LITERAREY.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXVII, Issue 263, 10 November 1906, Page 10

LITERAREY.

! "The Shock of Battle," by Patrick Vaux, describes prophetically the incidents of a war ten. years hence between Great Britain and Germany. It. is a much less depressing book than that which Mr. Le Queux recently gav,e to tne world, for although deploring the apathy in Britain -which had allowed Germany to train a preponderance in modern warship, and permitted British vessels to become manned by foreign seamen, the author retains his faith in our heritage of nautical spirit derived from generations of sea kings. The opening incident of the "war , is the seizure of a British merchant steamer by a German second officer and a number of seamen who had shipped with that intention in anticipation of the outbreak of war. A duel between a British and a more powerful German crusier follows, in which the victory is won. by dash and seamanship against superior armament, is described with spirit rather than with attention to the technical details of naval tactics. The. scene is carried to British possessions in the "West Indies, which have obtained revived prosperity and importance through the opening of the Panama Canal and wie operation of British reciprocal duties. Some gallant exploits are performed on this scene of action. finally., the :frnit3 of German diplomacy are found in a United Europe against the Kaiser's ambition; and with fleets swept from, the seas and territories invaded by France and Austria, Germany is compelled to sue for peace. The book is published by G. P. Putnam's Sons, New York and London. In "Counsels of the Xigh.t," by Lucas Cleeve (Unwin's Colonial Library), the scene is laid in America, and the story derives it* interest from the graphically depicted inheritance of sorrow resulting from a by-gone tragedy. A vivid dream recurring to the son of a wealthy American creates a belief in the boy's mind and also in that of his mother, that his father murdered a young officer with whom she was in love. The son sets out for the scene resolved to probe the mystery to the bottom, and this resolution leads to family trouble and some unexpected disclosures. The plot is well conceived, and artistically developed, the reader's interest being well sustained till the end. A third edition of "Not Understood, and other Poems." by Thomas Bracken, lias been published by Gordon and Gotch. Wellington. Although the low price of this edition, eighteenpence, brings ~-ie writings of this favourite New Zealand poet within the Teach of everyone, the time has arrived for a new edition at a moderate price, in cloth. The original editions are difficult to procure, and many* people would be glad to place on their bookshelves a copy of JXIr. Bracken's complete poems if they could purchase one at about five shillings. "Bed Harry" No. 3 at the Wayibac;: Series, by Henry Fletcher, has been idsued from the office of the "Sunday Tinies" Co.. Sydney. This comprises about thirty sketches of Australian life, told i with much freshness of humour, and illustrated by some clever pen and ink i pictures. Australia has been singularly i productive of writers who can enter into the spirit of its country life, and amonj? I these Mr. Fletcher holds a prominent place. doubt his new series will enjoy a popularity equal to that bestowed upon those which first brought their amhor into favour. Part XI. of "The King's Empire," pictured by the camera, depicts the varied industries carried on in Great Britain and. the colonies. The subjects selected are interesting, and the photographs particularly good. Part 12 carries the reader appropriately from work to play, and shows that the amusements of the King's subjects are as diverse as their occupations. Many of the pictures reveal phases of life that are entirely novel to the stay-at-home reader. The educational value of this work is one of its best recommendations. It is published by Cassells and Co. "Cassell's Magazine" for October contains another large instalment of Max Pemberton's stirring story, '•'The Diamond Ship," with a copious synopsis of the earlier chapters for those who missed them. Mr. Le Queux's series of short stories under the title of "The Count's Chauffeur," narrates another exploit by the Count and his confederates. Short stories are also. contributed by Tighe Hopkins, Warren Hughes, James Blyth, and Fred. Jay. There are several interesting articles, well illustrated, among them, a paper on the X-Eays by Dr. Rutherford, "The Uniforms of Our Fighting Force," "How London is Supplied with Water," and anecdotal sketches of Mr. A. C. Plowden and Lord Strathcona. "The New Idea" for .November contains a representative collection of short stories and poems by Australian writers, some pleasant articles on books and fashions, manj , humorous anecdotes, and a. good instalment of Mrs. Altwan's story, "The Two Curates." "CorahilFs Magazine" publishes a new portrait of Charlotte Bronte. In narrating its history, the writer says:—j "Until the other day it was believed that the only real portrait of Charlotte Bronte was the drawing by George Eiehmond, which was given to her father, the Rev. Patrick Bronte, and is now in the possession of her husband, the Rev. A. li. Nieholls. Quite recently there has come to light the portrait, here reproduced I in the magazine which was founded by J her friend, the late Mr. George M. Smith, j and contained her fragment 'Emma/ be- i sides poems by ncr sister Emily. This j portrait, which to-day hangs in the Na- j tion Portrait Gallery, is a water-colour ■ drawing from life, made in 1850 by Char- j lotte Bronte's friend, M. Paul Heger, of j Brussels. It passed from the Heger fam- i ily into the private hands in which it j remained for nearly forty years, until | it was acquired by the trustees of the National Portrait Gallery, who realised that the book held in the sitter'B hand is a copy of her work 'Shirley, , published in 1540.' The dress, worn, in the portrait is a light green, and on the back there is inscribed 'The- We'arin' of the Green, First since Emily's death," that being the first occasion on which Mise Bronte wore j colours after the death, of her sister. And j below 'This drawing is by P. (sic), j done fron; life in 1850. The pose was suggested first by a sketch dose by her brother Bramwell many.. ,years preM vious.'" The October "Cornhill" con- j tains the usual budget of literary- articles and stories, including an essay on "The Ethics of Reviewing," by Mr A. C.Be'nsan, and an. article on Fraulein Schmidt and Mr. Aoetrutber, by the author of "Eliza* beth and Her jciennan Garden,"

ARTISTIC CRAFTS TECHNICAL HANDBOOKS. Another valuable addition has been made to the Artistic Crafts series of Technical Handbooks, edited by W. R. Lethaby, and published "by John. Hogsr, London. Ibis is a practical text-book on "Embroidery and Tapestry Weaving," by Mrs. Archibald Christie, with drawings by the author, and other illustrations. In the editor's preface mention is made of the fact that English workers were, at one period, specially famous for their needlework. Early in the XHlth. century vestments embroidered in England were eagerly accepted in Some. Some beautiful fragments of embroidery, worked in the Xth. century, are still preserved at Durham, and many examples, belonging to the great periods of the Xlllth. and XJVth. centuries, are preserved in the South Kensington Museum. The altar frontal of Westminster Abbej-, made for Henry the Third, occupied four embroideresses for nearly four years. It was silk, garnished with, pearls, jewels and translucent enamels, and cost a sum equivalent to £3000 of our money. In Paris, in 1295, ninety-three skilled workers were employed at this trade, and in the XlVth. century the art had attained such importance, under the direction of its Guild, that the Jardin dcs Plantes, in Paris, was established to furnish, flower subjects for embroidery design. The author, Mrs. Christie, explains that she has taken the .drawings illustrating design and the practical application of stitches, almost without exception, from actual tapestry or embroidery. The illustrations are certainly designed to simplify to the student the details of the work in the clearest and most simple form, and the letter-press is equally explicit. So successful is the author in this respect that any clever needlewoman might easily, without any other aid, acquire executive skill in this ancient and beautiful art. The implements, "frames, and various stittnee are ehown in diagrams which exhibit the entire process. The book also contains a series of collotype plates of famous embroideries, accompanied by brief descriptions and. histories which are interesting to the general student of this subject.