LITERARY NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2667, 26 April 1905, Page 64

LITERARY NOTES.

— Amoha E. Ban"- new .story. ''A Song of a Single Note," takes n* to New York 11 Washington's day-. Lo\c and war mingle dramatically, but the kno interest is chief. _A song of a single note! But it soars and swells above The trumpet's call and the clash of arms, FOl the name of the song is Love. X chirm? and pleasant story, told with all Mrs BarrU experience.— T. 1\ « Weekly. — Mcssro Ohphant, Anderson, and tev ricr will i«ue immediately a life of the late Rev. Dr Thomas ii'Lauchlan. the wellknown Celtic scholar and writer, for many yeai, Highland comener of the *reeChurch ot Scotland, under who=e Moclciato^hip the union with the Reformed Presbyterians or Cameronians. was cftectccl. The biography i» written by Mr \\ . Jv. Lcask, M.A.. Aberdeen, and an introduction" has been contributed by the Rev. Principal Rainy. D.D. — Miss M. E. Durham, author ot "Through me Lands of the Serb," via? rccn.tlv chosen to act as Relief Agon., in Macedonia for the Balkan Committee, bno has wriUvn an account of her experience en this her sixth visit to the Balkan Pcnin. sula The book, which is entitled, "The Burden of the Balkans," was published Ly M-- Edivard Arnold on March 2. It tontains a number of interesting illustrations from sketches by the author, and a portrait by Seymour Lucas, R.A. _A special interest attaches to the work "De Profundis, which was written hy Oscar Wilde during his imprisonment in Reading Gaol. He was then probably at his best literary period, and we are told .hat some of his finest prose is contained in these pages, some of which arc devoted to a study of Christ as the precursor of the j Romantic movement in life. It will be • published by Messrs Methuen in two forms i —a two-guinea edition, limited to 50 copies, and a guinea edition, limited to 200 copies. — Mrs Browning's "Sonnets from the Portuguese" are once more luxuriously dressed in small quarto form. The verse is encased in a floriated border, all printed in uncompromising black, Morris fashion, but readable. Tho whit© and gold cover has been well conceived. ( _ — The six-volume edition of "Poe s Tales," just issued, commends itself by the handy size of the volumes as well as by the print and neat binding. The 11 o\ el feature is the generous supply of illustrations by F. S. Coburn, which shows an uncommon range- of power, from the weird and creepy to tho beautiful. — Keats was one of those poets hke Milton, who aro often best inspired by what is latent and imperfect in their own work. Words themselves were an inspiration to him: they suggested thoughts and itrages. and often the thoughts and images so susgested t& him were his very finest. Many" of t»is best poems — as, for instance, the '-Ode to the Nightingale"— are made up of a train of images, each one leading into the next, and all connected together »by the general mood which he wrote to express. Poetry of this kind is much more susceptible of improvement in detail than pure songs or rushing lyric passages, such as Shelley's, in which the- first failuic or success is everything, since the particular icl*va or emotion by which the poet is overpowered in th-3 first heat of composition, if not realised at once, can never be recaptured. Koats was never, in his best work at anyrate, possessed by some single idea or emotion. His inspiration was always general, stored up from many rich experiences of iife and books; and the subject of -each particular poem only served as an opportunity for the exercise cf it. — Times.

— For the post of the Chair of Literature in. tho University of Bologna, which is to become vacant shortly, the name of D'Annunzio is put forward. D'Anntinzio, as all the world knows, i» a leading exponent in Italian literacy life of realism, and is at the present day enjoying the distinction of being the most discussed of Italian authors. Several volumes of poems proceeded from his pen before he took to prose work. Most of these verses have be-eji muoh criticised. But not more so than his prose- writings. Perhaps (says the Glasgow "Weekly Citizen) D'Annunzio is best known in this country by his "Trionfo della Mortc." which has been described as a no-sel of much power. It was translated into several European languages, and published in England in 1898. In that year also, it may be remembered, the Lord Chamberlain refused to allow his play '"The Dream of a Spring Morning," to be performed by Madame Bernhardt during her season in. London that year. In Italy he has » large following, and is idolised by a small group of devoted admirers. Some few years ago he was elected a deputy for his native village to the Italian Parliament. He lives for the greater part of his time in Florence.

— Among the many works published annually which contain so much information as to create a feeling of wonderment respecting the labour involved in compilingthem is "Burdett's Hospitals and Charities" (London : The- Scientific Press, price ss). The volume for 1905 embraces nearly 1000 of matter concerning- the position, ( requirements, management, revenue, and cost of the very numerous charities now in existence, and an exhaustive record of hospital work for the year. To those who. from philanthropic motives, as well as to i those who, by reason, of their profession or business, havo need of some work of inference respecting charities. Sir Henry Burdett's work vory strongly appeals. It is. i in fact, a guide to British, American, and ! colonial hospitals and asylums, medical schools and colleges, nursing and convalescent institutions, consumption sanatoria, religious and benevolent institution?, and dispensaries. The value of the present volume is enhanced by "a ton years' review of the expenditure of the voluntary London hospitals,"' ' in which it is pointed out that whereas in 1594- the total amount of mong-yv contributed to the^e hospitals was £807.70§/ in 1903 the sum amounted to £1 331.090. It is aUo shown that in 1903 the ordinary e\rr>ndirure of the London hospitals wa< ro-ivly a quarter of a milho'i more than • t vis in any of the first throe years of the decade- referred to, and the otlitor i« of opinion that the facts he adduces justifi-^ tli > ory. first rai«ed tome time since, that every yoa; an increasing number of ppopi." 1 hospital relief v. ho have heretofore been able and willing to b© attended by private medical practitioner?. It is pointed

out. too, that savings might be effected 03the in frodnclf rodncl ion of icntly br^ine-"-method-, into f li(» management. From tbc-o if marks winic 'doa of the nature of tho icvirw may be gathered. In addition, rherc

I are notes regarding hospital administration (and tho mam o»her matter' "Inch eonI corn tlif indispensable institution- of which so many paitic tlars at.J gnen in tin, c.x> ' ctllontlv-nrcpaicd annual. — Field.