“READER’S” NOTES.

Timaru Herald, Volume XCVIII, Issue 18084, 4 June 1923, Page 13

“READER’S” NOTES.

(Written for the Herald.) ! I have just read “Mendoza and a Little Lady,” by William Caine. Although this author has some score of ! books to his credit, this is the first ' Avork of his I have read. The plot is somewhat - extravagant and the char- ' aiders rather fantastic; but, while the book shows occasional signs of careless . era usmans!) ip, there are frequent | clever touches Avhich prevent it being { commonplace. The story concerns several artists wvho contribute sketches to a j magazine published by a Mr Albert ■ Punchester. Hie author makes it quite clear that this Avas a magazine for the cultured public, and not “the great magazine public, which gluts itself happily month by month on the photograph's of actresses and crook stories and articles about the lure of Broadway, and life on the other side, and strong serials by Mrs This, Sir That, and Mr The Other.” The folloAving" is an amusing skit on the cleverness of the conversation at a literary At Home : “No I don’t propose to give you Punchester’s party in detail or at any length. We have had enough of that sore of thing. So AA'hat the great Bohemians avlio Avere there congregated did and all the devilish clever things they said to one another, yoAi not hoar from ine. AYh'iit a great man says is generally great only Avliile he is saying it. Written down it loses such a lot—sometimes qide ninety-nine per cent. But stay! It occurs to me that you may think I am shirking my job or that I can’t do it. I ,don’t Avant that at all. lam a thoroughly conscientious fellow and Heaven forbid that I should seem to be ca’ing canny. And Avhen it comes to writing the talk of brilliant men, 1 Hatter myself I can do it as Avell as anybody. ’ So lest you should be harbouring any thoughs of this kind, you shall have a few samples of first rate Bohemian dialogue at once : —,

“Said Benhope Pyle to Dempsey Wilding: ‘This is damn good champagne that Punehester’s giving .us.’ And Dempsey said: ‘Yes, it is, isn’t it ?’ “And Pyle responded: ‘I believe you.’ “After Avhich Richmond Yelverton observed : ‘Decidedly.’ “In another corner Leo Lempster Avas saying to Andreiv Fothergill:— ‘Did I see you in Garrick Street, yesterday, AmlreAV ?’ “To Avhich Fothergill replied: ‘No.’ ‘Ah,’ said Leo, ‘then it must have been somebody else.” |Yes,’ said Andrew. “ElsoAvhere George Patterson said: ‘Robbie, old boy, are you doing anything to-night? If not, come and take pot-luck Avith Flspetli and me.’ ‘Splendid!’ silid William Robertson. ‘What time?’ ‘Oh,’ said the other, ‘7.30 as usual.’ ‘Splendid ’ said William Robertson, ‘it's a bet-.’ ‘I said,” said Maria Mose, from one end of the soft in the drawing-room, ‘you are insolent, and since you want to go at once you shall.’ ‘Quite right,’ said Cora Pears, from the other end. Once they’ve been insolent the only thing to do is to get rid of them immediately. Otherwise you’re asking for it.’ ‘flow I hate them ’ said Miss Mose. Hu do ],’ said her friend. “ I be.se were the two cleverest avoMieii in London. , “Now then. “But, in mv opinion, the finest touch m the book is the description of Avhat one might call 'Grossing the Line,’ between youth and middle age : ‘On tiie journey of every man there comes an hour when Youth, that gay companion, says: ‘Here, friend, we part. There lies your road. Another must conduct you now,’ ami suddenly is gone. Hum the wayfarer discovers that the. path up Avhich lie has been moving (and not quite so comfortably o late) lias ceased to climb. Ho stands the sea with all its ships. Before him bat lied m sunlight, falls away the pleasant country where hitherto lie has dwelt. There are die green slopes, the lut corn lands, die noble cities, and die sea with all it sships. Before him die path descends—not abruptly, not wholly robbed of sunshine—but it descends, definitely, inexorably. And into Avliat? A darkness. The wind strikes cJiil , hero, on the traveller’s face, and, as he (mils bis clonk about; him, he sees upon die road bis new companion beckoning him (o advance.’’