NEW BOOKS.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 574, 31 July 1909, Page 9

NEW BOOKS.

■'The. Wooden Horse." By' .Hugh.; Walpolo, - "'London: '.George Bell ansl'-Soris.; "2s/'Sd'.

-' V,ery. rarely does reader! I happen across anybook ■; by, 'a author,/ so fresh and. so. delightful, as ,'is'tliis story.:of "Tho Wooden Hors^""-' 1 .;l |, rptn ;,tlio •'first .pago; to the ;last it is bright,!;'original,"full ; of .'interesting' aud t'ersof. novel! situations; andSoyory.whprsi jt >is!-tpuchedwith.'chiwny.thr^ all The ;conception m.'original;;.; tho workmanship stroiig'- jind artistic;;aiid ■■•ih'o whole treatment ■ sincere.. .There ',ate:.'pno;.br ..two 'small features.; : that suggest-'thatjthis is, tho ; !work of'.J-a''new- writer,' ■ and .:ond;,j)r tiro - scenes that!-'aroi. liot quite:.convincing- $o the reader,! tHougli-.-tliey veyideutlyV:wcr'e ; .ito tho .writer. Tho-lirst .pago!shows llobin : Tro-jan-'.waiting in.-the; ancestral. Cornish, home for.the return 1 of his prodigal father, 1 Harry 'Trojan, who is coming back .to; England after-twenty years of life in New 'Zealand., Tho boy .'Robin-.has been sent home in his iufaricy; to':he -brought up- in all tho bid Tro-: jan' family - traditions, and convention v 'with the .result, that,his\soul..is hound up in them, and,; T/liile.' waiting for his father's arrival,' lie,is greatly; distressed about the way ho has tied .his: tie,. afraid (at! one . moment, that his father will notice how badly it is done, andr despise s -him, -and afraid: the next moment, > that the man from ; the .colonies ■ willnot; he-educated: up ,to the point ofMioticing- . when' ; a - tie 'is badly' arranged. ' - His - uncle 'and auut-'"as .thoy cotno'in, -both comment on' ; thd shocking arrangement: "of the tie,'> and his. distress deepens,, with'theirs.' '"It is. into- such; a, conventional,' starchy -home, .that.'Harry ; Trojan, comes, delighted to „be .'homef.a|tcuf>. a-twxnty'years' : absence,' -full., of •.enthusiastic, .and demonstrative-affection, arid taking'it for:..granted■ that his brother', 'sister,' andson - shafe-';iiis delight'. : Oddly>eriough,vthe: lyriter " tells ,'.how ; ; tHaii> first'''night, I 'the (man from; i New'.''Zea land •'/iaUiaY-'mc'essantly, ,:aiid' talks all' tbo ! Maoris,'.isJi'eep-; farmers,-? any.' ; the;:;Pinte' Terraces. I :' From Itliq >very.!;,first; . .'thO .process of-'snubbing-■Him.'''begins;'- and; till, ; at the,.end of a; fortnight;-die is.driven' to-seek companionship among; tho' fisher-folk' of;tho little' old ' village" iWio Jiim !.'as -a;;boy, and among' tho few iute'resting,'. but-uncon-ventional, liow friends whom , ho makes,, and his ' faiiiily at-,last''takp;'.hiiii' 'to.' task; .iii'the; .baldesti '.cruellest ; 'mannei'.vj'-After, ,tlie.. scjmd .•^hdK>:-wilirco'"-iqihHd;,chiifl.oi(^ !'Trojan \takcs-' lirte, <if v'the-; story flic's;;'in'!, tlio; iway :tba.t "ho.'con-. :frives:iio!-!put.-. *th6hr* Wb'olly, r'ift.'tho wr<!hg; and so';iight■!■ himSelf, -'thatv tlie. end of''tho ■ first thxee; weeks of his'.h'oinecomtn'g; '.sees him -trilimphani;, tlio walls of 4,_Trojan.rr'conVoutionulity jbrokpn. down, ; - aiid ' a: jicwer, • wider' lifo beOTii.' , '~ !'.''. -" ' ' . The working out .■ of this little plot, slight in itself, is exceedingly interesting-and: clever, and. thero is liot a-'dilll pago or dreary charanter 'in' tho hobk/'"Eveiv situations tliat look ordinary enough at'' the' beginning aro treated : inv.in .entirely novel manner, and with ; a freshness tlmt "is very attractive. Harry Trojan, is, of, course, tho centre of interest, but hot ono of the minor, characters is -dealt' with carelessly:' Each .is . : a finishe! jittle. slc'etchi',an'd • llpbin.-Trojan,' ;.th'er soj,. who' so nearly \is 'ruiiM'-bj? - ;the foolish.trains, ing of' liis 'potty-miniled. Aunt'Clard,' is redeemed '■ thrtiuglr his father's affection, and .tiie good that has been latent in - -himself. •Mary Bethel, the heroino 'of - the story, is a charming character, and very sympathetically docs tho author deal with Dahlia Foverel, who .plays a conspicuous part iir llobin's awakening. The setting of tho story is quite charming? ; The. -writer is imbued • with a -, passionate love - for Cornwall, and right' through the book ithwo are delightful little-'glimpses- of ConnraJl's beauty, -. and vague" hints' at- Cornwall's myste'rious charm',; and: the reader closes the book with an . im pression."tbat'-ho has ."beep •.•shown Coniwai. as t\- wonderful jewelled thing, full of, shiu:;,g hues in tho sunlicht, aua 'iu tho shadows

holding rich glowing colours, mingled with opalescent lustrous tints, 'a thing mysteriously associated with tho days of faory, witi. the mysterious rites of tho Pagan religto.ij that di.cil . so. slowly, and with the mysticism of the medieval church.- If all that Hugh Walpole knows about Cornwall were put into a book, it should be most fascinating reading. ' s

"Beyond." By Frank Bullen. London: George Beil and Co. (Wellington: Whit- : combe and Tombs.) 25..6 d.. . ,;'

In "Beyond,"- the latest' -sea story, by Frank Bullen, the reader is: likely to bo fairly satiated with wild adventures on tho oceaii wave.. Over three hundred - closely printed pages arc literally 1 packed with hairraising: ovents—robbery, battle, death, in every form, :gruesome tights between-ocean monsters, encounters with savages and pirates, - and a disastrous meeting with a pressgang-.- Mr. Bullen, while,ablo to write .withsame authority. .011. the Wonders-of tho. deep,, is very • -eager-.to. keep up-a religious tone, if possible, and lie. misses few'chances of. doing so. There is' really very little that ■Willie, the .hero of the book, who commenced life as a littlo cowboy, does not experience, even to the finding of a fortune. "Let come what Will," Willie.'is: equal-to all-emergen-cies—his courage and.'resource being sirnply abnormal.. A great sorrow befalls him in tho loss) of , his boyhood's friend, for whom lie; has an intense, admiration and love. Before < tie . book.' closes, however, _ two good things aro ,gained, a .winsome .-bride, and a large fortune, so all is we'll. .

"The Magic, of Love." . -By Amiio Sivan. London: Hodder and Stoughtonr : (Wellington: Whiteombe and Tombs.) 2s. 6d

The latest child of -Swan's, prolific poll will be welcomed by those to whom her books appeal.. The writer loves to tako her who are usually neither very good nor very .bad nor very striking, nearly drown them .jn seas of tribulation,, storm, and stress, (with plenty of .moralising,by the way), "eliminate all dress, and finally leave, them iii.-.an earthly Eden. Tho' present casois rio! exception'to her rule. . The story: opens with the, death of Maurice Duveenj, lica'a of; tho big' shipbuilding firm of. Duveeu, Lotht>i'idge:aiul Co., by which, his partner, Jonas Lothbridge, a hard, ambitious man, - comes into power. ' Lethbridge. has formed definite plans about his son and daughter; Chris is to follow afte/ him in 'tho firm and marry Duveenlsi daughter,.' while ' his .daughter, Anna,"is .expccted; to' marry/ as', he' wishes, -and when ho., finds .that, both' have . made other anger knows, no .bounds. Unable ,to', soften his father's heart, Chris .'enlists, and, "followed later by Anna's lover, leaves England for South, Africa, where tho Boer War is progressing;: '' During; liis absence,- time,' suspense, danger, .and death; play their part in breaking-down: the barriers the old'' maii 1 in liis pride has erectW—but riot befofe''a„bitter blow falls: upon him,, his iwife, and.daughter. „ , •.

"The Member for Eastorby." By James Blytlie.,: London John Long. .(.Wellington : ; -and . Tombs.)2s. 6d..

. ; "The.'.Member v-for ;Easterby" is not 'a pleasant book to-read;-' » man sits down and deliberately- chooses to write; of sordid, squalid 'intrigues, utterly 'passes: all comprehension. Public taste ,is not' so' vitiatccf -as to find-pleasuro in reading\them. There aro some; fourteen characters drawn in the book, an.dout.-of;,them all _two only-are to bo;fouhd. in whom the reader feels the-.-'slighte'st interest: . All.:the. others' are. schemers; destitute of honour, ready ; to sacrifice every,thing fpr-money or, as in;'one or .' two cases, for position.; -.

i iSirice the recent change.of editorship, the : "Xono. Hand,!';: which'' .was,, growing rather dull,- hlas very, greatly Jiiipro'ved, ,not only hi appearance,but in,' respect of.,its. .con-, tents. ; : The.' August .number, just out, is n! very go«l 'one. .'l'ho. cover is gaudy, but really spirited.'.' Lionel 1 lijudsay tells.tho.ji'or-; -rid story'of -the.!Abrolhoi, whioh -. is- .illustrated in colo.uf by a-numbor of.'.fiorco and powerful. .'."Norman j,-Lindsay. AHhur Adams's' story, I Jones,"; sfarts ont; oiC^hat.,' promises, frilly-' ' ! ,Th&! articles 1 are.; all timely and"up-to-dat-b: "The Aerial'Defeiice of. Jpintij -,in, ■".Tho. ;'Boy.,.Scouts, A aud v ,. -.'-'Guarding '-.our 'Northern- Gate;";' Tlie:'Verso is of 'iio .special merit, but .the. stories . are bright. Norman. Lindsay's; ''.Unusual Light" ; is of interest to '\egetarians'..i Melba's',.biography,, and.-, Kirmess's dreary , tale of ,''", The, Commonwealth Crisis" are continued. . The best item in the magazine,- hoV»:over, is .an able'article on the hite Geoi-ge Meredith, by. that sound and engaging critic, Walter Murdoch, who-was privileged to spend a. day. ,witli tlie great-man a. few months ago. : . . -

Professor Burton, of the University of Minnesota; is. tli'o proud possessor of. the Prayer-Boole which belonged to R. L.' Stevenson, . and in the i"North American Review" he gives. some account of his treasure. The book bears; the title "Family,Prayersj" by. tho author of "The Faithful Pro raiser," and was ; . ; "published,by Ne'sbit in• 1853. .'Stevenson's father, evidently.-'acquired; the < volume whou his ison was a mere lad, and in the' fulness of years'it came intb R.'L. S.'s pos-'session,-and was. apparently used much ajid made his,own, as,tlio pages, with their, peri-' cilled "marks. in liis ■ own-.handwriting, testify. Inserted.between the leaves, are-sundry tropical ferns, which,point to the conclusion that Stevenson-had tho volume with him, in-the final years in Samoa. Attention is called by Professor Burton to the frequent work of. the: pencil dividing off portions; of a particular prayer as; of special worth or. application. A little i examination shows that tho impromptu' editor, whether father or son, had invariably, chosen what, was most, happy, in manner or noblest,,in thought.or feeling. ,In three places tho novelist, had, plainly in-'his own hand, stricken.out of tlie word, "would". the : initial letter and substituted tlie letters necessary to make it "should."- In' ono case the text reads, ".We como anew on this-tho evening of Thy Holy Day,',' and there is an insertion after ",We come" ,to make it read : ."jy,e come beforo:Thee,"- the gain in correctness, being obvious. The emendations, how,'over, -are:not very numerous.; How the:book, found its.way, into, the hands of the Mirine-; 'sota ; -profess6r-is not stated. .