The Library Comer

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXXI, Issue 19054, 5 July 1924, Page 7

The Library Comer

By

“Bibliophile”

“Some books are to be tasted, others to bo swaHewed* and some few to be chewed and digested.”—Bacoa.

Fallen Royalty. The Great War made some changes in dynasties in Europe, and perhaps the most striking of all was the end of the Habsburg family as reigning princes. The Habsburgs were one of the oldest families in Europe, and as Kings and Emperors played the chief parts in many important periods of European history. This book deals with 11 The Tragedy of Charles of Habsburg” and refers to the successor of the Emperor Francis Joseph. Francis Joseph had reigned too long for the good of his country, and Charles mounted the throne at a time of storm and fury, when there could be no prospect of anything but failure in all respects. The realm of AustriaHungary was always difficult to keep in order, and the Great War made wider the differences between the various nuVionalities. The author of “The Tragedy of Charles of Habsburg” is Baron Charles von Workman, who writes with a full knowledge of the facts. There are many interesting details of the conditions of one of the enemy countries during the war, and a clear analysis of the evil influence exercised by Germany. The young Emperor, Charles, and his wife, Zita, however reactionary they may have been, bad their humane impulses, and often resisted the pressure from Berlin in regard to following certain courses: —

“The Emperor Charles had no faith in the submarine campaign. On January 20, 1917, Admiral von Holtzendorff was sent to Vienna to under,take his conversion, but his efforts at proselytizing were not very happy. One day at table, he was exceedingly impolite to the Empress. ‘I know already,’ he said, ‘that you are an opponent of submarine warfare. You are altogether against the war.’ ‘I am against the war,’ she said quietly; ‘and so is every woman who would rather sec mankind happy than suffering.’ But von Holtzcndorff was not disarmed. ‘Bah! Suffering!’ he blustered. ‘ I work best on an empty stomach. The remedy is to tighten the belt and stick it out.’ ‘I do not like to hear talk of ‘sticking it out,’ said the Empress, ‘when we arc sitting down to a good meal.’ So the unedifying scene closed.”

.The Emperor Charles was a man of the 'simplest tastes and habits. He had no regard for. the pleasures of the table, and would praise as delicious a very moderate meal in a restaurant car or a village inn. After his abdication and practical banishment to Madeira, even those simple tastes could not always be satisfied. Upon arrival at Madeira they first put up at an hotel, but found it too expensive for their impoverished means and accepted the offer by a rich resident of the island of a villa at a moderate rent. The villa, however, was damp, and the climate on the heights was much colder than in Funelal below. Even the provision of food was difficult, and the Emperor, who was a dying man, had often to dine off vegetables and a milk pudding. History shows few more saddening instances of reduced greatness than the circumstances attending his death.

There are many striking features about the revolution which put Charles off the throne. Here is the scene which followed the signing of the manifesto.

“When the Empress arrived he handed her the manifesto. She glanced through it without really reading it. ‘Never!’ she exclaimed, ‘You cannot abdicate!’ ‘lt would not be abdication,’ objected the Emperor; but she was to distressed to hear him. ‘A ruler can never abdicate,’ she continued. ‘He can be diposed or can be declared to have forfeited his right to rule. Very well. That is force. He is not bound to recognise the loss of his right, and can resume them later, in spite of delays and difficulties. But abdicate! Never, never, never! I would rather die here with you. Then. Otto would succeed. And even if we should all perish, there arc other Habsburgs!’ ’‘

After his retiral to Switzerland, Charles made two attempts to regain the throne, but each met with failure, and it is wonderful how he escaped with life. The attempts closed Switzerland as her place of refuge, and caused the removal to Madeira, where the end came. His wife stands out as a zealous and devoted helpmate, who in the darkest hours did all she could to cheer and sustain him. The book is interesting for the many graphic scenes it depicts, but its principal appeal is the vivid account of the lives of two young and unfortunate human beings.

The Author of “Bebecca.” The reminiscences of the late Kate Douglas Wiggin, author of the wellknown ‘Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm’ have been issued as “My Garden of Memory.” (Hodder and Stoughton). This autobiography was completed not long before the death of Mrs Wiggin, and gives a sketch of her life, with details of the many interesting people she met on both sides of the Atlantic. Even as a child Mrs Wiggin showed initiative, for at the age of ten she had an interview with Charles Dickens. Travelling with her mother on a train she saw Dickens who was on a lecturing tour in the States, and waiting until the seat by his side was empty she slipped away from her mother and planted herself next to the novelist whose work she so much admired: i He turned suddenly, and said with justifiable surprise, “God bless my soul, child, whore did you t eoinc from?” My heart was in my mouth, but there was still room to exercise my tongue which was generally the case. ‘I came from Hollis, Maine, and I’m going to Charlestown. My mother and her cousin went to your reading last night, but, of course, three couldn’t go from the same family, it was so expensive, so I stayed at home. There was a lady there who had never heard of Betsy Trotwood, and had only read two of your books! ”

They had a long confidential chat, and Kate said she had read most of his works except the long dull parts. Dickens took out note-book and pencil and questioned her about these dull parts, no doubt considering that such criticism from a child might have a certain value. Kate said that she

liked “David Copperfield” best of : his books, and Dickens said he w glad, as he liked it best too.

“Do you cry when you read out, too?” I asked.’ “We all do in our family. And we never read about Tiny Tim, or about Steerforth when his body is washed up on the beach, on Saturday nights, for fear our eyes will be too swollen to go to Sunday School. ’ ’

“Yes, I cry when I read about Steerforth,” he answered. “I cried when I wrote it, too! That is still more foolish! ”

Mrs Wiggin’s first story was published in a New York magazine when she was a girl, and she received for it one hundred and fifty dollars. She had, however, no ambition to be an author and it was eleven years Inter that she sent to a publisher a story which had been privately printed for use in kindergarten schools. She says:

It was with no burning ambition, no special belief in myself, no idea of the ultimate outcome, but rather from languid curiosity that I sent tho paper-covered “Carol.” The great and unexpected success of this unpretentious Christmas story showed me clearly the new direction in which I ■was to travel. “The Story of Patsy” was published a year later, and received almost the same welcome as its predecessor.

As a kndergarten teacher Mrs Wiggin displayed her natural gifts, and after a vsit to her school Dion Boncicault offered her four times her teacher’s salary to play leading parts with him. She says:

‘I think, perhaps, if there had been another trained kindergarten in California to carry on the work I had began this might have been an offer too tempting to refuse. I said: ‘Thank you very much, but there are ever so many people to play Moya and Kate, but for the moment none to play my part here.’ ”

Mrs Wiggin had certainly considerable historical powers, which Sir Henry Irving recognised, for he told her that if she failed as a writer he would find a place for her at the Lyceum Theatre. It may be said that Kate Douglas Wiggin is the foremost character in the book, and even the many famous people she met are only quoted so far as their sayings referred to her. Like most Americans, royalty had a great attraction for her, and she gives a description of Queen Victoria’s visit to Dublin during the Boer War. Mrs Wiggin had begged Dublin Castle to send her a telegram whenever the Queen was driving out:

When the telegram arrived Katie and I would mount a sidecar and speed for the appointed spot. We saw Her Majesty many times in this way—oh! so tiny, so weary, yet so royal, so intrepid a Majesty, clad in sober black with just a touch of white or grey, a black lace parasol, and a plain, dowdy little bonnet surmounting the head of a real Queen! Katie and I wept togethe r on all these occasions, perhaps from excitement, but I kept thinking to myself: “She is so little, so old, and so frail, to make this friendly gesture after years of absence from this part of her Kingdom!” For the same reason I suppose I cried at the review. • • • w Becent Fiction. “Feet of Clay,” by Margaretta Tuttle (Hodder and Stoughton). A moving and intensely interesting novel. The story is told in the first person by Amy Loring, our heroine, whom we first meet at the age of fourteen. Amy has a mother who is intensely selfish, and the coming of an old lover, Channing, who is very rich, makes her bitterly regret the present position, and she is ready to fly with Channing, but the plan is frustrated by Amy. Amy’s father dies shortly after, and the? ingenious wiles of the widow to entrap channing into marriage are related with verve and a clear insight of human nature. It is here that the ready-witted Irish servant, Delia, amuses the reader with her resourceful cleverness. After the marriage, Amy refuses the financial help of the stepfather, and resolves to embark upon a career of her own. Then follows her marriage with Kerry Harlan, and the difficult times that confront the young people, who, though faced with poverty, mean to keep their independence, and refuse the charity of their many rich relations. The story has many graphic pictures of society, and there arc also some dealing with other classes of life. The characters are all well-drawn and the narrative is carried through in a racy and interesting way. There is many a thread of sound philosophy in the book and the numerous human problems arc handled in a finely delicate and sympathetic way. As a story above tho average, this novel can be recommended.

“Nanette of the Idol Shop,” by William Freeman (Hodder and Stoughton). A somewhat improbable story, which, however, makes interesting reading. Nanette has just started work as assistant at an antique shop and when finishing up at night, is asked by her old employer to take a letter to a certain address. On the way the letter is blown out of Nanette’s hands into a passing motor-car, and she soon after secures a lift in another car to follow and try to recover the letter. Nanette’s securing the services of the young man who drives the car is certainly unconcentional, but the unconcentionality proceeds much further in the succeeding incidents. Nanette and the young man come across the wreck of the pursued car, break down themselves, seek refuge at a farm house, and in the morning find their own car has disappeared. Then follows the murder of Nanette’s employer, and the introduction into the story of some very clever crooks from whom we learn something of the lost letter, and the reason for the murder. Nanette and the young man find themselves entangled in more adventures, another mysterious murder brings the young man under suspicion, while Nanette is in deadly peril because her search for the young man has brought certain knowledge to her. How things were finally cleared up, and the reason for the pursuit of the idol ar© left to the readers of quite an entertaining story.

A Capital School Yarn. li Sparrow in Search of ’Expulsion,” by. Gunby Hadath (Hodder and Stoughton). Mr Hadath has already obtained a reputation as a writer of school stories, and this is as good as anything he has produced. Thomas Whitcombe Shirley Sparrow is at Castlegate School, but as he tell Eggs (Mr Eggett, mathematical master) he wants to get out of it.- In | the first chapter he has an interview with Mr Eggett. 4 4 Sir,” said Sparrow, with a Tush, “I am not happy. I am nut of my element, sir, at Castlcgate.” “A fish out of water, eh? And what is your grievance?” “I think, sir,” answered Sparrow, without animation, “that I should not feel comfortable at any school. I am not cut out, sir, for school life. It does not agree with me.” “Agree with you!” Mr Eggett repeated sourly. “But why do you come to me with this silliness?” “Because, sir, you aro next in authority to the Head.” “You talk like a book, Sparrow. And what do you want me to do?” 44 If you please, sir, I want you to ask the Head to expel me.” Poor Mr Eggett! He is a martyr to indigestion and also to Sparrow, whose worrying attempts to got expelled only lead to severe canings. Sparrow does many things, strange and bizarre to secure the desired expulsion, but his hopes are always dashed to the ground by some other punishment being inflicted. Some of his actions would certainly secure expulsion in ordinary cases, but circumstances always seem to adjust themselves to defeat Sparrow's object. Although Sparrow is the principal figure in the book, there aro many schoolboy and other characters, and Mr Hadath has the gift of making them all full of life and reality. Sparrow finally manages to secure expulsion and the surprising results that follow from it will hold the youthful reader in a state of interest and enjoyment.

Occasional Notes. The first cheap issue of “Black Oxen” Gertrude Atherton's greatest success, is shortly to be published in Murray's Two Shilling Novel Series. It is the book of the film now showing, and it tells the story of the rejuvenation of beautiful Mary Ogdon. Mr Murray has just published a new volume by Miss Olive Armstrong, entitled “Edward Irving's Invasion of Ireland.” This invasion (by the brother of Robert the Bruce) proved to be the separating line between the highest good of English rule and 4 the beginning of all evil.' New light is thrown on the rule of law and the position of the Irish under it.

So great has been the demand for “The Shoreless Sea,” the novel written by the sixteen-ycar-old Brighton girl, Miss Mollie Panton Downes, that Murray announces that the fifth large edition, will be ready immediately.

The Oxford University Press arc publishing under the title 4 4 Some Permanent Values in Judaism” four lectures delivered by Israel Abrahams, who is Reader in Talmudic, at Cambridge. The aim of the addresses is 4o analyse some records and institutions of the past which are often regarded as obsolete, with a view to suggesting that their values arc permanent, and permanent for good.

The Oxford Press have published 44 The Diary of a Country Parson: The Rev. James Woodfordc 1758-1781.” During this period there are numerous letters and memoirs dealing with Society and London life, but of country life intimate pictures arc much rarer. This diary presents a complete view of village life in the second half of the eighteenth century. WANGANUI PUBLIC LIBRARY This week’s accessions to Circulating Department:—Klickmann, F, 4 4 Between the Larchwoods and the Weir”; Klickmann, F. 44 Trail of the Ragged Robin”; Melbury, John 44 Monsieur Desperado”; Phillpotts, E. 44 Human Boy’s Diary”; Ruck, B. “Lucky in Love”; Vachell, H. A. “Quinney's Adventures”; Zangwill, E. A. 44 The Ball”; Forbes, Rosita 44 El Raisuni, The Sutan of the Mountains. ’'

Juvenile Department.— Maeterlinck, M. 44 Children’s Life of the Bee.”