LITERATURE.

Otago Witness, Issue 3005, 18 October 1911, Page 87

LITERATURE.

BOOK NOTICES. ."At the Sign of-tie Southern Cross." By Annie MacDonald. Melbourne, etc. : George Robertson and Co. (Gloth, gilt, i illustrated; 3s 6d.) By slow but steady steps the claim of Australasia to a literature of her own is being impressed on the public mind, and the time is probably not far distant when we shall be able to speak in the same distinguishing terms of an Australasian book as we now do of an American one. This does not necessarily postulate anything better or worse, 'but only something " different," with a style and colouring of its own. It may seam as if there were no room in the world for a new literary type; but that is not so. There is room, always room, for a gcod thing in literature as in commerce, and Ave have many '"wants" that only begin-to be acknowledged when a remedy is offered. Literature, Eke art, as a thing of very slow growth. It does not buret upon the world like an earthquake or even a mushroom. As it grows the mind is prepared to receive it, so that it appears to come just at the right time and in the right way-; and it is no. more pessihie to speak of the exact moment of its arrival than to fix the date of the "unfolding of the rose." The whole process appears to be so natural and so inevitable. There if nothing •.special in Mrs MacDonald's little book " At the Sign of the Southern Cross " to call forth these remarks; but it is one of many * colonial volumes that have lately readied us, in all of which we think that we can detect signs of the coming of afflorescence; just a small bud —vary tiny as y e t—holds the promise of a new flower. A promise well outlined in Mrs MacDonald's Prelude: —

Ta?e3 of the efEknan-sinLng eea and the rive.r, Secrets that forests have treasured and told, Heart-beats of infinite pain and of pleasure, Stories of life for the young and the old.

Glimpses of gladness, of peace, and of plenty, i Pictures of e'iarines'3, ot sorrow, and loss; Legends of o!d lands, romance of the new on<-, Dreams "At the Sign of the Southern Cross."

" Dreams," indeed; but dreams that convey a hint of awakening powers. In the little pcem> "Australia," somewhat of this aspiration is set. fearth as the ambition:

To be inscribed upon the scroll of fania In commerce, art, and the broad fields of learning,

where success will only "spur her sons cq to worthier deeds." It is just these " worthier deeds," and the aspiration towards them, which we would desire to see instilled by our rising rather than the overweauing complaisancy—national as well as individual—which, is so marked a feature of much colonial jingoism. Even Mrs MacDonald is not above speaking of our " matchless pride " as if that were something to be proud of. If Australasia is to ba " invinicible" it is_ not pxnde that will make her so, but rather a sense of responsibility and the ceaseless aspiration towards " worthier deedte." In a pretty little pcem called "Coo-ce" the writer speaks of that national call " As a watchword of amity, truth, and friendship," and gives us the meaning of the original as used by the natives to denote "peace, safety, amity, friend:hip." This is a derivation we never met with bsfore, and gives a new meaning to the cry, which has already become universal a<nd characteristic, and comes quite naturally to the lips of every colonial, young oi* old. Hush! Listen to the call sounding cai Auo-

tral's shore. Echoing 'mideit her thousand hills from heart

to heart once more; Watchword of amity and truth, of friendship signal clear, It boars a greeting on its wings to friends both far and near— Coo-ec! Gco-ee!

Weird oadence, ever music-full, peaoe-cry of sea-girt home, Born of the dus-ky denizens who, wild and free, did roam, Bear thou our heartfelt greeting now, speak safety, love, and peace, Wish .with each note a treasure-trove of joy that ne'er shall ceosa Cco-ee! Coo-ee!

" Madge's Trip to Europe and Back." By herself. Melbourne, etc. : George Robertson and Co. (Paper, illustrated; ls6d.) There can be no doubt that to every colonial who visits the Homeland his personal experiences appear more or less as a revelation, and it is always interesting to see how the same thing affects different persons; but there is not anything very striking in "Madge's'' account of her trip, except perhaps the optimistic spirit which __ went with her from first to last, and mada ever;/ moment "worth while." "My first peep" at a European city (Naples) was a very happy one—and, only think of all the joy that is to come!" It is cheering to find that all this bright anticipation was not doomed to disappointment, and that she is able to say in her very last letter: """All the anticipations of years have been more than realised. I have enjoyed every minute of the time, and my only hope is that I may am day 6et out on another trip." So happy a nature takes the good out of. everything, so that in this little book one finds none of the usual grumbling at circumstances and weather inconvenient hotels and dilatory trains* negligent acquaintance and conservative relatives. "Madge" is always packing and always pleased with the conditions of travel; she meets old friends and makes new ones, and welcomes them all, being only surprised at their great kindness to herself. The letters must have been a joy to those who received them; but they are a little too "guide-booky" for the ordinary reader. Only on a few occasions was "Madge" privileged to see something not related by Baedecker. One of these was the Carnival at Cologne j an-

other "Hampstead Heath on a bank holiday," and a third came in the little out-of-the-way town of Montlucon, in the centre of France, where she found some quaint mediaeval customs still in vogue, such as counting the bread by means of sticks :—" At the beginning of every month the baker gives you one of these and keeps one herself. Every time a loaf is bought, the two sticks are placed together and notched across the edge. These notches aire added up at the end of the month, and, of course, the sticks must tally. Next month you get a new stick, and the edge of the old- one is smoothed off ready for future use." At Hampstead Heath "Madge" and her escort mingled with the crowd of "genuine costers and their donnas," threw sticks at Aunt Sally, and joined in other games ; saw "the real thing in the way of coster dancing," which is, in its way, almost as original as the Italian "tarantella," each' performer inventing his steps and figures as he goes alone - ; some performers being really ''graceful," others "ugly and unkempt" ,• but "everyone in high good humour —dirt, poverty, and misery forgotten for the moment," although "to-mor-row their hard, sordid life would betrin again." "Madge" sympathised with it all. She has the true human touch. We shall surely hear from her again some day, to better purpose. The little volume is illustrated with a few Teally fine photos, which show the author's keen sense of the unusual. The whole is neatly got no and clearly printed on good paper.

"Mum Dawson, 'Boss.'" By Sumner Locke. Sydney: N'.S.W. Bookstall Co. (Paper, 13 full-page illustrations by D. H. Souter, Is,) As the title would imply, " Mum Dawson " is an example of an Australian "grey mare." She rules her household, including " ole man Dawson," with a rod of iron, but it must be confessed that the rule is, on the whole, a benevolent despotism, serving to keep both husband and children In something like order in a wretched back-woods tenement, where there are none of the niceties, and few of the decencies, of civilised life, life itself being only possible at the price of incessant labour from morn to night. If " Mum Dawson" has a heavy hand and a sharp tongue she has also a tender heart, well hidden under <a tough cuticle, and this is proved by the love which the 11 rough children bear to their rough mother, who has borne and fought and thrashed them without one selfish thought or aim, without one aspiration apart or beyond them; who is faithful to her poor ideals, and. does wonders with the little committed to her charge. "Mum Dawson," in spite of all her faults, might well serve as an object lesson for many of her wealthy and refined sisters, whom she compares herself, without rancour, to the " old frayed boot " that has served its turn and must be cast out on the scrapheap. She has done what she could. What a fine epitaph !

" Hearts of the Pure." By D. M. Ross. Walter Scott Publishing Co. Melbourne : Thomas C. Lothian. (Cloth, gilt, 3s 6d.- " Hearts of the Pure " is a collection of poetry in prose and verse, the prose being quite as delightfully poetic as the verse. As the title would imply the collection is mainly intended for children and for those whose hearts are still " pure." The work- itself is dedicated, by permission, to Madame Melba (who adds a few graceful words of appreciation), but most of the pieces are addressed, directly or indirectly, to the poet's inspiration, the dream-child, Eva Lynn, whom "never having seen," he yet loves to picture as " a white-robed dove of melody," carrying his verses " higher than the lark," until the "wide blue takes fire" at the strain of mystic love and beauty. Those who remember in Mr D. M. Ross's previous books "The After Glow " and " The Promise of the Star " the mixture .of passion and pathos, touched with haunting sweetness, so apparent in those earlier works, will be pleased to meet again the same charm and the same promise of still better things to come. Mr Ross is one of that small but ever-increasing band of Australasian poets of whom we have good reason to be proud.

LITERARY NOTES. A book is announced by Mr Fisher Unwin, which will deal with some of the most famous names in the journalistic world from the days of Daniel Defce up to our own time. Mr T. H. S. Esoott, author of "Tho Story of. British Diplomacy," is the writer, and the title will bo "Masters of English Journalism." Mr David A. Wilson, who occupies an important judicial position in Burmah, has long been at work upon a Life of Oarlyle. It will be a work of considerable importance, but it is not expected to be completed for some years to come. Mr "Wilson, who has already published several works —one on the Froude-Carlyle controversy —will arrive Home from the East towards the end of the year. "The English Court in Exile: James II at St. Germain," is tho title of an experiment in historical research, which has just been successfully completed by Mr and Mrs E. S. Crew. The book gives the story of James ll's wanderings after his flight from England. _ This means that a racy account is provided of the King's sojourn in && French Court, and a full description attempted of his Irish campaign. For the French period the authors have bad access to many unpublished letters of the time, as well as to the personal memoirs of the King and Queen, while the story of the campaign in Ireland is said to abound in humorous anecdotes and quaint sketches of character. Scott there are interesting references to John Leydten, the Border pcet and accomplished Orientalist, the centenary of whose death was celebrated recently. Leyden, who was the son of a Roxburghshire shepherd, had 1 managed to pass through the college and to qualify for the ministry of the Church gi Scotland when he was "discovered" by Richard Heber, who told Scott about him. Chiefly through Scott

he was introduced into Edinburgh society, | where his marvellous genius, his varied attainments, literary and scientific, and his amiable personality made him a favourite. He wont to India as a. surgeon-assistant in 1803, and spent the last eight years of his life there. As an Oriental scholar he achieved unique distinction, having mastered some 34 languages or dialects. His ballads entitle him to the place next after Scott and Hogg- among the poets of the Border. —lt is more often, than not the case that the word "successful" is applied only to books of fiction, and one is apt to overlook the fact that works of a more serious character may also meet with good fortune. As evidence of this, Messrs Putraams tell us that they have printed "Tho Clipper Ship Era," by Captain Arthur H. Clark, published! ae recently as January, 1911, no less than five times; while Eugene Huoker's "Short History of Women's Rights," issued about the same time, is already in its third impression. Another Putnam publication which has reached the third printing is Miss Ellen Key's "Love and Marriage," first published in February of this year. Among their announcements for September Messis Methuen and Co. notify tho publication of "Dorma-nt," by the versatile writer known as E. Nesbit, who is eminent not only for her novels and poetry, but also for her high-spirited children's books. She adopts a them© which has exercised the minds of men since the days of Pythagoras: the possibility of revivification of the dead. Also, "A Princeiß of Adventure,", by Mir H. Noel Williams, who has now acted as master of ceremonies to so many fascinating French ladies, introducing them to EnglisJh readers with every circumstance of particularity and appreciation, and has now added the Duchess do Berrie to hk long list. They further state that the darkness which has so long the 450 years between the er.d of the Old Testament and the appearance of John the Baptist has of late years been in course of dieipeveal, and under the title "The Choice of the Jews," Mr Leonard St. Alban Wells throws additional light on this period. —lt is doubtful if the whole history of literature can show another case where _ a man has not only compiled a great dictionary of over 80,000 words in a language not his own, but has also himself set up and printed every word of it, and stereotyped its pages and illustrated it. For 30 years Mr B. Dwelly has been engaged on, the Illustrated Gaelic Dictionary, which is now before the public. He did: not know a word of Gaelic until he was 17 years of age. Mr Dwelly was born in Middlesex, and educated for the engineering profession. He drifted into a clerkship in a bank, and joined the band of the London' Scottish ae a piper. He became fascinated by the old Celtic music, and this led him to study Gaelic poems and! ballads. The more he studied the more the beauty of the language got hold of him. and the more he became impressed by the necessity for a comprehensive, dictionary. Mr Dwelly 'got his pen-name of Ewen Macdonald almost by accident. In order to learn more Gaelic he joined the Argyleehire Volunteers. 'Naturally, he wanted to join as &' piper. His old pipe-major said he would not have f&i chance of being accepted with such a name as Dwelly, raCj he sent him along as "Ewen Macdonald, and with the knowledge of Gaelic, which he had acquired, he passed for a Scotchman. The idea of the dictionary grew, and, throwing- up his work, he went to Scotland to collect material, and in doing 60 worked at all sorts of trades. No printer would have anything to do with the huge' mass of MS. which he had accumulated, andi so he purchased enough type to keep 10 or 12 pages set at one time. UnforeEee.ii difficulties cropped up, and the money which had been saved up gave out. But the author never Lost heart. For two years he rcco at 6 o'clock in the morning a'.nd worked on, save for meals, till 10 and 11 at night. He made a success with. Gaelic Christmas cards, which brought some grist to the mill. But he could not afford to pay for illustrations, so he undertook the work himself. At length the end was" in sight. In all his struggles Mr Dwelly had the loyal help of a charming Argylcshire wife, who talks Gaelic as lier native tongue. Having completed his magmim cpue, Mr Dwelly has decided to take up genealogy and publish books connected with it. .... One who evidently has served with Lord Kitchener in Egypt, and who adopts the pen-name "Sudani," writes a sketch of the Field-marshal in the Academy, which incidentally divulges the cause of the eyesight trouble from which Lord Kitchener has long suffered. "In any account' of Lord Kitchener," he says, "a marked reference will be found to his keen, cold, piercing, steely eyes. Now, this description cannot, he pleasing to its subject, for throughout the whole of his military career Lord Kitchener's eyesight has been a matter of deep concern to him, and during a considerable portion of his earlier yeaia of service he was obressed with apprehension lest his career as a soldier should bo prematurely cut short by reason of his defective vision. Lord Kitchener joined the Royal Engineers in 1891, but he had p.lready had a taste of soldiering, for in the groat war of 1870 he served for a time as a Volunteer under the French flag; and it was during an action in which he took part in that campaign that a splinter from a shell injured, if it did not permanently destroy, the sight of one eye. For years the result of this wound was a causa of anxiety to the gallant soldier, who was in constant dread lest the sight of the other

e-ye should become impaired. But the public, Ions? wedded to its opinion as to the steely brilliance of the general's orbs, certainly will not now be divorced from it." • —'With an elert eye on the celebration of Dickens's centenary next vear, Nash's Magazine intends to publish a series of articles from various persons who were the intimate assoc : ates of the author of "David Copperfield." * The first article, copiously illustrated, is from the pen of Mr Alfred Tennyson Dickens. the eldest (surviving eon of the novelist, who, although he has often lectured on his father, has never before written an article about him. As father and son met for the last time in 1865—the year of Mr A. T. Dickens's emigration—it will be seen that Mr Dickens's notes como to an end just five years before his father's death. One of Mr Dickens's recolk-t&ons concerns the procession of welcome to Queen Alexandra when she reached this country for her mar riage with King Edward in 1863. The route included Fleet 6treet and the Strand: "My' father, my aunt (Miss Georgina

35agarth), ini mysfc'f vr-sro <-he so! a occupants of the balcony on the first floor of the-, office of All the Yef.r Round, at the corner of Wellington SZ& York streets." The traffic was blocked for the procession, and in Wellington street there was a mass of omnibuses, cabs, carriages, and other vehicles. "On the topi of one of these 'buses stood the conductor, a man brimful of natural wit and humour, doing the ' cheap-jack man' absolutely to perfection. Ht» beguiled the time and kept the crow*, including my father, in roars of laughter." From fcha fact that "Dr Marigold's Prescriptions" appeared as the Christmas number of All the Year Round in 1865, Mr Tennyson Dickens states his firm conviction that the omnibus conductor was really the germ of the idea which became so successful under his father's' treatment.

—ln the course of an interesting survey of what people were reading in the early years of last century, Mr 0. Hagberg Wright shows, in tho Nineteenth Century and After, that neither the disproportionately large output of fiction nor the multiplication of female novelists is a new phenomenon of these latter days. Fiction' then, as now, was more reed than any other branch of literature. More novels were produced than, books of any other class. Jane Austen reflected the ideas of her time when she said:—"The person, be it a gentleman or lady, who has not pleasure in a good novel must be intolerably' stupid." Novels had then begun to deal with men. and matters in which the public at large was interested, and authors were being forced to consider the reader's taste, instead of, as before, writing simply for the love of it. Lady Blessington, when fending two of her novels to \V. S. Lander, apologised for them in a way that calls to mind the growls of the "intellectuals" of our own day. "I fear," she wrote 4 , to Lander, "they will not. interest you, for they are written on the every-day business of life. I wrote because I wanted money; I was obliged to select subjects that would command it for' my publisher. None but ephemeral ones will now get the attention «£.>,. the, readers." Mr Wright "notes that the women who wrote in the early part" of the nineteenth century enjoyed a popularity as great as the women writers of to-day, and do not seem to have been Ices numerous. Hardly one of them is read by the present generation, yet Mrs Meeke, who died in 1861, was one of Macaulay'e favourite writers of fiction. Harriet and Sophia Lee*, who died t the one in 1824 and the other in 1851, continued, even after their death, to command a wide .circle of readers. Jcne Porter's "Thaddeus of Warsaw" ran through 14 editions, and her "Scottish Chiefs" through 12 editions. In 1840 Mrs Gore was selling most successfully novels .which were sarcastic -and violent tirades against fashionable ' society. Works of fiction are. poured out nowadays in intolerable numbers, 'but, though we bear so much about women novelists, they do not seem to be having a larger share in the total production of fiction than they had 100. years ago. —Mr Maodomald's paper on the subject of eccentric literature in the July numberof the Monist, gives many curious instances of the aberrations of the human mind Among eccentricities of titles he quotes a swork dedicated "To Father and Mother, to Paris and the Universe." Sometimes titles are lengthy. Here is one by a Counsellor of Amiens: "Tho Demonstration of the Fourth Part of Something and Nothing; and All; and the Quintessence taken from the Fourth Part of Nothing and its Dependencies containing the Precepts _of Sanctified Magic and DeA'out Invocation of Demons, in order to find the origin of tlie Evils of France and the Remedies for them.'' The .author's name was Demons. Wronski, a Polish mathematician, wbo&e name will be familiar to students of the theory of Detrminants, claimed to have created a universal religion based on the mathematical sciences; he played the double role of a Messiah and a Newton. In ,1837 he wrote on "The Political Secret of ' Napoleon as basis of the future morality of the world." An ingenious Italian physician wrote a work on the Aristotelian , philosophy, and proved to his satisfaction that the mighty S-tagyrite never existed. Among the applicants for a vacant chair at the University of London was Thomas Wingmann, who spent his private fortune on printing his books, the total sale of which never exceeded 20. They were printed! on spscially made paper, and the pages were of different colours, sometimes with two colours in the same page. He must have astonished the' "First Gentleman in Europe" whan he wrote to him that it he did not adopt the new,principles, ?8 laid down in his "Grammar of the Six Senses," founded on Space, Time, ; and Eternity, neither he nor his subjects could possibly hope to be saved. The effect of theological doctrines upon unbalanced minds is illustrated by Mr Maedonald in a case which came umcer his own experience. While attending a clinic at Leipsic he heard a patient deliver a learned address on the Trinity, claiming that a great error had been made, for instead of three Persons there were reafly four. At the close of his harangue he remarked: "Gentlemen, I am the Fourth Person!" Mr Maedonald tells us that Newton fixed the date of the destruction of the Papacy for the year 2050, and interpreted the famous "a time, and! times, and half a time" to mean 1260 solar years, beginning with the year 800 A.t>. Philomneste, i.un., in his volume "Les Fous Litteraires." attributes Newton's interest in the prophecies to tho fact that, like all men of genius, he believed himself to have a divine mission. The belief grew stronger as he grew older ; in dealing with the prophecies he was playing with numbers, and numbers dominated at all-times his intellectual activity.