REVIEWS.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XLVII, Issue 13, 27 March 1912, Page 49

REVIEWS.

X*lage’s Lover.: By George A. Birmingham. (London: Methuen and Co. Auckland: Wildman and Arey. 3s 6d.) Mr. Birmingham’s book is simply delicious, and his heroine one of the most delightfully irresponsible creations of the latest fiction. Lalage, who is the only daughter and spoiled child of the pedantic Canon Beresford, who seemingly eannot open his mouth without exuding Greek, goes to school after successfully combating the efforts of half-a-dozen governesses to instil in her the elements of a modern education, and there imbibes, along with very up-to-date tuition, some very strange notions of women’s mission in life. Going on to the University, she, and two other individuals, one of whom may be likened to a feminine edition of Sancho Panza and the other - a masculine copy of Eliza Harris, since, though much of what may be termed the common sense in the series of adventures that comprise this amusing comedy is attributable to him, he is never once seen in person by the rest of the actors in it. Lalage Beresford, Don Quixote like, is firmly of the opinion that she has a mission to reform modern politic, economic, and religious abuses. First she and her friends set to work on the Bishops, attacking in right Catholic fashion, Anglican, Roman, and Greek Church dignitaries alike. Actions for libel being threatened by some of the incensed high churchmen, Lalage, at the earnest entreaty of her relatives and friends, reluctantly ceases to tilt at these reverend gentlemen, and gets to work in the political arena. Holding the opinion that all politicians are liars, and especially the opposition, Lalage forms a society for the Suppression of Political Liars. An election, in which she is interested, is being keenly contested in Ballygore, and Lalage, hearing that the candidate in which she is interested is likely to lose hi.s election, goes down and demonstrates that the other candidate is a liar of liars. And so encouraged is she by her audience that she warms to her work and finally reverts to her first presumption that all politicians are liars, which so mixes up the committees of the two desirable candidates that a rank outsider “romps in.” Whatever fresh mischief Mr. Birmingham’s heroine might have done we cannot say, but, feeling, no doubt. that she was getting out of hand, he marries her to a very good fellow, who ha's all along been financing her mad schemes, witlr a view, we suppose, of sooner or later showing her what woman’s real mission is. For Lalage marries her love, and we leave her trying to inspire a very wealthy and indolent husband to write a book. And that he will with Lalage’s heart set upon it we are certain. “Lalage’s Lovers” is not the pure comedy it appears to be on the surface. But read it and see, for it is exceedingly good fun, every page of it, and conveys more than one moral.

"The Sins of the Children” : By Horace Newte. (London, Mills and Boon. Auckland, Wildman and Arey, 3/6.) By “The Sins of the Children,” Mr. Newte has cleansed his reputation of the foul stain left by his "Sparrows.” “The Sins of the Children” deals with middle class society, and portrays with

splendid fidelity to life, the social ambitions of that class, who in order to get into “Society” forget what is due to the power that has enabled them to place their feet on the first rung of the higher social ladder. Jeannie Pilcher, who is tire heroine of the story, and a very admirable heroine she is taking her all round, is the daughter of Joe Pilener, the head of a department of the Great Western Railway, who has early been left a widower and whose whole soul is wrapped up in the one child of his marriage. And. because his ambition is totally wrapped up in Jeannie, he denies himself everything beyond mere living, that he may send her to a school for gentlefolks’ children. That is a school that admits the daughters of people who, socially, are a rung or two higher than tradesmen in the social sphere. Now Jeannie, although she is good and true at heart, has social aspirations, both beyond the means and the station in which she lived and was horn and bred. A chance meeting, however, threw her in the way of one, Edgar Baverstock, a brother of Mabel Baverstock, a school chum, ami the son of a London stockbroker. The acquaintance ripens into love and marriage. But the marriage sorely vexes Baverstock pere on financial grounds, although he is a warm admirer of Jeannie, both for her great personal attractions and worthiness to fill an even higher social position than his son Edgar could then hope to give her. Now Edgar Baverstock had a mother, who, though only belonging to the upper middle-class, would have adorned any position in society, and from her Edgar inherited, in part, a disposition which, together with a very attractive personality, would make him the sort of man a woman would remain ever faithful to, though she were not a Jeannie Pilcher. Well! the two marry, and the rest of the story is taken up with the recital of the married life of the Edgar Baverstock.s, in which Jeannie is shown to neglect her father, who is the real hero of the narrative, and with the retribution which finally awaited her, when as a widow her own sin of disloyalty rises up against her and punishes her by the very unfilial love shown her by her son. the one child of the marriage. But all’s well that ends well, and as the sequel of the story will show, ‘'Joey,” Edgar and Jeannie’s child is brought to a sense of his filial duty by one Titterton, a former admirer of Jeannie's. But here we must stop, and strongly recommend the purchase of “The Sins of the Children,” which is one of the most realistic, the most ideal, and the finest commentaries on modern middle-class society that we have ever read, besides recording a vigorous protest against false socialism, disarmament, woman suffrage, etc.

Wholly Without Morals : By ?hway Dinga. (London: Duckworth and Co. Auckland: Wildman and Arey. 3s Cd.) Shway Dinga’s story possesses at least one questionable distinction in that it provides a fitting background and possesses the correct atmosphere for the creation of quite the most contemptible scoundrel we have ever seen portrayed in or out of fiction. And, in spite of its author's plea that it has been written in the public, one might say Imperial, interest, we cannot believe that such a state of things prevails in Rangoon or Burmah as is testified to by this writer. That in the East a looser code of morals

prevails than in the West we know, and believe. But that fiends- like the Limklin of this book are allowed to thrive and mix among men of even second-rate reputation we cannot believe. That wherever the king of sports is indulged in there is more or less knavery and trickery we are aware. But the knavery and trickery detailed in this book transcend belief. There are, we firmly believe, men who are born un moral. But there are things that no man, unless he were absolutely insane, could, or would, do. And especially one who had received an education in the humanities. Shway Dinga has dedicated his book to Mr. Barry Pain. This, we take it, is in recognition of "The Exiles of Falco.” In that book Mr. Pain desired to perform an Imperialistic service by pointing out an evil to which Englishmen are prone when dealing with coloured races. But Mr. Pain's villains were all derelicts of English society, and he handled his subject with discretion, delicacy, and honest purpose. Shway Dinga's story may depict faithfully racing, gambling, and borrowing methods in the districts in which he has laid his sordid scenes. But nine readers out at ten will not believe his story. And we are sorry for the tenth who does.