LITERATURE.

Otago Witness, Issue 3098, 30 July 1913, Page 78

LITERATURE.

BOOK NOTICES

Concert Pitch.” By Frank Danby London ; Hutchinson and Co. (5s 6d 2s 6d.)

"Concert Pitch’’ is worthy of the author of "the Heart of a Child.” And that i.s certainly saying a great deal, for "The Heart ot a Child” was a very popular novel, and deservedly so. No one can deny to "Frank Dauby the possession of rare gilts as a story-teller, the power of creating a plot and working it tip by a succession of dramatic and pathetic scenes to a very excellent climax; also the power of delineating character in such a manner as to make the persons in the drama act their part in a convincing way ; but she suffers from the weakness which assails ail persons who are facile with their pens: she writes too much and too quickly; she writes of things which she knows very little about; she passes from sentiment to sentimentalism ; and, worst fault of all, she ■ frequently calls upon the cruder vices and passions to "pile on the agony. and then is apt to become too obviously a little coarse. In "Conceit Pitch" siie has avoided those faults, and gives ns of her best. The story is subtle both in its conception and its working out. and contains absolutely nothing of an objectionable nature. As the name would imply, there is a musical theme limning through the tale, which, if not very convincing, ;s yet sutiicknlly attractive to serve as a nucleus for many of tile host situations. Manuella Wagner is the daughter of a newly-created English baronet by his lirst wife, a Cuban Creole, and inherits the southern beauty and passionate nature of her mother, which her stepmother in vain attempts to reduce to the narrow limits of the conventional society girl. Lady Wagner forces the girl into an engagement with an elderly roue, high up in the peerage, and Mann ella. to escape this hateful union, suddenly runs away and marries a young musical genius of whom she knows absolutely nothing, except that she has been charmed by bis wonderful playing and the pretty, meaningless speeches which he made to her. No one is so surprised as Migotti himself by Manuella'b action; but he is too much of a gentleman not to receive her with enthusiasm. It is in this marriage and its results that the stress of this story lies. Manuella is a spoilt girl, with good and kindly instincts, but utterly untrained, and as ignorant of real life as a baby. Migotti is first, last, and always, a genius with no thought but of music-. Everything in the world, every experience, every hope, aim, and endeavour is bent into hi.s work as a coin poser. The divine lire burns high, and at the moment of creation all human ties and duties are flung on its altar, and the world itself would be counted as well lost. The position is cleveily conceived, though it is not altogether •original. Mannella’s slow awakening, her useless struggles, her acceptance of the position of household drudge—for, of course, her father casts her oil’, —and her linal rescue by the one faithful friend who clicks to her throughout is admirably depicted. A cry early she sees that the fault is her town, that Migotti’a exaggerated compliments meant nothing, and were forgotten as soon as uttered; that he is a man unfitted for marriage or any attained tenderness, since Art is lii.s one and only mistress;—‘‘After the brief passion of his honeymoon he swung back with fresh impetus to his opera. He would write or compose for hums, hours during which no one must disturb him. He had no fixed_ times tor meal.- ; be fed on his inspiration. She iiifot be at hand when he emerged ready 10 minister to him. Many of these meals were completely silent: bis mind was still absent, he was still listening, phi awing, c omp.;. ing. Ofte n in the middle of them In- would go back f!> his desk or bis • iano. . . ~ . if be was in the humour to talk, all v.-.v, well : but he resented questioning." Like the birds, he expected to 1).. t\d: but. unlike them, t'-ok no oar: in die providing. It was a training in devotion, self-control, self-repression to make or mar any soul, and that Manuella com -s through it unspoiled shows Unit .-he has a re'allv fine and strong nature, -.ml justifies the iir.erc.it which is never allowed to drop. - p’i,.,. ; ,,,d Frost." 15v Maud Crnttwell. London : .John ban'-, “The Dudley Head." (3s Cd. 2s odd This is a sparkling, up-to-date love story on the verv newest lines. Ibe scene is laid alternately in the neighbourhood ot Florence, Paris, and tne banks of tin* Dosphorns. The characters are as cosmopolitan as their .setting. An Italian Countess, an Egyptian Prime, and a very chic Englishwoman arc- the principal characters, in addition to a typical American millionairess and her daughter, the Princess Antoiiini. Clare Clynne represents the " Frost " of the title. She is devoted to art. and is an art e..niioifi*enr and collector ot the best. She is good-looking, of -good birth, and "Messed with plenty of monev . • ■ but she has a horror of marriage," considering it "a fetter which chains the body, hampers the mind, and nates complete sacrifice of the peraoualitv on one side or tim otm r. ' Elm adored art. and her adolescence was a kind of spiritual orgy.” in which her soul rlofd in‘music, painting .sculpture. "She wanted to know everything. to see everything. to feel everything, that was famous in Nature and Art.” She was perfectly liapnv and contented, holding herself coldly aloof from all pa-sion. _ A modern \thene. a voiing Egyptian prince, is tile "Eire" which for ’ a time melts this “ Frost." The thing is not easily done. i!er co!dnc«s is temperamental, and whets his passion. He is determined to get his own wav. and. like a true Oriental, sticks at nothing. Clare opposes him; but it is well known that ico cannot long resist fire. .An opportune illness, in which thwarted passion nearly proves fatal, wrings a reluctant consent from her: but the marriage proves most disastrous.

Loutfi tires of his toy as soon as it becomes his own, and Clave suffers from the breaking of her dream and the shame of her husband’s infidelities. The situation is further complicated by the schemes of a beautiful, unscrupulous Italian, of high birth but great poverty, who wants the Egyptian money and title. The story is brightly told, full of clever situations, and smart repartee. It bristles with fashionable allusions and foreign slang, and is quite the last word of the beau monde.

The Socond-sightcr’s Daughter.” By G. B. Burgin. London: Hutchinson.

(3s 6d, 2s 6d.) Mr Burg in’s large circle of admirers will no doubt be delighted with his new book. It is a story of English life, and is brimful of high spirits and absurd situations. The climax is more tragic than appears to us necessary, and is somewhat of the nature of the breaking of a butterfly. Still, we think it highly probable that the author’s many admirers will find it both brilliant and fascinating. The daughter of the “ Second-sighter ” is an abnormal creature, and the scene in which she threatens her lover with the

sting of a viper which she holds familiarly in her hand is quite suffieientlv thrilling to satisfy the craving for excitement of any novel-reader.

Love Conquers Ail.” by Arthur Ap jdin. London : Ward. Lock, and Co. Dunedin : Stark and Co. (Cloth, lies trated ; 3s 6d.)

i hi.s story begins on the scene of a motor accident on a lonely down in the South of England. The car is wrecked, the chauffeur killed, and the supposed owner, after a brief unconsciousness, proves to have lost his memory. The car was the property of .Sir George Hetherington. and was returning from meeting its master after a long abrence from England. Naturally the man who has lost his memory, but is found wearing the clothes and occujiying the position of the eccentric baronet, is snpjiosed to be Sir George. Who he really is, how and why the substitution was effected, and how it was discovered, and the consequences—these are the jaoinhs which Mr Arthur Auplin sets forth to explain to his readers. The result is a clever, well-told story.

Prince Charlie’s Pilot.” By Evan Macleod Barron. Inverness : Robert Cavruthers and Sons. (Cloth ; frontispiece after J. B. Macdonald, R.S.A. ; 55.)

This is a record of loyalty and devotion and welcome addition to the long story of Highland heroism during a romantic period, which lias for mure than a century “presented a fertile field to the poet, the novelist, and the artist.” And, that this field is yet far from exhausted, is abundantly proved by the wo.rk of AhEvan Macleod Barron in the work before us. In the writing of it ho acknowledges his indebtedness to various sources from which he compiled a deeply interesting tale of “A grey-haired old hero and his schoolboy son, both of whom jilayed a not unremarkable part in that fascinating drama of real life which Lord Rosebery has described as “ tlie last burst of chivalry.”

In terse yet eloquent language Mr Barron tells his story, and the heart of the reader, especially if ho he of Highland extraction, will glow with -wide and sympathy as he peruses this last edition to the tale of Prince Charlie’s wanderings, in which are enshrined some of the noblest names in Highland history, chief among which shines resplendent that of Donald Alacleod who, amid all the galaxy of gallant figures whose memory makes the '45 dear to men’s hearts, stands forth as the bean ideal of whole-hearted and romantic devotion.” “Tire Weaving of the Shuttle.” By C. Holmes ('lintley. London : Duckworth and ('(). (Cloth; 3s 61.) All day long the merry hum of weaving shuttles may be heard through Blirshma village and many similar townlcts in the manufacturing parts of Yorkshire, it has sounded in the ears of Mr Holmes Cautlcy. and in the present novel he. relates one of the stories which it has told him. It is a tale of love and life, of the friendship of two men which wa,s turned to hate, of bitter competition between two. one of whom bad great cause for gratitude, but forgot it all in the ever-growing tide of anger which turned all the better part of his nature to gall. It is a clever and an interesting tale, with an appeal to real life and the every-day experiences of men. Both Esholt and Tempest am undoubtedly studies from the life and -so are most of the minor characters, the result being one of those stories of real life which appeal to every reader. LITERARY NOTES. Dr Alary Sullivan has prejjaa-t d for Messrs i'n nams a work ( milled ‘"Court Masques of .lames I." In this illustrated volume the author deals witii the influence of the Conn n;■!.-■(jac« on tile public theaires, and ine denla.'ly does an ay with the o!d story th.it ssliakc.-jj; are and his followers were “rogues and vagabonds,” Dr- M Kp-lein's translation of Professor Wen:*t Soudan : V important book, 'The Jews and .Med; rn Capitalism,” has hern jmlri by Mr i'nwin. Never before has there '>•<••• ataempt.-d a survey of t he Jews in r. la: ion to modern capitalism by an econom ,-t who lias made the development of caf. 11 a’m Ins hfe study. Professor Sombart’s s t-uch questions as tile Jewish ccmr.hn: o i to modern iconomic life, the -aimilk-tin of tie- Ji wish religion from an economic (joint of view, the race characteristics of the Jews, and the causes of their sneers-, in affairs of finance. The work has been widely dtsctt-se.l in Germany, and is both important to the student and attractive to the general reader. “Trails and Tramps in Alaska and Newfoundland” has been written for the Putnams by W illiam S. d homas, who is also the author of a very sympathetic volume entitled “Hunting Big Game with Gun and Kodak.” In the new work the author gives a spiriting and refreshing account of his hunting and carnj) experiences in widely separated areas of the North American continent. Mr Thomas’s

camera has recorded, -with fidelity, the life of the creatures of the wild. —ln “Social Studies of To-day,

volume published by Mr Unwin, Professor Hugo Munsferberg deals with present-day tendencies in the two countries best known to him, the United States and Germany, lie discusses, for instance, American patriotism and the attitude of Americans travelling; in Europe; the complete untrustworthiness of the American newspaper, and its effect on the public mind and morals; the Gorman woman pf to-day—her education. emancipation, and general position; the “pros'" and “cons’' of co-education; and various educational questions in America and Germany. The work of one of the moc-t distinguished living psychologists, the book is full of insight and interest, and is in close touch wth actualities. “Wanted: by a Harvard Graduate, a permanent position as husband. Carefu ly trained by an anxious mother and used to feminine domination. Never answers back. Is content with word next to the last. Good house-cleaner and no objection to warmed-over dinners. Can road Transcript. Without physical attractions: but tall, a-nd of a temperament warranted to avoid corpulency with advancing years. Teeth good. Hair a bit frayed, but still plentiful.. Though without brilliancy, has assortment of miscellaneous homely virtues; list on application. Would accept engagement for six months on trial. Money no object. Kind treatment rather than luxury desired. Warranted sound and kind, and can trot in double harness or money refunded.” Tins advertisement, inserted in a newspaper bv “Mere Man." arouses the curiosity and

stimulates tlie inventiveness of ‘‘Mere Woman,” who exchanges with the applicant it series of notes, crisp as well as of oofter tissue, that are the legal tender of file matrimonial marker. This correspondence has been gathered into book form by Brian Read and Anna Fuller, author of "A Literary Courtship.”

- Mr Robert Nunez Lyre, F.L.S., F.R.G.S., in “Mozambique: Its Agricultural Development,” has an extremely interesting chapter on the management of the native, in which is a good word for the Arabs, who built up the clove industry in Zanzibar, and who. ‘‘in their ability to control and influence natives, have surpassed all the ruling races that have succeeded one another in Fast Africa.” 'l ive Arab recognised the fact of physical and mental inequality, and therefore did not exact a definite amount of work for a. definite amount of nay. ‘‘The Arab never act a task . . . ilis labourers wont out to pick cloves, and some brought in five measures and some 15; but all received a like recompense in money, food, and cloth-

ing. . . . The Arab was content to get his cloves picked, leaving it more or less to the people themselves who should pick them from day to day. Ilis guiding maxim with Ids people was tolerance, echoing the ways of the natives themselves.” - Some surprising statistics concerning the volume of literature yearly published in G( niianv are given in Mr Price Collier’s book “Germany um! the Germans” (Duckworth; 7s 6d). In the year 1911 10.914 hooks were published in England; in 1910 13,470 books were published in America; and in I he same year 31,281 books wore published in Germany. Thus the average publication in Germany averages ICO books for every day in the week excluding Sunday! Of this amazing total the main items were us follow: 4852 volumes on education and juvenile literature, 4134 dealing with belles-lettres, 3215 with law and political economy. 2510 with theology, 2082 with commerce and industry. 19S1 with medicine, 1254 with history and biography, and 981 art. We speak in England of degenerate days in which wo are deluged with books—bur 3215 law books per annum!

Few women can bo so familiar with tho Kino- of tho Wilderness as airs Fred Maturin (Edith Cccil-l?oreh). whose “Adventures Beyond the Zambesi’* (Nash) as tho Rebel-Woman, with tho O’Flaherty, the insular Miss, and the So’dier Man, contain many thrilling lion tales. One evening she met a lion in a forest of impenetrable grass. She was unite alone—her gun-bearer, I.an Wan, having disappeared—-two miles from camp. “Through the long, dry grass, a largo male lion stood gazing at me. . . . I stood still a.-> lie. All my blood appeared to rush to my head. I could not have stirred had I wished to. I stood still. I don l think 1 even hreailied, or that my heart gave one faint beat for some seconds. 1 must, stand unite, quite still, and stare Kick. . . It was, perhaps, my only chance. ’ In all her terror she was conscious of tile animal's great beauty. She watched him draw a step or two back: "I thought ho was about to spring, but I took care not to move, mastering my tenable, but fatal, instinct to turn and run. Then he dropped his head . . . and with obvious fear slunk quickly away!” That was at Deni River. Stowaways give the railway authorities notch trouble in Canada. In “Confessions oi a 1 er:derfoot ’ Mr Ra’ph Stock writes that once be found himself stranded at \\ nnitpeg. almost penniless. He wanted to go west to his ranch Fate led him to a t rc.ght-tr:; in waiting for its engine, and a , “hobo" (tramp) who asked for “a chew, ’ his in ad coming out of a pipe—one of three which were part of the freight. ‘ Fin in the first pipe, my clothes in tho second, and ny grub in the third,” said he. “I’ve never paid a train fare yet.” ‘Do you flunk there s room for me on this outfit?" qmrifd “Tenderfoot.” “Waal, II! tell yon. he said, leaning towards mo a tel \\ It t.-peri ng confidentially m mv ear. This train’s Tout the best I ever "struck for Ir atin , and its fair full o’ men, though you can’t see ’em. See that box-car full of coal ? Waal, it isn’t full. Just up at th-- top there s a hole that’s been made by tlirowin’ some o’ the eoa.l out on tho In’, and there’s a man up there; saw hjm get in myself. Kee that car of lumber? 'I here s a man in the middle o’ that, ’cos he came over and asked me for a chew. And there’s one goin’ to work his way tip by helpm the stoker; hut I’ve had some of that, and he can keep the job. But to mv mind the best place in the whole outfit has been left out, and I had a. mind to give up these quarters for it. and that's the n frigeratcr.” And “Tenderloot” made the run in the refrigerator, .-hot in iiv the friendly "hoho.” He stumbled into something srrft and alive, and a voice ea.me out of the darkness: “Who you pushin’, stranger?" There were more thrills before (he end of the ride.