LITERARY CHAT

New Zealand Illustrated Magazine, Volume V, Issue 2, 1 November 1901, Page 150

LITERARY CHAT

By "The Sage."

In the Casting of Nets, published in Longman's Colonial Library, and forwarded by Messrs. Upton and Co., of Auckland, the author, Richard Bagot, deals with his favourite subject, Roman Catholicism. There is a big fish to be cast for, Lord Redman of Abbotsbnry. Lady Merton is the caster of nets. She was herself a convert, or, as the Rev. James Russell, a second cousin by marriage of Lord Redman's, prefers to put it, a prevert. She has "joined the Roman Church late in life, and had acquired for herself an almost unique position among her co-religionists in England. The number of converts she had brought into the Church, and through the Church into Catholic society, was very large, for experience had taught her that, if crowns were eagerly sought after in the next state of life, coronets were not less so in this. So Lady Merton, girded with piety and her peerage, had been a more than successful proselytizer." The manner in which Lord Redman was to be drawn into the net was by a marviage with Hilda Cawarden, Lady Merton's granddaughter. As it Avas a love match,": neither party was averse. Each promised the other to interfere in no way whatever with each other's religion. Lord Redman belonged nominally to the Church of England, but was apparently very careless in matters of religion. He assured Lady Gwendolen, Hilda's mother, that he was absolutely making uo sacrifice iv accepting the conditions imposed by her church. " I quite understand," he said, " that many men — most men in my position — would feel

differently on the subject. To me it is a matter of complete unconcern." Soon after marriage Lady Merton began to urge on her gi'and daughter that it was her duty to use her influence with her husband to draw him into her Church. Her spiritual advisers also impressed on her that her duty to her Church absolved her from her promise to her husband. But the consideration her husband had shown her, and her love for him, and the knowledge that, though once careless, he now felt acutely the 'necessity of his children being brought up in the Roman Catholic religion, stood in her way. She goes with her husband to Rome, where she expects further guidance. They meet there a Monsignor Martini, a priest who has been prevented from preaching on account of his broad views. To quote his own words : " For me there is only one Church — that is perfectly true. But for me, again, every human being who accepts the teaching of Christ belongs to that Church. . . .

There is but one true Church, and of that all are members who, in their different ways, and according to their different lights, are serving their fellow creatures for the love of God." His advice somewhat indirectlygiven solves all difficulties in a manner which I will leave the reader to find out for himself. The ceremony of the Canonization of Saints by Leo XIII., and its effect on Lady Redmond, is graphically described. The subject, which is naturally a very delicate one, is carefully handled, and the characters well drawn. The book will be widely read by those whom the subject attracts*

Mr. T. Fisher Unwin sends one of Barry Pain's latest productions, De Omnibus. This is the sort of book one takes up for half-an-hour's amusement on a l-ailway journey — and gets it. It is published in paper at one shilling. The seven chapters into which it is divided give the sentiments of the conductor on the following subjects : " Woman the Obscure," " Ike," " Ankin," " Queer Fares," " Them Boys," " The Last 'Bus," and "At Home." Few have better opportunities of studying human nature than the London 'bus conductor, and few indeed could pat their observations into such typical Cockney 'bus English, making it sparkle with the humour for which it is proverbial, and duly toning down the coarseness, than the author has done in the* words he puts into the conductor's mouth Here is a specimen : . . . " two brothers as I knowed. Bill allus 'ad the best luck that's mide — couldn't do nuthink wrong — if 'c put a shillin' on an artsider that 'orse won. . . . Jim, contrerwise, never 'ad no luck at all. . . . Well, they was both of 'em arter the sime gal. . . . They agreed ter leave it ter the gal to settle it. In course she picked Bill. Jim, 'c took it pretty easy. ' It's Bill's luck,' he said, ' an' theer's no stannin' aginst it.' ... I met Bill when 'c come back from 'is 'oneymoon. 'Ullo, Bill !' I says, ' 'ow are yer goin'on?' ' Oh, narcely !' says 'c, but 'c didn't look it. 'So nar you're a merried man ?' says I. ' That is so,' says 'c, but nort with no enthoosiasm. ' I understand, says I, ' as Jim were arter the sime girl, but you cnt 'im art. You 'as your luck, Bill !' ' Yuss,' says 'c, ' but speaking in corfidence, I wish to 'Eaven I'd 'ad Jim's.' "

Messrs. Wilson and Horton have forwarded me the Christmas number of the Auckland Weekly Neios, It is splendidly illustrated with photos of scenes selected specially as being typical of New Zealand life. The letterpress describing these scenes has evidently been the work of a man thoroughly conversant with the different lights and

shades of the life with which he deals. Tho competition stories are above tho averageRegarded simply as a means of advertising the colony, the Christmas numbor of our large weeklies are invaluable; and the one to hand is tho best specimen of its class I have yet seen. It speaks volumes for tho vast improvements which have been mado in the colonies of late years in tho art of reproductior + The last numbor of The Atom Quarterly Magazine, written and illustrated by tho girls of New Zealaud, is to hand. It quite keeps up the reputation it has gnitiod for brightly - written storiettes and crisp little articles on matters of interest to its readers. It only requires to be better known throughout the colony so that the benefits which must arise to young ladies of a literary turn of miud from its establishment may bo moro thoroughly and widely appreciated.

I have had quite a number of lista of three favourite books sent in already, but in ordor to make the test a more thorough one, I should like to give readers one more chance. One lady kindly sent me a list of a number of her friends' selections as woli as her own. If a few more of the readers of these pages would oblige by doing likewise, a very fairly representative total would be obtained, and a most interesting result ascertained and recorded in an early number.