The Bookshelf.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XLVIII, Issue 2, 10 July 1912, Page 47

The Bookshelf.

By

DELTA,

FEUILLETON. gome New Methuen Publications. /TX ESSRS. METHUEN published ill on May 9 the sixth volume .A I Z of the revised form of Profee- / sor Bury’s edition of Gibbon’s ‘•Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire.” One more volume completes the set. Volume six contains twenty illustrations and two maps. Intending visitors to London will be glad to hear that a pocket guide to that great city has been compiled by Mr. George Clinch. It is one of the series of Little Guides which the Messrs. Methuen -are issuing in pocket form- To pack the City of London into this compass has been no light achievement. Yet this has been essayed and achieved by Mr- Clinch, and the result was to be ready on May 9, in time for the spring visitors to London. The book has 32 illustrations and a map: the arrangement is alphabetical, in accordance with the scheme of the series. Lovers of Wagner will be delighted with “Tannhauser and the Master Singers of Nuremburg,” which is the last of the useful series by Mrs. Leighton Weather and Mr. Basil Crump. 'As in the other two volumes, the main features will be. firstly, a clear account of each drama, with the chief motives, and. secondly, the embodiment of .Wagner’s own notes and explanations, collected for his essays and correspondence- This work also has to be issued early in May, and should shortly reach here. ‘‘A Servant of the Public,” by Anthony Hope, is the latest addition to this firm's two shilling series. This, is the story that deals with the relationship of Miss Ora Pinsent, a brilliant and successful actress, with society and with the forces of attraction and repulsion she sets in motion unconsciously. “A Servant of the Public” is decidedly a notable contribution to the Messrs. Methuen’s two shilling series. June 5 was to see the fourth volume in the pocket re-issue of Mr. Litras’ edition of Lamb's "Plays and Poems” issued. Mr. Lucas, as editor, is sufficient guarantee, were it needed, of the excellences of this edition. A valuable addition to this firm's popular series of shilling novels is “The Charm,” by Mrs. Alice Perrin.

Still Another Work on the Borgias. ‘'Caesar Borgia: A Study of the Renaisanee,” by John Leslie Garner, is an important work that was to be published by Mr. Fisher Unwin early in June (12/0 net). Another notable publication issued by Mr. Fisher Unwin is Maxim Gorky’s play. “The Lower Depths,” which is to be included in Mr. Unwin's series of "Plays of To-day and To-morrow.” "The Lower Depths" attracted much attention on its recent production in London, and as a guarantee of' the excellence of the transla lion, we may say that it has been undertaken by Mr Lawrence Irving. The Unwin house is famous for the quality of its fiyXon, and its high quality was -never more in evidence than with the publication of Mr. Alphonse tourlander's new novel, entitled ‘Mightier Than the Sword.” In this novel Mr. Courlander draws an amazingly vivid picture of a journalist's life. The story opens in a country town, and closes in France, but its main subject j- Fleet Street. The outstanding qual tty of the book is its first-hand genuineness; one feels in reading it that every page js derived from personal experience. . In no other novel probably has -o convincing a picture of-modern jour-ualistn-been presented. The reader is made to see the inside of a great newspaper office, to 'share in the sensations of the reporter or the special eorre'P'mdent as he speeds on his quest for 'lews, and to feel the intense fas iuatmn of the throbbing life of Fleet * tieet. There is love-making in the '“ok, ull d conflicts of love and ahibimn are skilfully drawn, but the real tmstress of the hero is the Street, a ■■elentle.s tyrant to all her lovers, to F 01 1!? a crushing monster. The book is, 71 ' w °J > * n *p | i of those who have read J.’ e '’• v * ar I* 1 *" ~,os t striking book “* l ’-"Courlander--. has written. ’’

Another Fisher Unwin publication of superlative interest is Frau Adelheid Popp’s “Autobiography of a working Woman.” This book has been well received by most of the English critics. Mr. Richard Whiteing, of “John Street” fame, says of this book: “It is of surpassing interest for her own generation, “but this is not all. Posterity is to be envied the pleasure of reading it- when it has become literature. when the stress of our day of battle is over, and there is the peace for the -h • *r wonder that is the soul of things. It will be as captivating as the touches about the slave lairs in the older authors. Two Looks that should interest th.se who are interested in China are “Men and Manners of Modern China.” by J. MacGowan (I’2/6 net) and “The New China/’ by M. Henri Borel. Both these volumes are written at first hand, and both have been issued by Mr. Fisher Unwin. Against Female Suffrage. A writer in the “Literary 'World.” reviewing ’’Woman Adrift,” by Harold Owen (S. Paul, 6/), says: “We have read Mr. Owen’s argument carefully, and

will give him every credit for putting the case against female suffrage with fullness, ability, and absolute fairness, in spite of his obviously careful of his having ransacked the past and present for example, precedent, or metaphor illustrative of his case, his arguments can all be boiled down to the two old stock ones based first on the inferiority of women, and secondly on the antics of a few militant Suffragettes. As we say, these arguments are stated fully and with, ability: but if you prove that as a rule man’s brain is the larger and his strength greater, and that he stakes a higher place than woman, even in-such a feminine walk as cookery, yet you have done nothing to meet the case of the ever-growing class of women who have to earn their own living, who are separate units in the State, and who in every way as much as men require such protection as the posses-don of votes confers. It is obvious from his divagations, that Air. Owen \a> never dwelt among the labouring classes, or he would know' that in times of strike, stress, or shortness of work the woman not only carries on her usual avocation of cook, housekeeper and nursery governess com Lined, but also earns such money, ns comes into the home io keep at bav the landlord’s agent and .the insurance man, ami pay .something on account < f the grocer at the corner.’ U his is at once the mo»t homely and the most forcible argument to he offered in favour of woman'suffrage. Sonic Hubbard Epigrams. On Failure: A failure i- a miff wh i w blundered. but is not able to caslc I»h experience. On Affinities: When your,.wife ft'i-l your affinity are the same person, society has uo rope on youy foot. The V«ph’rdoha tic sin; 1 am not just

sure what the unpardonable mil is, but 1 believe it is a disposition to evade the payment of »»*all hill*—■ • — .

On Labour: Labour i» tlte only prayer that is ever answered.

On Hoodlumism: The cure for hoodlu’nisin is manual training, and an indust rial .condition that will give the boy or girl work —congenial work—a fair wage, -and a share in the-honours -of making things. Salvation lies in the Frobel methods carried into manhood. Against Vivisection: ivisectiou is blood-lust. screened behind the sa* red mi me of Science. In Favour of a Multiplicity of Sects: AH denominations are needed —they fit a certain type of temperament. Down m Pennsylvania they break up the coal and send it tumbling through various sieves, and each size finds its place in a separate bin. If sects did not serve mankind they would never have been evolved—each sect catches a certain-sized man. Regarding Humour: Do not- stand under an umbrella when God rains humour. Where the Heart is: Home is where the heart is. True: If you want work well done, select a busy man—the other kind has no time. Discontent: Discontent is inertia on 'strike. On Politicians: Politicians are men who volunteer the task of governing us for a consideration. The Book of Life: The Book of Life begins with a man and woman in a garden. It ends with Revelation?

REVIEWS. The House of Lisronan : By Miriam Alexander. (London: Andrew Melrose. Auckland: Wildman and Arey. 3/6.) Thi-. is the novel that won the Melrose prize of 250 guineas. I:?ing chosen unanimously by judges of such merit as A. < . Benson, A. E. W. Mason, and that inimitable writer, W. L Locke. As

is wnggesLed by the title, it is an IrifTa story. Miss Miriam Alexander is, v e understand; an , Irishwoman, and 'certainly had we not this information -the nt-ory as told would make it- evident thatno one. unless Irish born and bred, could have such an intimate and thorough knowledge, of the Irish character. Wo confess ourselves, after the late perusal of Miss Margery Bowen’s trilog v on the Prince of Orange, somewhat sceptical about Miss Alexander’s portraiture of that Priuce, to whom Christendom owes so much, and we cannot help inclining to Miss Bowen’s portraiture. But it does not detract in the least from our admiration of “Hie House of l.isronan” as a whole. For on whichever religious side a reviewer’s sympathies may lie. he must, still regret, the injustice and the cruel ti?s practised by both sides in those days. “The House of Lisronan” is a. romance of the days of William the Third. The story opens with the visit of a Dutch subject of (lie King, to whom the Stadtholder had been indebted for financial aid to enable him to carry on the Protestant war. to to the lady of Lisronan, who, save for her little son Dermot, and her servants, had no one to guard her in her hou-*e

pl Lisronan if we except Owen D’Arcy, her neighbour, lover, and would-be husband. This Dutchman, Van der WynyTt, offers his hostess the deadliest insult man ean offer woman, an insult that only fall's short of perpetration by the intervention of Owen D’Arcy. Then is issued the Catholic disabilities edict under which the Lady of Lisronan is rendered penniless and homeless, her estate being given to Van der Wynykt, at his special request, he being determined, to revenge himself upon that hapless lady. The monstrous injustice about to be done to Lady Lisronan sends Owen D’Arcy hot foot to the King, to beg for justice for that lady. William the Third, when Prince of Orange, had been indebted to D’Arey, but refuses any knowledge of the petitioner. D’Arcy, enraged by his Sovereign’s treatment of him and his petition, comports himself in such fashion as, according to law, and custom, leaves the powers, that were no option but to commit him to death for treason, and Lady Lisronan is left without a protector, even her most faithful servitors being thoroughly eowed at the stringent laws and cruel persecutions directed against Irish Catholicism. The scene in which der Wynykt returns to Lisronan to disposses Ethna Lisronan of her estate, and possess himself of her unprotected person is almost too painful to read. Der Wynykt, thwarted in his desire, picks Ethna up and throws her from the top of a long Hight of stairs to the bottom in full view of her son. The result of the fall is not death to Lady Lisronan, but life-long injury. In the meantime Dermot, Ethna’s son, is growing to manhood, and has swoXll, against the express wish of that gentle lady-, to revenge his mother to the death. But the rest of this story must be discovered by the reader, should he so desire. And should he not desire he will have missed a most remarkable, historic novel, which, if only promissary of better things to come, should soon place its author in the front rank of writers of historic fiction.

love Guilds the Scene : By Agnes and Egerton Castle. (London: Macmillan and Co. Auckland: Wildman and. Arey. 3/6.)

These elever collaborators have so identified themselves with the powder and patch period that anything they write about this theme is accounted as the last word on the subject. The present volume of short stories, entitled “Love Gilds the Scene,” and which are ten in number, are delightfully reminiscent of “ The Bath Comedy,” “ French Nan,” and last, but not least, “The Incomparable Bellairs.” Though each of these ten stories could stand alone, they form a sequence in the life of Lady Kilcroney, formerly- Kitty Bellairs Indeed, all the dramatis personae, with two exceptions, will be found old acquaintances by admirers of the Castle’s fiction. Here is the argument upon which these stories are based. "You remember how,” say the collaborators, “in the dedicatory preface to Baron Kanzler, in the ‘Epilogue to the Rivals,’ Julia deelhres: —

“ Ladies, for you—l (heard our poet say— He’d triy to coax some mortal from his

play. “One moral’s plain,” cried I, “without

more fuss; Alan’s social happiness depends on us! Though all the drama —whether damn’d

or not— Love gilds the seen?, and woman guides

the plot. From every rank obedience is our due— D’ye doubt? The world’s great stage shall prove it true.”

Here, in a nutshell, is the matter of which the Castles’ treat in this latest novel of theirs. But who would miss the inimitable Castles’ elaboration of a theme that so long as men and women inhabit this earth will never stale in interest.

According to the Evidence : By Oliver Onions. (London: George Beil and .Sons. Auckland: Wildman and Arey. 3/6.)

Mr. Onions has raised a very delicate point in this very powerful, yet unpleasant, story of his, entitled “Aecord"ig to the Evidence.” lie has raised, in B “°rt, the point as to whether under given circumstances, a man may be held justified, and the law of Nemesis remain inoperative, if he take another unni life deliberate)/. So splendidly, indeed,

is the rebutting evidence ranged on the side of the murderer, there is no other name for him in civilised language, that we in common we are certain with many of Mr. Onions’ readers frankly declare that here are extenuating circumstances hitherto, at least, unparalelled in the ficticious records of crime. But the danger of Mr Onions’ book lies in the fact that owing to the very strong sympathy every decent reader must have with the perpetrator of the murder of this story, the difference between extenuation and justification will be lost sight of. According to the Christian- code, there is no justification for the taking of human

life unless in self-defence, and as society is constituted this view is sound. But Mr Onions’ book is clearly the expression of a long-felt opinion that cases of this and ’a like nature should be judged on their individual merits. More and more judges are seeing the necessity of this; in common justice, in fact, to say nothing of mercy. But it is a question as to whether society is ripe for Mr Onions’ book. But if it only sets people thinking it will, we think, have achieved its author’s purpose. Whether man shall

bo permitted without hinder to inflict knowingly deadly evil upon unborn generations, is a matter that has long occupied the minds of chose who live to uplift the race, both physically and spiiitually. Mr. Onions’ protagonist, tried in France, would, we think, be acquitted. But in England we have not yet reached this point. “According to the Evidence” is an impressive and a well-argued story. But Mr Onions has been greatly daring. That thousands of crimes have been committed that have never been found out, is unanswerable. But that a man’s sin never finds him out is contrary to historic evidence. Mr Onions may shelter

himself behind the fact that his hero was living and flourishing at the end of the story. But the reader is clearly intended to believe that here was a crime that Nemesis winked at, nay, implored that fickle jade Fortune to smile upon, for—says the hero when making his adieus to the reader—Nobody has paid. Nobody ever will. Which is again contrary to the evidence. To have made his protagonist's motive a single and a pure one, he should not have married Eve Sonnies. This marriage at once detracts

both from the artistry and the moral force of the book. There is so much in Mr Onions’ story, however, that we frankly regret that we have no more space to devote to a book that should cause a flutter in social, religious, legal, and indeed all circles that discuss the ethics of right and wrong.