LIBER'S NOTE BOOK.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1806, 19 July 1913, Page 9

LIBER'S NOTE BOOK.

John Massfield's Poems. John Masefield's "Dauber," a long narrative poem which recently. appeared in that excellent magazine, "The English Review," has been published in volume form. Some English critics consider it to be even a finer production than the same author's "Widow in Bye-Street." Others, again, will havo it that Masefield's verse cannot. rightly be called poetry at all. But these are in the minority. As a painter, in verse, of. sea-pictures, Maselield is fully as .brilliant as is Conrad in prose. Some sample stanzas:— That night the snow fell between six and • . seven, A little feathejy fall so light, so dry— An aimless dust out of a confused heaven, Upon an air'nd'steadier''than~a sigh; The powder dusted down arid wandered by So purposeless, so many, and so cold, Then died, and the wind ceased and the ship rolled . . , - Then in the sunset's flush they, went aloft, And unbent sails in that most lovely hour, When the light' gentles und tho wind is soft, And beauty in the heart breaks like a flower. Working aloft they saw- the mountain , tower, ..... Snow to the peak; they heard the launchmen shout; . And bright along the bay . the lights came out. And then tho night fell dark, and all night long : The pointed' mountain , pointed at the stars, Frozen, alert, austere; the eagle's song Screamed from, her desolate 6crees and ■ splintered 6cars. . On her intenso crags where the air is sparse The stars looked down; their golden many eyes Watched her and burned, turned out, and came to rise ... A Labour Poet,. Under, the titles- of "Daily Bread," "Fires," and "Womenkind," have recently been published • seven slim little volumes of verse by, Wilfred Wilson Gibson, which have, I see, been warmly; praised by English' critics. In the "Times (Literary Supplement) of-Maj; 8, is a-two-column '. review of Mr; Gibson's' work. "Such- vigorous and again successful dealing with the stubborn stuff of contemporary industrial life must surely," says "The Times" critic," "deserve very: high praise." • Ono 'of Mr.' .Gibson's • narratives —in' which hardly any action takes place, but which vividly puts into artistic isolation a personality almost intoxicated by the haste and fury of - his necessary '.experience— deals with a'tender of colourprinting machines. After a week of-work-ing overtime ho is free; but He was so dazed that ho could hardly keep His hands from going through the pantomime Of keeping even sheets in his Tho sleek machine that, day and night,, Fed with paper, virgin white, Through those glaring, flaring hours In the incandescent light, Printed children's picture-books-lied and yellow, blue and green. . Until at times the clank and whirr and click And shimmer of white paper turned him sick; And though at first the colours made him They soon were dancing in his brain like inad; And kept on flaring through his burning head; „ Now, in a flash, the workshop of flaming red; Now blazing green; now staring blue, And then the yellow glow too well he know. ' "And this riot of sensation," says "Thi Times" critic, "is through the whole story, either at the back of the man's mind, or suiging again into mastery." Answering the question, "What has poetry to do with such material?" "Tho limes" reviewer claims that "these narratives and dramai seem to us unquestionably poetry of a very moving and impressive kind. Gibson's works aro published by Elkin Matthews (Is. 6d. per vol.). Some Magazines. . In the June number of "The Bookman" (Hodder and Stoughton), that shrowc scribe, Thomas Seccombe, has an escellenl article on Edmund G|osso and his worl in poetry, literary biography, and criti cisin. The articlo is illustrated by portraits of Mr. Gosse at different ages There is also a fine plate portrait, lithographed from a striking sketch by Frank t Dicksee. Other good features aro articles on Mr. Masefield's latest narrative poem, "Dauber"; ou Mr. Drinkwater'i i book on Swinburne, by Professor Saints- ; bury, and a lengthy and interestinf i sketch of tiie lato Edward Dowden's ca rocr, by Thomas Seccombe. The Julj 1 Bookman will be a Sterne Bi-C'entenari ; number, and will contain a special articli by George Sointsbury od tho author o: "Tristram Shandy." The editor of the .Windsor Magazini (Ward, Lock and Co., per S. and W 1 Maekay) has secured as a "serin! a -non i story by Gertrude l'nge, whoso novels o I KhodesSan life have achieved such wide i ! spread popularity. The story, .vhich i:

entitled "The Pathway," makes an excellent start in tho July number, in which a second 6erial is a story by. Albert Kinross, "The Fortunes of Yersinia Bright." The art feature this month is a survey of the art of the lato Georgo Boughton, accompanied by several excellent ropro-' ductions of tlie artist's most notable work. More nature studies, by C. G. D. Roberts, some short stories, and several illustrated general articles make up a capital number. Extremely interesting are tho American Charles Eliot Norton's Reminiscences of C'arlyle, Ruskin, Mill, Leslie Stephen, and other "English Friends" in the early seventies now appearing in "Scribnor, the English edition of which is now published by Constable. The picture we get of Carlyle and his account of his early literary struggles is a delightful one. Then there is a splendid tributo by Carlvle to Mill which, if it is new, ought to be very widely known in justice both to Cailyle and to Mill. Unfortunately Mill took offence at something which Carlyle, innocent of all idea of offending, had done, and their great friendship was severed for ever. Carlyle's regret about, it, as described by Norton, is very fine and touching. Scribner"-has the distinction of running simultaneously novels by a man and a woman who are worth reading, John Galsworthy and Edith "Wharton. Stray Leaves. Mr. M'Nab's latest work, "The Old Whaling Days," is out at last, and deserves the attention of all who are interested in the early history of New Zealand. A review of this important work will appear in due course. a Wanganui correspondent, should be able to get a copy of "South Sea Bubbles," by The Earl and the Doctor," at the local bookshops. Macmillan's publish a shilling edition of this most entertaining book. « * * "V.V.'s Eyes" is the curious title of the new story by H. S. Harrison, author of that capital novel "Queed." Mr. G. C. Morant, late "fire manager" of the Commercial Union Assurance Company, has written a book "Odds and Ends of Foreign Travel," the proceeds from the salo of which will be devoted to the Insurance Clerks' Orphanage. The author, who is well known in the insurance world, lias travelled far and wide in the course of his career. A previous book of his dealt with "Chile and the River Plate." The new volumo is devoted to travel experiences in various European- countries, South America, and the Far East. * * * Arthur Ransome's took, "Oscar Wilde, a Study," is being asked for a good deal at tho booksellers, but so far no copies ■have arrived. Originally published by Martin Seeker, at 55., the bo6k was withdrawn from sale. Subsequently Methuen and Co. secured the copyright, and issued it in their well-known Shilling Library. The first edition, of 10,000 copies, was, I ■understand, subscribed for by the trade within a few hours. This is the book tho circulation of which by the "Times" Book Club was the origin of Lord Alfred Douglas's libel action, an action which resulted in a verdict for defendants. # # # Watts and Co., of the Rationalist Pres9, are republishing several of the works in the Rational Press Library, _ hitherto issued in rather clumsy shape, with paper covers, in neatly-bound cloth-covered vollumcs of handy size. Tho English price is 9d. Haeckel's "Origin of Life" is one of the first issues. . . "Printers' Pie," always a most amusing production, is having a big sale in town.It is certainly an excellent shilling's worth. The proceeds go to tho British Printers' Benevolent Fund.