LITERARY NOTES.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIIC, Issue 13704, 19 September 1908, Page 1 (Supplement)

LITERARY NOTES.

"The Angpl -and others," by Jeromo K. jerome.—Ou the title-page of . this pleasant Mi". Jerome calls himself "Author, of 'Paul Kelver,' 'ldle Thoughts of «p. Idle I.Fellow,' 'The Passing of the Third flfcrt" Back,' and others." But where is " Men in a Boat"! Why. has -tbfctf come a mere "other"?- Jerome" ottfeb* not to be ashamed of that classic. ran insular country subject, to fogs,, and..wii& a powerful middle class, requires statesmen; but .it also requires iuuHy. men, and funny books-; Now ! Men in a Boat" wae a funiiy IS 1 made one laugh. Everybody lov^. I ris, and George, and did riot mind I morency. , People wtrealways A'llfcUe distressed by • the alleged pathos "certain pages, and have been afflicted by the uiany, many, serious pages?? puat :Jie author bus felt' impelled to writeiii other books." Tliey railed " Threb Mett in * Boat " lo>v, and vulgar, and- stibtirr ban; they sneered because it savoured of Peckham, and urged him to writiTim* proving boobs—just as, when Suttitia died, they said severely tiiat he t hid wasted his talent on U-ivM comic when he might hare prbduced eoriousinißyterpieces like " The Golden; Legend,'| "The io® those masterpieces now? In the presohfr volume, Mr Jerome is quite ?■ funny. The fun is a little chastened* and seriousness will keep breaking In but the reader will of ten.laugh, ana bless the book that presently tickles Ja»m- Let ns assure Mr Jerome, in part-ng tbafc whatever he may say on his tJtle-|Age; he is really the author of" in.a Boat."—(London: Huret «tt; Timaru : P. •W. Huttori and os.)

It is less than two years ago thiir ths world of letters received the thocfi; of the sad news of Mrs. Craigie's early 'd&i'h. Recently a goodly band of her peinmod3 ; friends, including Lord Guraoo -lesion, Mr Thomas Hardyi M* Hopo Hawkais. Mr Owen Seaman, sltV. ' .Cornwallis West, and other dinmguiahftl persons assembled' in the versity College to' listen to address^dfc* livered on the occasion of tbo .7unv«|iiii of a bronxe portrait plaque of the talemM ■ author. Nothing could have beefc {t)t better taste than the ctutorical; trlbujd of Lord Curzon to his dead in which personal reminiscences were nlinffled w:Ui/ literary criticism of the'.b&fga order. :' As a writer,'; {ho; Said, -' though possessed of the dangerous ,gift.,of ep(< gram, she was essentially , ainoere,, escaped the horrible pitfall -of paridOi. ■ Her ariistic sense sought always, ta fXpness itself in the most. perfect litthlrf form. I remember once receiving « from her written i» Gwrft imU'cs-^weiy, an unfamiliar feat >in joeia«.! iury!' It was "for^her' friondship,' however, tbat her memory will be chiefly, cherisheed ■ by. those' /Who had the privilege of her friendship. '-She gave the best of herself friefedfi, and dscovered the best- iu return.' s lk Owen Seeman and Mr Anthony Hope alio made appreciative speeeches, and the jar* list, Mr Alfred Drury, A.R.A., few words expressive *of the it bad given Hrm to produce the incdulli&K"

" A White Man," by " Edwin MlUen Royle and Julie Opp Favtrsham.—ißhi story of "A White Man" is familiar to playgoers; but the ;novel.is no less welcome on that account, more so., . The scene-parting is vigorous and enthralling, whilo Iho personality^. of the hero, Jim Wynnegate,' holds 'tlw rtader to Ute last-. page o{ a bcok abounds in anid ]nten»V . is. in epite of a> somewhat melodranMUo style, exceedingly clerer. Forc.th{ lek« of Diana, the he loveft gate takes upon himself the biaad;* of disgrace that should belong to hir" nut*band, and becomes an exue in tbe |J*ar • AVestj: life.4iy»fv. ..trith ,aimtg« „ of rough ( aid k et> , tho some timo hitter 4 il Mf»bed._ .streugth and . and gives fho joint opjmrtv|4ti4i for wann and vivkf writing..' ojf they , do not fail to avail thomstjlvw. - Wynnegate's litile. nativeV #!|e, whose touching love for hiec i# a strong feature of the story, is in pkthetic contrast to the gracious figure .of Diana, for whom lie made the aup¥«ibe sacrifice, and whose love. in the end, when they are both free, _ richly frocnIHJneates him for the sorrows of the pelt. —(London: Hutchinson and Co; P. W. Hutton and Co.)

"Tramp's Philosophy," by Burt K«ti« nedy. —The keynote of Mr Ikrl pb : loßophy is. it« * good *en»e. He ban unaginati&Oi has » f«eling for tbepoetry that tm<Wr lies everything, he has the trms: tritnp* lore of loaimg and dreaming andirtnk dislike of work but in hi* time hi &fc* carried » liixl, ius has worked Wttfi« 4 pick, he has Ixwr at > dose grip»wllH »bc hard and birogty? fatf# of, Sid ba« learned bis kfisons from them. ; {t< does not i*ke himself, ncr liis: *rt # - -sor ; hi* fellow srtiirt, nor: hio fellow \ too seriously. Follies thatanother #6uM worn and deooaace selfrighi-eoualy JtaVoyi him only to nympatheU'c, charitable, lighter, for he is a kindly; practical «pim, and he knows enough of hufli«nits adß <o expert too of it. *oma nhrewd lttJe character akeicb69-irt "An Odd Gallery," and l»ew» where, whether lie writes " Work," on "The Coming of RomAnc#, on Courage," "The. People Who Govern," *'Putting on Side," " The vf Thrift," " Concerning Art and AHlltsi, or any other of his twonty-nine U>£ies, he has alwava the large, nrbaue, getierou* outlook of the tnan who hin» gone Jrtio#* the xnrface and #e«n to the heart of thini* and found it " a userrv and comic "World. a world where it doesn't do u- get too much vested." That sfciccAlo note, that trick of ojaculatorr which " Punch" has (lcligh?cd to pwod.f, is almost entirely absent from MrfK*n■ ne-ly'r, work in this latest of hw books; his ntyle has mellowed, there i« mort of she warmth and colour of humouc in ii, hut i's very tsi» and quictnca* xn&k<s it more effective than ever; ft has shed its cocentricilie*. without losing ttiy, ot its erong liit iog, *ugg«*>t ive, and thoroughly enjoy** able collection of <iisays on Um> thing# that concern every hotly.—(Lofidoa s John I.ong; Tmaru : P. W.' Jtuttfifti and Co.!

h 11 all very well for Mr C"oul*oB Kcrnahan io urge hb bre.|hfr?> of tHe !« he patriotic, #houid« r a gun, leirn ta drill, and go a soldiering, but how tamf men of fetter* have hi* inches,. Ws .ill« herein youth, hk» abundant, tnergr and t-nt»nd would look *0 well iti a military uniform! Mr Kem*hai) «iT« he becair.c a hen tenant >n !}»« new tori.il Anny fur very rharne. "J w#i ajsbttmtHl," h«j writeii, "to think that If war came, and Kngland w<trr» in dinger, 1. ;t?t able bodied man, tdiouid hate trt wa!<h otgo out 'o take a tnan'* part m Uk- tfefenee of ihfi country, whil# 1 !«in.in<xl Ix-hind with tb« I am afhamed now that the *han»e w<a iw !«ng of eoming—- ! h*t I did not. e*rli*f ;n life realise the of n#Vion*l d'-fetso*."