Literary Notes.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIC, Issue 13462, 7 December 1907, Page 2 (Supplement)

Literary Notes.

'• 13abv 'toilers," l?y Olive MalveiA (.Mrs Archibald Mackirdy)—'l'h« ti'isc question that av5.11 rise to 'the lips of all readers of this interesting book will be : What can be done to remedy this most terrible state of things That a- solution to ii.ll these problems will -some day be found wei Ido not doubt. When once a crying evil ha.s been brought lionie to Englishmen, they tlo not, as a. rule, rest until it has been remedied. But, ill the meantime, how many more ' baliv toilers; arc to suffer and to 'drudge their young lives away amid vile and filthy .surroundings? Home Avork avouUl appear to be at the root of all the evil, and the sweating therein practised must;- be chiefly laid at the door of the largely increasing alien population. So far this seems .plain enough, but Avhen Ave conic, to the remedied we find ourselves "hopelessly adrift. ' Mrs M.uckirdy is not in favour of 11 ny lessening of parental, responsibility nor the provision of free meals, but she commends the labour, colonics of Germany, Av-here the Avork-shy are turned into decent members of .society, and she. strongly advocates a Minimum Wages. Rill and the inspection and licensing of (Hie dwellings of all home workers. .Most: harrowing are the pictures of the sufferings endured by these unfortunate little victims, but Ave. feel that no at'tempt has been made to work upon our feelings, only the bare, -unsightly truth lxtiis been set before us, Hindi. from it as Ave, may. The saddest of all these Avoeful s-torios is the one of the little cripple, John Bench, and his old hen. It is only by means of books like Baby Toilers that the dreadful reality Avill be forced upon so.ciety at large, and tJras the end so greatly to be desired Avill be attained—namely,. the amelioration of 'the lot of the poor children in great cities/ London Hutchinson Co.; Timaru: 1?. W. Hutton and Co.)

It is only a, decade since Mr Max Beerbobm skulled the l world witli his "Works" an one slim tome, arid'was then regaa'ded us ■'■'^.-'young, man of singular promise, but in the meantime, villi the exbept.ion' of the little volume quaintly •entitled "Moie," lie lias done 1 little or nothing to justify the select band of admdiers Lhati gathered around him wheal lie first trumpeted his own fame. There was to appuar a novel—indeed, we'.lauthenticated report announced its completion—but it has not yet seen the light arid it. proba.bly will never be published. seems .as if -Mr Beerbohin at the age of thirty-five has retired from the profession of letters;)-and his returned to , his first, love, caricature. A third volume of his. drawings ( to be called, "A Book of Caricatures," wiil shortly be >• issued. These are reproductions of the sketches recently exhibited at the Carfax (jalleiy.

"The -Stooping Jj'ady,": by Maurice Hewlett,—The scene of Mr Hewlett's new book ie placed in London, and the period! is just a. hundied years ago. He gives delightful pictures of the times, and recreates the political atmosphere of tho ,days when lleforni, as represented > by Go'bbett, was daring to raise its voice ..in. vindication of the rights of the people. The main interest of the story, however, is the love of the heroine, the charming grand-daughter of the Coiuiteiß of Morfa, for a young: man who is gieSiitly beneath hec in* social position. Not less unusual than this .difference of rank-i between tlie lovers is the method by which, the courtishii) is conducted. "(London, Macmillau and Go. ; Timaru, P. W. Huttoii and ' C °it. interesting to note that , Messrs) Methtien arc about, to i.-isue the lilist com-,' plete English edition yf; Dumas' " Cqlebvat-.'. Ed Grinus," and that I lie lirst volume; " Tlie Griuitis ,bf the Borgias and Others, will appear at. •once. ' The series will contain introductions by Mr K. S. Garnett,; who has _already given ' evidence.of. his profound acquaint ance with the French.; romantic, school in his. valuable appendices to the papens lie c]iscovei'ed bv ' Thackeray >on". those writers, .which werb collected by Mr Garnett iu ''The New Sketch Book;"

" The Angel of Forgiveness," by Rosa Nouchette Carey. —Miss Carey s new novel is the story of a daughter's brave endeavour to ;obtain a wife's forgivciictß for a wrong done to her by her. husband, an J because of which she has lived apart from him for years. 1 The reader learns by -what means (Lritha Darnell is finally iiUtruineiital in drawing together , licr father and mother and thus) fulfilling her heart'ii desire. Her own love-story is skilfully interwoven with the more tra-, gical one of her parenta, and is very pretty and interesting. (London, Macmillan and Co. ; Timaru, P. W. Hutton and C'o.)

'Mr R, S. Hichens has just completed his novel, Spirit in' Prison," which is a sequel to "The Call of the .Bloojl." Tt ■will, not, however, however, be issued in book form until the autumn of 1908: XtJ appeals that Barbary 'Sheep/" which has recently been published in America, is not a full-length novel, but a short book in the vein of " The Garden of Allah.", ' '. .. ...

" Quicksands;" •by J. A. Steuart. I'oi .this novel Mr J. A; Steuart lias- found an original and striking .ph>t. At the very opening, the Avife ,of a vicar noted for saintliness and good works gravely compromises both herself aiid him in the presence of a fashionable company in her own drawing room. The lapse is so serious that it is felt, the couple aie irretrievably ruined. The erring wife, in reality a devoted, noble woman is e«' eonseienceetricken that in a fit of shante and remorse she disappears leaving no trace. From this startling episode' there follows an enthralling tstory full of dramatic surprises and alive with human interest. (London: Hodder and Stoughton; limarii: P. W. Hutton and Co.)

Mr ''Clark Russell, who has only just turned sixty, made his reputation in the youth of liien who are now middle-aged with "The Wreck of the Grosvenor," and other '.stories of the .sea, but the condition's uf sea-faring life have changed; so •neatly that he hats determined ' to" write no more on this Held: Voyages ai-e now over in a week that not ro long since took a month, and, as Mr Clark Rusts-ell remarked not long ago in tho .course-of conversation, " there is no thine' nowadays at sea for the development of a love, affair." Yet," even in. these days of record-break-ing, one may do worse than turn to these booke, written by, a mail who had practical expeiience of'the sea in his early days.

"In the Fire of the Heart," by Ralph Waldo Time—Written from the standpoint of - uii Amtii'icaiij rather than of an kngli&nman, this book, when once its,-discursive form has ceased to annoy, gives a powerful .picture of the condition of the industrial classes in the modern natior.tr, and of wliat should be thd definite aims of the great democracies of the future. the book is over-long, over-wordy, but inspired by a real sense of our race's herent greatness,- and by a genuine beliei in it* capacity; for curing the evils born of itis own ignorance and greed. ine man who has no sense of - svi'.vice to his fellow-men. whose idea, is primarily gain for himself, whether honourable or dishonourable, is the supreme fool in life'— such is the creed of this book of democracy's ideals., jtondon.:. (3«0., Bell and S'jnb i 'iihiariti Pi Wi Hittton mid G'Ji)

The serious interest taken in European literature, with the exception of such giants as Dan to, Goethe, Heine, Balzac, Molicrc, and, perhaps, half a score more, in infinitesimal, that is, if it may be gauged accurately by the few books and essays written by Englishmen on foreign authoin. This contrasts most favourably with the attention paid to English literature abroad, and especially in Austria and Germany. In the latter lands the threepenny Reclam edition. —the pioneer of all cheap issues—had made English literature not only accessible but familiar, and not merely the fiction, but the poetry, drama, and even the essays, so that the general reading-public of the German-speaking count-lies can discuss our literature with a sound basis of knowledge derived from admirable tratnilalions. Within the last decade the enterprising Vienna publishing house of Braumuller has issued, not ' a volume, but a library of works treating of English authors. It; iu natural, that in such <t, collection there should be books on Shakespeare, but it is more surprising to note the inclusion of volumes, on Vanbiugli, Congreve, John Lydgate, Crabbo, Heywood, and Sir Thomas Wyatl. Still more astonishing it is to see a work on the alniciit forgotten aitirist, " l'eter Pindar." The last mentioned treatise is from the peii of Dr. 'fheodor Reittemv who shows a, close acquaintance, not merely with the literature of the period, but also with even Hie obscurest, details of the persons and events with which Wolcot dealt. It would be an excellent piece of work for an Knglisb hisUniau and critic: it is wonderful for an Austrian professor. How many . Englishmen could, for instance, write, interestingly and with knowledge of the revolutionary poet, Henvcgh? "The Chateau by the Lake," by Amy Le Feuvi'e.—Mies Le Feuvre has the best possible equipment for the slory-teiler s art. Women's faith and courage are lie" chosen themes and she contrivon to insinuate a proportion of laudahje pnrpnse into her work without ill tile least detracting from its charm. "The Chateau by the Luke" i,s one of her happiest efforts, and that is of course saying a good deal. It is concerned with a. girl who lives in Switzerland and with the mystery of aii old Chateau ou the lake exactly opposite her hostess's home. The heroine is a charming lovable character and the pretty story is sure to be enjoyed' by Miss Le -Feuvre's great circle of reader. (London : Hodder and Stoughton ; Timaru : I'. W. Hutton and Co.) > ■ Messrs Hutchinson have just issued Mr Charles Garvice's new novel, " The Gold in the Gutter."' Though, some of tlib personages 1 of the story move in the political world, and a few occupy jpromineqt places therein, the novel is by 110 means a political' one, as. the term in understood, hero is. a young radical M.P., whose political life is interwoven with love. titkl adventure to an extent which should "prove interesting, and the heroine is a young, girl of the people—the people for wlio.se . benefit he is valiantly striving. . V The -Man from Curdie's River," by Donald Maclean.-—-There is a delightful breath of bush and forest in Mr Macleah'ri story which' 'opens on a forest-farm , that for years lias been the home of mission-' aries who minister to, the people dwelling in a, wdd district of Central. Australia. ; Once » year u change of preachers takes place; and the i moment lias arrived' when the inhabitants of the homestead are anxiously waiting for the newcomer, who has it in" his power to bring' lejoicing or disappointment to the extending congregation. " The Man from CurdieVltiver 1> cannot fail to delight the thousands of readers who have revelled in Ralph Connor's popular books, for tluv'/ituthor h ll ®' .11 similar manner of appealing straight to tbp heart. (London: Hoddei' and Slough ton; Xiinant: '■ I'. W. ' Huttoit; aiid' ! C'6 )