THE READER'S COLUMN

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 209, 5 April 1913, Page 9

THE READER'S COLUMN

(By James Wortley.)

| : *A £I,OOO PRIZE NOVEL. ! "The Lee Shore," by Rose Macaulay. . London: Hodder and Stoughton. I The publication of this, the first prize story in Messrs. Hodder and Stoughtou's great competition, lias possibly aroused more curiosity and expectancy than any other similar work since the appearance of Grant Allan's prize tale, "What's Bred in the Bone," more than twenty years previously. In this competition, Miss Beatrice Ha warden, Mr. Clement Shorter, and Sir Robertson Nicoll were the adjudicators, so that Miss Maeaulay's work has been J thoroughly tried by the keenest and most expert literary criticism.

The hero, Peter Margerison, is a tender and lova'ble character, who well illustrates a familiar type—those who, lacking all this world's gifts of personality, plod their uncomplaining, cheerful way, hewing wood and drawing water for their more favoured brethren, only to be at last broken and cast upon the shore by the rough buffeting surge of a world such gentle creatures are unable to defv.

Little Peter is early accustomed to getting broken. We meet him first at school with a shoulder out of joint, and in the act of being honoured by submission to the rough and faulty surgery of T'rquhart, the great school 'athlete, and Peter's hero.

Peter's somewhat warped and twisted relationship to the great Urquhart, by ii_ series of marriages and second marriages between their respective families is explained to us. Peter continues to get broken, and his position recalls to mind the very uncomfortable situation in which * poor David C'opperfield found himself with Mr. and Miss Murdstone.

Every time Peter fails—and he always fails—there is appreciably less to Peter to make the attempt again. Even in love, Peter fails to assert himself, and the all-conquering Urquhart carries all before him, and to Peter's cbildlikeness, it is most natural that Lucy should prefer Denis, and too like a bounder that he (Peter) should have ever dwelt upon the time when Lucy was to be his all in all.

Hilary, Paters half brother, is a perfect cad, as well as knave, and Peter's mistaken loyaltv to blood ties places him in many a false position.

In the course of his drift, Peter's mother heart goes out to the orphan, Rhoda Johnson, whom he marries out of pity. But Rhoda is not for him, and Peter finds himself stranded at last upon a lee shore, with Thomas to care for as well.

The book abounds in finely sketched characters delineated bv the firm stroke of a master-artist mind, and divided into two great sections—the man that hath and the man that hntli not. The tvpes shown pulsate with the quality we expect to find only in living peoplehumanity.

SOME ATTRACTIVE FICTION.

f'The Chalice of Courage," a romance of Colorado. by Cyrus Townsend Brady, author of "The'lsland of Regeneration." New York: Dodd, Mead and Company. 1012. This story is equal, if not surpassing anything Mr. Brady has previously given up. We are taken up to enjoy a winter among the high altitudes and stimulating atmosphere of the Colorado mountains. Enid Maitland. a cultured girl holi-..day-making in. the West, becomes, separated -from her friends, and after a series of exciting experiences of floods, such as we have read of this past week in the Ohio, is found faced with the alternative of spending the winter at the head of a lonely gulch, cut off from the society of everyone but the occuiant of a log cabin, or walking out in into the blizzard and the snowdrift and certain death. Like a sensible, clean-minded girl,' she makes the best of circumstances. In 'ier enforced companionship with Newbold, he proves himself a thoroughly manly man. who does what he can to alleviate her position, and at the earliest possible moment sets out for relief. In his absence. Armstrong, her lover. Robert Maitland, her uncle, and Kirby'. the old trapper, arrive to efi'ect a rescue. There are some dramatic scenes of great power, and the love story is ardent and thrilling. Mr. Brady writes a characteristic preface to the story, which he likens to the final caressing pat of a mother, who sends out her child, dressed in its Sunday best, for the criticism of the outer; world.

NOTES. Koi' those who wish to make thenis»lves acquainted with the problems of the near East, and follow the rapid march of events in the Balkans with some degree of intelligence, let me recommend the following works: '•The Turk in the Balkans." bv T. C. Piatt (3s. (id.); "The Balkan Trail." bv F. Moore (10s. fid.): -'The Campaign in Bulgaria. 1577-S." bv V. V. flreene (Ss. (id.); "The Servian Tragedy." bv Herbert Vivian (10s. (id.), and "Through Savage Europe." by llarrv de VYindt (3s. fld.)."

"daudins drill-."' writing in the '-British Weekly." for February 13. h.ts some pertinent and tinieiv remarks to make mi "Tlic Dutv of Criticism." His conclusions are absolutely right, and may lie applied in other things than , the criticisms of hooks. It is clearly the "lutv of the critic to write plainly liis opinions, freed from personal rancour or personal friendships, so that the reader may he rightly guided to make the hest use of the works before him— In guard the innocent from harm, and the student from inaccurate -information

—to niodulsil" his praise or blame in a just nroportion to its merits or demerits. 'And this is the method that should he applied to the criticism of political, municipal, and all public questions, methods would elVechiallv eliminate anything like party systems.

Surely the person who sent in to the "Itookman" Hie followinjr quotation illustrative of "The Provincial American" must, have been renilimr Dickens "American Xotes" In which T referred in ill'.' hist notes:

"And hiivinir Lint rid of a thumping quid He spun thU pitiful yam."

W. S. Gilbert. -The' Yam of the Xanev 'Bell."'

The following new titles are announced hv Messrs. .Tack in the 'Teoule's Rooks" serie- (fid.):— "F.vervdav Law" (Adams). <-p„n,l |Jfe" A. C. Ash). ■■Tin- llihle and Criticism" (W. IT. Bennett and Prof. Adency). '-Cecil John Rhodes" (Tan Colvin). "Stndv of Animal Life" i Prof. Mc'Rride).' "Wordsworth" (Massnn). "Ki-iedrich Xi"tzchc" (Mii;;..). and "Psvoliolofjv" (TT. J. Watt). These books will doubtless inakr' this issue still more marvellous than it has already proved.

Messrs. TTodder and Stomjhton announce a further £HM() compelifion for budiliuir novelists. Kutrics dose mi March'"lst. T. 114. and a prize 0 f £-230 will he allotted to <he li"«t s'nries from each of (he following' count lies:—Australasia, Tndia. South Africa. Canada. Prize competitions are surely bwomiiif die order of the day. 'Writers' at am

rati; cannot complain of lack of substantial encouragement. Charles Reade got thirt}- pounds for "Peg Wofl'ington," and a total of one hundred ami live pounds for eighteen years' iilerarv production, i'oliir exploration is providing a tremendous output of books. The "Keview of Reviews" for February contains an enthusiastic notice of "Lost in the Arctic," by Captain Wikkelsen (lleinemann).

A considerable addition has been made |to the "Wake r p ; ,| o hu Bull" stvle of hooks in "The Tyranny of the Coiuitrvside," by F. K. (Jreeii (Fisher Knwi'n. ss. net.) It places in no enviable light the picture of the farm labourer driven out of the rural districts by the wretched accommodation provided by the British landowner. These men. 'with their families, are sent up to swell the slumdom of the cities. Could we but settle these people in sanitary dwellings upon a few acres, over which they had indisputable right, the question of England's defence would be more than three parts settled. ' '

'"Received from Messrs. Hodder and Stougliton, London. tßeceived from B. K. Bookshop, Devon Street.