The Library Comer

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXXII, Issue 19367, 25 July 1925, Page 7

The Library Comer

By

“Bibliophile”

“Some books are to be tasted, others to be swallowed, and some few to be chewed and digested.”—Bacon.

[ A Year of Prophesying, by H. G. Wells. 1 his work (which comes through A. D. Willis Ltd.) consists of fifty-five very able journalistic articles from the pen of Mr. H. G. Wells. These articles, written week by week during .1924, deal with the current events of that time, political events coming in for the main share of his attention. So he deals with the League of Nations, with the Singapore Arsenal, with the Labour Party, with Communism, Fascism, India, etc..; he deals with the question of the. Little House, with schools, avia lion, etc.; he deals with such men a-; Mr. Asquith and Winston Church’ll. Mr. Wells is far from satisfied with things as they are, and while he criticises he looks forward to a better future.

Evidently the writing of these articles was not, an unmixed joy to Mr. Wells. Ho says: “Fifty-four articles have 1. written in the last twelve months, and this will be the fifty-fifth, but, 1. desist. I turn over the book into which my secretary with a relentless regularity has pasted them all. Some I. like; some seem to be saying something quite acceptable to me, but imperfectly and in a rather ill-natured form; some are just bad. My admiration for the masters of journalism has grown to immense proportions after these efforts. . . I had never realised before the tremendous hardship of periodicity. Every week or every day the. writer must chow the cud of events and deliver his punctual copy. Every day, wet or line, the newspaper sheet must bo filled; filled but not congested. But it is only now and then that the phase is good for really happy writing. Sometimes something is germinating but nothing seems to happen; at other times a dozen different issues compete for attention. Now one does not want to write because there is nothing to stimulate one to utterance; now because one wants time to consider some dominating event. But. the columns stand waiting. Henceforth for my poor irregular brain there shall be no more periodicity.”

Most of the work is serious, but this description of Air. Asquith is rather amusing. “He h<ns to perfection that ability to deal with a part of an issue as if it were the whole which was characteristic of the groat A'ictorian scholars and gentlemen. If Mr. Asquith were a mechanic and you asked him to make you an automobile, he, would presently produce two wheels, a clutch, and a radiator with so perfect and dignified a manner that you would hardly realise that you had not. the complete car until you stepped through it. . . If Air. Asquith wore a domestic hen ho would lay eggs consisting of about two-thirds of a shell and as much yoke as would cover a sixpence, but ho would cluck so bravely that you would credit him with a complete omelette.”

Yourself And Your Body, by Wilfred T. Grenfell, AI.D., Superintendent of the International Grenfell Association, Labrador. (Hodder and Stoughton).

This is a. physiology book, written for children, and is in many ways verv different from the usual kind* of physiology. To begin with, it is written in a pleasant conversational style, a father talking to his children, and instead of the difficult scientific terms, ordinary everyday names arc applied, and the use of the various parts is explained by reference to everyday objects. There are numerous illustrations, and these again are unusual. Some arc decidedly quaint and many of them contain sketches of two small boys in dunces’ caps, evidently the author’s sons. Though intended mainly for children, the subject, is fully treated and the older people will enjoy reading the book and will gain from it a wonderful amount of information.

Perhaps these sections from the open ing chapter “Living Machinery,’ which deals generally with the whole subject, will give some idea of the book.

“This is the most wonderful story in the world. Marvellous things are built by man. but th.'s is more wonderful Ilian a fairy palace, for every brick is alive, and the parts make themselves. It is the only real automatic machinery in the world. Moreover, the units make their own rules, choose some to govern the rest, while they train others to do all the repairing, feeding, draining, lending the pumps, ami manufacturing of everything needed, from a drainpipe to a sewing-machine. They do all their own cleaning. They keep their own police and maintain armies to protect the whole machine. There is nothing they do not do. . . The cells get together into groups just like manufacturing companies; ami they are the wisest companies over formed—small as they are. One, lot enables us to have thoughts. The brain is our thought factory, and also our general headquarters, with the generals, staff officers, and orderlies. 11 is the scat of government, of lh<* general telegraph, of the telephone, and is a wireless projector as well as receiver. This machine is the smallest machine for carrying on so much work that ever existed. It has all the other companies associated with it, but it directs them all. The cells unite for every sort of work: to make glass like the front of the eye. or strings to catch sounds as in the car, or tastebuds to warn us of dangerous things in our mouths which we must not swallow. or, on the other hand, to help us ( ‘ n j°.y good food; or to digest what we eat, as the stomach, liver, and pancreas cells do. Some cells unite to tie things together, like ligaments, or to keep them from bumping, like elastic tissue buffers. Some cells, like coral animals, build the framework up, such as bone, and others form the engines to move it i about, like muscle-cells; some build the pipes for circulating streams; some keep those pipes clean; some carry oxygen down the pipes to burn up and give the machine its horse-power: some carrv food down the pipes, others bring materials for building. Some are police men who catch burglars, or fight enemies as soldiers do. Some build the skin as a rampart to protect the outside 'and keep it in repair; others cover it | with hair Io keep it, warm. Others [make our nails, so that we <-an pick things up. Others make soft, warm, smooth coverings for till the inside .things, and others, still, are just gretisers, who oil the joints and keep soft; Ifhe lining of all the hollow parts of

the machinery, such as food-tubes ■ intestines, or the inside of the mou' and nose.

The most important of all the colls are called the .seed-cells which, make new flowers, or the egg-cells, which make new birds and fishes. We even have pirate cells, which are good cells to begin with, only they have turned pirates and kill and rob the others. Sometimes these fights are with pirates like the tumour-cells or the caucer-cells, and sometimes with regular invading armies.

Blinds Down, by Horace A. Vachcll. (John Murray).

The Honourable Misses Maulcvcrei, daughters of the seventeenth Lord Mauleverei, lived at the old Down House in Charminstor. Ono side of this house faced a paddock sloping prettily down to the river, and beyond again were other fields of a park-like character This view was very pleasant to gaze upon and the ladies delighted in it. But at the other side of the house was a mean street known as Hog Lane, which certainly was not pleasant to sec. Consequently the blinds on this side were always kept down. In the same way the two elder ladies (the Honourable Jacqueline and the Honourable Prudence) tried to deal only with the pleasanter parts of life; and as far as possible their friends aided them in doing so and spared the ladies the knowledge of whatever would distress them. Especially anxious were these two ladies to shield their little half-sis-ter, Rosetta, whom they adored, from contact with the seamy side of life. But Hog Lane was still there though the blinds were down, and there was another side to life,’as Rosetta discovered later. It is an interesting story, well worth reading.

Money in Bees in Australasia, by Tarl ton Payment. (Published by Whit combe and Tombs. Ltd.).

This book will be welcomed bv all bee-keepers for it is written so clearly as to be understood by the beginner, and is complete enough to be of service to lhe experienced bee-farmer. It deals with the whole subject, from the choosing of the locality and the setting-up of the hives right through to the mar keting of the honey and the wax. All the necessary equipment is dealt with in detail, the various operations fully described, also the diseases and other difficulties likely to be mot with, and the chief honey plants with the honey they produce. The book is well illustrated, and is divided into four sections dealing with the work of the four seasons—spring, summer, autumn, and winter.

The Divine Lady, by E. Barrington (through 11. T. Jones and Son).

This is the well-known story of that fascinating beauty, Emma, Lady Hamilton, ami. told in Mr. Barrington’s charming style, it makes very interesting reading. The book deals with her life in London, under the protection of the Hon. Charles Greville, during which period were paint,ed most of the pictures in which Romney has immortalised her beauty. Then she goes to Naples to be under the protection of the Ambassador, Greville’s uncle. Sir William Hamilton, whom she quarries, and in Naples she scores her greatest triumph. All admire' her beauty and her voice, ami her friendship with the Queen of Naples makes her a leading figure in that city. During the Napoleonic wars, Nelson comes with his fleet to Naples, and, using her influence with the Queen, Lady Hamilton is able to give him groat assistance and does good service both to Naples,and to England. Thus begins the romantic, and much-criticised friendship between Ladv Hamilton and Nelson.

Brave Earth, by Alfred Tressider Shop pard (through A. D. Willis Ltd.).

A talc of the West Country in the first half of the sixteenth century. Humphrey Arundel is the main figure, and we meet him at the age of fifteen when, much against his will, he is betrothed to Elizabeth Fulford. Thon Humphrey spends several years in France, and on his return to England ho is forced to keep his promise and to marry Elizabeth, though he has already impulsively married Jackctta Coffin. About the time of Humphrey’s return to England the religious disturbances of those days are beginning, and with the abolishing of the monasteries the people become greatly disturbed, and when there is the great Rising against the new Prayer Book. Humphrey is at the head of the Cornish men.

The book is very well written and gives an excellent picture of those troubled times. At the beginning are these linos from which comes the title: ‘‘Here's a. brave earth to sin and suffer on: It. holds fast still—it eracks not under curse; It holds like mine immortal. Present ly We’ll sow it thick enough with graves as green Or greener, certes, than its knowledge tree, we’ll have feasts And funerals also, merrymakes and wars, Till blood and wine shall mix and run along Right o’er the edges.”

High Noon, by Crosbie Garstin, author of “The Owls’ House” (through H. I. Jones and Son).

A thrilling story, splendidly written. The time is the eighteenth century and the hero is Ortho Penhale, of the Owls’ House in the Keigwin valley, in Cornwall, who here continues his adventures. The story opens in the West Indies where Ortho has been brought as a. pressed man in Rodney’s fleet. Later on Ortho takes part in the great naval battle against the French admiral. De Grasso. Then follow his adventures in Cornwall, including his marriage, then once more thrilling adventures abroad. The characters are most interesting and well portrayed; there are fine de scriptions of scenery, and the story is so engrossing that one cannot put down the book till the end is reached.

“Morning past, high noon now, time, to snug down for evening—oh?” said Ortho. The book deals with Ortho’s high noon, from twenty-eight to forty. Doubtless there will bo a further volume dealing with the evening lime and so completing the story.

The June issue of the Sovereign Magazine just to hand from Messrs Gordon and Gotch, tho Australasian agents, is sure to provide entertaining reading during wintry evenings. It is packed from cover to cover with a range of stories to appeal to all. A pleasing feature is that each story 5s complete in this issue. £350 in prizes is also offered in connection with the film story, “Love and Glory,”

Wo have just received from tho publishers, Messrs Gordon and Gotch, the June issue of “Smart Set,” an English monthly magazine, containing life, literature, wisdom and wit. Distinctive and unconventional stories by clever and courageous authors. “Smart Set” is called the aristocrat of modern magazines. Edited bv Kitty Shannon. • •' r •

The June issue of “Hutchinson’s Mystery Story Magazine” contains among interesting features an article by tho Right Hon. tho Earl of Birkenhead, P.C., D.L. Stories by Airs. Belloc Lowndes, Marjory Lawrence, Percival Wilde, W. H. Fleming, etc.

All tho smartest juvenile fashions of the moment arc to be found in the July No. of Weldon’s Bazaar of Children’s Fashions. The free patterns include two dresses for a girl 8 to 10 years, girl’s smart coat, 2 to 4 years, and frock for a toddler, one to two years. * ❖ * *

“Queen of the Dawn,” by H. Rider Haggard (Hutchinson). Wo have received frm Mr C. AV. Poynter a copy of “Queen of tho Dawn.” the last creation of Sir Rider Haggard. It is needless to say the story is an interesting one; Rider Haggard wrote nothing that had not. merit. The author, in obtaining material for his romance, went back to his old love

—Africa—and from the mists of legend, history and fancy ho has written a, book which holds the interest of the reader from opening chapter to closing esntence. It is a book of that romantic and mystic, typo, which Rider Haggard has made peculiarly his own. It tells of old Egypt and. its Shepherd King. The heroine, daughter of the legitimate King, is forced to flee from tho palace owing to the tyranny of the People of tho Dawn. She goes to live among the Pyramids and there is seen by the son of the Shepherd King, who has come with an embassy. For her sake he incurs the wrath of her father, and in Ihe end their love heals the feud which exists between, their two peoples.

‘‘The Rector of Wyck,” by May Sinclair (Hutchinson). Another excellent book which comes from Mr C. W. Poynter is “The Rector of Wyck.” Miss May Sinclair, who is well-known as the authoress of “A Cure of Souls,” “Arnold Waterlow,” etc., has added to her reputation by this book, in which she makes psychological studies so interesting that one does not realise an. analysis of charater is being made. The hero is an ideal country parson, whose strength and beauty of character win him a wife and bring her back gently from being a cynical society girl to becoming a gentle Christian woman who helps him to bear the disappointments of parental hopes. It is a most interesting book which is sure to have many readers.

WANGANUI PUBLIC LIBRARY. This week’s accessions to Circulating Library:— Fiction.—Glasgow, Ellon, “ Barren Ground”; Hay, lan, “Paid with Thanks”; Marquand, ,T. P., “Black Cargo”; Marshall, E., “Sleeper of the Moonlit Ranges”; Shaw, Stanley, 11 Locust Horde”; Sabatini. R., “Fortune’s Fool,” “Shame of Motley,” “The “Snare.” “Trampling of the Lilies,” “Soaramouche,” “Sea Hawk.” Non-Fiction.—Anon, “Things I Shouldn’t Toll”; 8011, Walter G.. “Great Plague in London in 1665”; Collins, Gilbert, “Ex trerno Oriental Mixture”: T)e Castellano, Marquis of, “Confessions”; Graham, Stephen, “Russia in Division”; Lacon, “Lectures to Turing Authors”; Lyttelton, Edith, “Faculty of Communion”; Troup. Sir Edward, “The Home Office”; Weigall, Arthur, “Tutankhamen and Other Essays.”