LIBER'S NOTE BOOK.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1746, 10 May 1913, Page 9

LIBER'S NOTE BOOK.

funny Mr. Ade. x Mr. George Ade is an American professional "funny man," whose works, particularly his "Fables in Slang," have attained a popularity by no means confined to the humourisrs na.tive country. In "Knocking the Neighbours" (Dgubleday, Page and Co., per George Robertson and Co.), Mr. Ade gives us another series of his "Fables in Slang," and vastly amusing they will be found by such of my readers as have read, say, 0. Henry's entertaining short stories, or the inimitable yarns of tho creator of '"Shorty M'Cabc" and "Torchy." But I fear there will'be many who may find Mr.- Ade's yarns somewhat baffling, for' they are written in a "slanguage" all their own, a combination of the quaint and highly emblematical speech of the Bowery, and Seventh Avenue, withi that of a New York "yellow journal" reporter, and the author of popular vaudeville "sketches," plus a dash of tho free-and-easy speech of .tho Western cowboy. It would not be a bad idea, to set one of theso Fables for trans-lation-into common or garden New Zealandese, at the next Competitions. Mr. Ado is inclined to-force his fun at times, but at others he is genuinely, originally, riotously humorou?, and underlying all his fun there is a rich vein of sturdy "horse" sense and homely philosophy. The wood cut illustrations by Albert Leverin have .been apparently, and I should imagine designedly, executed with a pickaxe. They are almost as funny is the text.

"Everyman's Encyclopaedia." I, The second volume, "Bac to Bri," of the "Everyman's Encyclopaedia," to which I alluded at somo length last. week, has now readied me, per Whitcoinbo and Tombs. As in the in-'tial _ volume, tho range of subjects is surprisingly wide. I notice n twenty-column article on "Tlie Bible" wliich is not only histor-cal, but critical, and then, turning over the \pages at random, I see thero aro articles on the Scots painter Sam Bough, the French painter Bouguereau, and the "English painter" George Henry Boughton.' But Bougiiton was, I think, not of British, but American, lirtii. On the sama page are articles on Godfrey de Bouillou —and le brav' general, the ill-fated Boulanger. ' Elsewhcro in tho book 1 see tho editor has given the notorious South ■ African financier, "Barney" Barnato, nearly double the spaco he allots to the late Dr. Barnardo. Th» article on George Borrow is exceptionally well written, and is so up-to-date that it mentions the quite recently-published biographies of the author of "Lavengro," by Messrs. Herbert Jenkins and Edward Thomas/ "Everyman's Encyclopacdia" is really astonishingly good value at fifteenpenco a volume.

Books on London, Those who remember the many admirable articles on London which appeared in "T.P.'s Weekly" over tho signature of John o' London (Mr. Wilfred Whitten), will bo glad to know that Mr. Whitten has written a now book, "The Londoner's London." The two best books on modern London that I know •of are "Highways and Byways in l/ondon," by Mrs. E. T. Cook, mid "A Wanderer in London," by E. V. Lucas. Each of theso •books woulil make "steamer reading" for a. Home-bound New Zealandcr. Some Magazines. In "The Studio" for March (London, "The Studio" office), Mr. Selwyn Brinton has an appreciation of the work of a clever Milanese artist, Paolo Sala, who has painted not only in Italy, but in . England and Russia, aud whose work is every year growing in fame. Henri Frautz describes the collection of .Corots dispersed at the Kovart sale last year. Other articles deal with the etchings of a clever American artist, Albany Howarth, "Modern Tapestry in Sweden," and an exhibition of coloured wood engravings recently held in Paris. "The Stiulio" Talk includes letters from Vienna, Paris, Chicago, and other centrcs, including the far-away Tokio. Tho illustrations ore, as usual, very numerous, including coloured supplements. A gorgeous flower study by Sala is specially noticeable, and there are full-page plates and many illustrations in the text. "Tho Studio" is easily first amongst the art magazines of tho world. Tn the April "Windsor" (Ward, Lock, and Co., per S. and W. Mackay) the customary opening article on an artist's work is (leveled to the paintings of an almost forgotten Victorian artist, Augustus Egg, who was a contemporary of Maclise and Frith, and a great personal friend of Dickens. The Duke of Argyll writes on "Scottish and Irish Clans"; Mr. W. W. Crotch ori the "Sportsmen of Dickens" (with some novel illustrations by Brock and other artists), and Hierejs .au excellent article on "British Birds of Prey," the illustrations to which are very interesting. Fiction by J. ,M. Format!, John Barnett, Italliwoll, Sutolifie, Dolf Wyllarde, and others. Au exceptionally strong number. In the March "Bookman" Dixon Scott has a long article on tho work of Henry .(tunes, whom some havo called the "American Meredith." Mr. B. W. Matz writes on "Dickens and Reform"; Professor Saintsbury on "Gray's Letters," and Mr. A. St. John Adoock on the rccentlv-nublished "Note Books" on "Erowhon" Butler. In tho liookman's Gallery tho work of two ladynovelists, Mrs. Henry Dudeney and Mrs. 11. Stepney Rawson is pleasantly discussed, with interesting personal details as to the authors, and there aro the usual reviews, literary gossip, plus a wealth of portraits and other illustrations. A fine photogravure portrait of Henry .Tames is given as a supplement. For book buyers and,readers generally "The Bookman" lias no superior as a useful guide and companion. Stray Leaves. Stanley Paul and Co. have acquired tho publishing business of Greening and Co. Greenings mainly published fiction. j

Maurice Hewlett's forthcoming book, "The Lure of Prospefine," deals largely with the supernatural. Up to a certain point the story is said to be autobiographical,

Tlio first batch of Messrs. Boll's shilling re-issue oi somo of the more popular volumes in tlio onco famous Bohn's Library—includes Burton's "Pilgrimage to Medina and Mecca," Eber's "Egyptian Princess," Motley's "Itiso of the Dutch Republic," two volumes of "Emerson's Essays," and that little-known but important book on tho condition of France just before the Revolution, "Arthur Young's Travels in Trance." » * * . "Scribner's Magazine"; for April contains the opening chapters of John Galsworthy's new novel "Tho Dark Flower— tho Love Life of a Man." It is good to sec that the fine quality of Galsworthy's work is being appreciated in America. Do you know his "Man of Property?" It is a brilliant social satire, worthy of 'L'Uackeray. In the "British Weekly" for March 27 there is a slashing attack on Chesterton, mainly on account of some references, iG.K.C.'s "Victorian Age of Literature," to certain religious questions. The article is headed, "Is Mr. Chesterton a Roman Catholic?" At the same time tlie "8.W." warmly iapproves of many of Chesterton's library portraits. A recent addition to Nelson's prettilyproduced little French series is Victor Hugo's ' "Quatrevingt-treize." French students should note, too, that Nelson's publish a most charming little edition, in six volumes, of Molierc's plays. There aro some very dainty illustrations. Tho price is eighteenpence a volume. * * * Recent additions to that useful, little series, the Cambridge Manuals ' (Cambridge University Press, Is. 3d. each) include "The Modem Warship," by E. Attwood; "Comparative Religion," by Dr. F. B. Jevons; "The Atmosphere," by A. J. Berry; "The Icelandic Sagas," by W. A. Craigio, and "Tho Vikings," by Professor Alien Mawer.