T. Hunter, and Mr Branson also gave vocal solos, and Mrs E. C. Reynolds gave one or two pianoforte pieces. |

Mrs Sargood looked exceedingly well dressed j in a lovely gown of eau de nil brocade ; Mrs j Eardley Reynolds wore a very handsome .

was the heat of the room, the ceiling being rather low for a ballroom, especially whan the hall is brilliantly lighted. The ladies kindly provided the supper, and a most delicious and abundant one it was. Among those present were Mrs Northcote, who wore black satin and chiffon ; Mrs Worthington, pretty dress of cream trimmed with orangecoloured silk ; Mrs Jack Edmond, black silk, the skirt and bodice trimmed with trails of buttercups, and carried a bouquet of yellow flowers ; Mrs Webber, black velvet ; Miss J. Webber, cream silk and lace ; Mrs Stocker, black, with pink silk ; Miss Stocker, pretty frock of pale green, the drawn bodice finished with green ribbon ; Miss Chisholm, black ottoman silk, the bodice finished with lovely white lace ; Miss A. Chisholm, white silk with accordeon-pleated chiffon ; Miss MacLauchlan (Dipton), pale blue, with chiffon frills ; Mrs Sharp, black, trimmed with yellow : Miss Sharp, pale yellow, with ruchings of chiffon of a deeper shade ; Miss Brodrick, black satin ; Miss Rowley, black silk and cream chiffon ; Mrs H. Macdonald, cream, satin, trimmed with lace, and scarlet flowers ; Miss G-rigor, white satin and gauze ; Miss Turner, buttercup yellow silk, the pouched bodice of yellow chiffon and white satin ribbon ; Miss Macdonald, pink brocade and chiffon, and carried a shower bouquet of yellow ; Miss Fielding, lemon yellow satin, with white chiffon. ; Mrs Forbes-Williams, black satin, with a trail of exquisite roses on the shoulder ; Miss Tapper, rich buttercup satin, the bodice trimmed with pearl passementerie and crimson roses, and sleeves of rucked chiffon to the wrist ; Mrs Vickers, green velvet trimmed with cream satin and passementerie ; Miss Woodward, flamecoloured silk shot with, white ajid white chiffon ; the Misses Spence, cream silk, with

idiawn, essentially natural, and yet deeply interesting characters who make up the under pi jc of this clever book, yet perhaps you may gain some idea of the general characteristics from my faulty outlines. Ii "The Gold -finder," by George Griffith, !«ve are bringing a hitherto undiscussed author into our midst. Frankly, I don't like his style, and merely take the book for mention because I know you like to have au opinion on new authors and gain some idea of their etyle. In this case the style is all sensation— of the most highly-coloured and violent type >— the kind of sord\d crime which Fergus Hume has mad& his own. The original title of the tale, under which it appeared in serial \kim. was " The Gold Magnet" and it is one .which better describes the central motive of the plot, since the crimes, intrigues, adventures, and excitement with which the pages teem, circle round the struggle for the posses-sio-i of a marvellous gold magnet, which mdii ales with certainty and rapidity the presence and direction of the precious metal, no matter how cleverly hidden. It scarcely seems worth while entering into the plot, jwhich begins with the murder of an inconvenient husband — on an uninhabited cay in the Atlantic — by the two guilty people (■who find him a bar to their happiness. With such a prologue as the key note, with the ( lust of gold as the motive, and the gold magnet as an object, it is easy enough to picture that worst side of human nature which comes into play and clashes its hideous discords throughout the book. Beginning with murder, it ends with the wholesale slaughter of a naval engagements in which some of the scoundrels who have been making the history of " The Gold-fin-der" are killed. At the same time the miserable woman who helped to murder her husband on that desolate sun-baked cay years before, meets her deserts in a shocking death, the most desperate of the gold-hunting pirates are delivered over to justice and are hung, while the wicked woman who has bested everybody so far, and keeps the gold magnet concealed in the plaits of her hah 1 , goes out of her mind, and is consigned to the oblivion of an asylum. From which you will have some idea of the highly-flavoured mess of garbage, seasoned with adventure, which Mr George Griffith provides, " hot and liO3 " for his readers. • • > • i • " Robert Ord's Atonement," by Rosa Monchette Carey is a book which many of you ,-iv-11l enjoy most thoroughly, and which I j take the opportunity of commending to you now in brief, and shall mention more fully \ another day. " The Story of Hannah," by W. J. Dawson, is a delicately beautiful book, which will | prove dull to the inveterate novel reader, tut most grateful to those who appreciate fiua studies of character and the artistic 'rendering of the commonplace life. It has been such a pleasure to me that I propose to i mention it at greater length in our next | chat • c > t i a | ' The Japs at Home," by Douglas Sladen, though not so charming, in my, opinion as many other books on Japan which I have read, yet will, I am sure, be much enjoyed by the majority of readers.