LITERATURE.

Otago Witness, Issue 3495, 8 March 1921, Page 53

LITERATURE.

BOOK NOTICES. Mr John Long sends a number of his “Latest Library Novels” by various writers—some, as Nat Gould and Richard Marsh, old-established good sellers; some who have made hits more lately. One of these stories is “The King’s Passion,” »y Amy J. Baker (Mrs Maynard Crawford). Here the authoress breaks unfamiliar ground, giving us a story of early AngloSaxon England. Tne King is Edmund, under-king of Bast Anglia, the same who after his murder by the heathen Danes was regarded as a saint, and who is commemorated by the Abbey of St. Edmundgbury. It was the time when the Danes were pressing the English most hardly. We are introduced to Alfred 1 but his successes had yet to come. The authoress tells us in her foreword that she has derived much of her material from the kindly old monk and chronicler Roger of Wendover, but the love story of King Edmund and most of the personages of the narrative are imaginary. The figure of Edmund, she says, "stands out from the obscuring mists of contemporary superstition as that of a brave knight and true Englishman, the Arthur of the eastern counties.” Yet Edmund does not dominate the story; he somewhat lacks substance. The interest is mainly sentimental ; but the authoress shows considerable ekill in painting the manners and superstitions of those far-off days and the conflict between the still semi-barbaric but Christianised Saxons and the heathen invaders from the north. “Apron-strings,” by Richard Marsh, is another of the series. A young man, an only son, has been kept closely tied to the apron-strings of his widowed mother, Lady Picard. He has never been at a school, either public or private; his mother has had him'taught under her own eye, and has sought to keep him from all knowledge of evil. She is a woman of strictest Early Victorian standards — limited, self-satisfied, and inefficient; yet with her soft, clear, musical voice and gentle manners possessing the now rare charm of true ladyhood. In striking contrast to her are the Duchess of Ditchling p.nd her ultra-modern daughter, who, nevertheless, owing to f mily and property considerations, is regarded by Lady Picard as her son’s destined bride. ' Naturally complications arise. There are several other young women in the story, some connected with the stage. The denouement is unite different from what the reader might anticipate from the early chapters, but quite satisfactory. The story is very lively throughout, and will certainly please readers who do not demand that a novel should he a serious picture of life or possess distinction of thought or style, but who wish above all to be amused. A third story is “At Starting Price,” byNat Gould, the cover of which is ornamented bv a coloured picture of a gent eman and ,a lady in ultra-'canty skirts watching a race. Nat Gould s substance and style are so well known that any introduction of a story of his is superfluous. Among the appreciations of his work minted on the flv-leaf is the following tel’ing testimonial from Miss Beatrice Harraden. writing as one of the honorary librarians to the Military Hospital. Fndell street. London, in the year 1916: “We had to invest in anv amount of Nat Gould’s sporting stories —in fact, a certain type oE man would read nothing except Nat Gould. However ill he was, however suffering and broken, the name of Nat Gould would alwavs bring <a smile to Ills fare. Often and often I've heard the whispered words. “Nat Gould —ready for when I’m better.’ “Bertha in the Background.'’ By Beatrice Kelston, author of “A Three-cornered Duel,” “Seekers Every One,” “The Blows of Circumstance,” “All the Joneses,” “The Edge of To-day. ‘ John Long, London. As a. writer of light fiction of a bright and humorous description Miss Kelston takes very high rank. Sometimes her situations border on the farcical, but the farce is not too far removed from natural probability: her humour is delicate and pointed, and her plots ingenious. IJie present story is extremely amusing. “Bertha” is a' friend and counsellor of two of the chief actors, who does not appear in person, but gives direction through the medium of cryptic telegrams. The leading dramatis person® are a popular novelist, his young daughter (an enfant terrible, who takes" a front place throughout. the corned v). her pretty governess (“The Darling”)’ Miss Colenso Bishop (a charming middle-aged heroine, who really makes the story), and Bill Fenwick (a young soldieT, at home, on account of iniuries received at the front). Colenso, corning to stay in the household of the novelist (an associate and near friend of old times) and assist in looking after the enfant terrible, finds her early companion and would-be lover “a spoilt child of 45, ’ sentimental and selfish, “worse than his hooks.” In particular she is concerned for the little governess, who has fallen in love with the romantic widower, while he is quite satisfied with her attitude of silent worship, while encouraging the suit of a very' undesirable young landed proprietor. on the ground that he is an excellent match for a penniless girl. Colenso describes the situation to Bertha, and the latter replies bv the cryptic tele grams aforesaid. One of these, falling into the hands of the house servants, gives them the idea that Colenso is in league with German spies, and this delusion makes way for highly comical situations. (Meanwhile t-ITtre is a real spy business going on. in whieh friends of Billy’s are concerned. His tracking down of the spies with the main object, of saviryr the semiGermanised Englishman who is in collusion with them is recounted most, humorously. But here a. discordant not is struck. The burning to death (accidentally, of mure

of a bound and helpless prisoner is an incident too horrible for a comedy, not to mention the apparent death by poisoning of the other spy. After all, German spies were human, and it does not appear that these were plotting- anything very atrocious. But no one seems in the least concerned over the fate of the man, who saw the fire slowly gaining ground while tied to his chair in an unoccupied house. The minor characters axe all well drawn, and in their several ways contribute to the humour of the story. “Of Finer Clay.” By Hilda Rhodes, author of “The Secret Bond,” “The Unhallowed Vow,” “A Vase of Clay,” etc. John Long, London. This is a love story belonging to the pre-war days. Raphael Keene, a young man of what is known as “the artistic temperament” without any special talent, returns after trying his fortune at peaTlfishing to the home of the uncle who has brought him up. The rector has a charming daughter, Mary, and there have been love passages between the two young people, but the feelings of neither are very deeply engaged. Raphael on his return makes acquaintance with a beautiful lialf-gipsv girl, only daughter of a veryruffianly character of the neighbourhood; and Mary is brought into companionship with a man who wins her whole heart, but who is bound by an unfortunate marriage. There are some sinister characters in the book, one of whom is a wealthy mono-maniac, whose craze takes the form of collecting images and idols of various lands, and who finally' comes to attribute life to these and to feel himself threatened by them. Another subsidiary character is the selfish and foolishly sentimental sister of the rector, a former beauty, who is led by- a silly love fanev to appropriate a donation given for church restoration. . The story of the beautiful gipsy and her gentleman lover has a happier ending than is usual in such stories. The book cannot be described as a strong one; its more tragical portions verge on the melodramatic. But it is told in attractive style, and has the elements that go to win wide popularity.