A GOSSIP ABOUT GIFT BOOKS.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1925, 6 December 1913, Page 9

A GOSSIP ABOUT GIFT BOOKS.

• 11. fyArtist in Itcfy. 4' : - Italy is tho land iWvlcollenco where : art has nourished,-the lanVl which every arfosfc, the wido wcrld'over, dreams of visiting some day poonor'or later beforo ho dies; An English artist who knows « d Jot es his Italy t has been responsible ior a handsome ".quarto, volume, "An EFoll "V af 'l \ Wr -ri 31,(1 p' aint sd by . alter R.L (Hoddor and tetonghton; per -S.\ al)d •W. Mackay). i • Tyndale wntefc almost as well as tie paints and althiiigh ho lias wisely iituised tho works of oilier writers oil Italy, snoh as John A. S&nonds, Mrs. OliPhant, Ldmund How'V't, and, cela. va sans dire, the great **?". . 011 Iy Buskin, liis gossipy record ot Ins sojourns in Venice and the hill towns of Tuscany could well afford to •stand on its own merits. To Venico io naturally devotes spscial attention, out Ins descriptions of Siena;' Sail Beraiardeno, San Gimlgnano, Volteruo Montepulciano, Pienza, and other hill towns make equally pleasant reading, .out tho book is that of an artist,; and Jt is-Mr. Tyndalc's beautifully I ireproilucetl sketches which must, necessarily rxnistitute the, chief' attraction of his liandsomo volume. 51r., Tyiukdo & primarily a colourist.. Pljs .'Venetian sketches in. particular fairly blaavti'ith sunlight, although in -more than one Sketch, notably, "The .Piazotta," \ emce, he shows liis appreciation of cool greys and rich quiet browns. In the litscan hill city scenes the interest is often architectural and archaeological, but some of the sunlight and shadow offects. are exquisitely beautiful; indeed, there is hardly a picturo in the book which would not, if framed, have its own daintily decorative ofTect. Tho end papers, on which .aro reproduced, in crayon, Venetian scenes, aro specially pracoful drawing?, and a word of praiso J 3 due to the quietly handsome cover design, a design reproduced on the cardboard box by which the volume, is protected. An admirable book for a wedding present or Christmas gift for a recipient of artistic. tastes.

Mary, Queen c>f Scots. ' _-1 he three most romantic figures iiv history have long ago been recognised, jls being- Joan of Arc, Mary Queen of - Scots, and Napoleon Bonaparte, and of tho making of books about all three there is verily no end. To tho already Jong list of works en tho second of ttw figures has now been added vet another, ■which conies in a form both novel and attractive... This is "Mary Queen of Scots," by Walter Wood, with pictures in colour; by Sir James Linton, R. 1., and James, Orrock, R. 1.; edited by W. Shaw Sparrow, the publishers bein" Messrs. Htidder and . Stoughton (We£ lington, S. and W. Mackay). Mr. Wood invests tho old story of Mary's romantic career with much new interest,, but tho special feature of tho book, which should make it one of the . most popular gift books, of tho season, is the series J of beautiful illustrations, tlie figures 'by •Sir James Linton,'an artist who, iis Jlr. Shaw Sparrow claims, "occupies in the school of English water-colour ■'a plac-3 ■equal and similar to tliat which 't'erbuw hold? in the. art of. Holland,'" and the topographical -views—tho houses 'and prisons to which May Stuart lived and suffered—by an almost equally di-tin-gujshed British artist, Jlr. James Orrocks. Handsomely printed, tastefully bound, encased in a ■ cardboard box with one of the most effectivo of Sir James Linton's .portrait studies- reprodiml oil tho cover :this latest of hooks 011 tho unfortunate Scottish queen is specially suitable as ■ a school prize or gift book for a youn" lady. 0

Ethel Turner's Latest. • I am putting Miss Ethel Turner's nonstory, "The Secret of tho Sea" (Hotldor and btoughton, per S. and W. Macka.V and Whitcombo and Tombs), 111 my gift book section this ivcels because I know, from experience how popular aro the works of Mrs. Curlcwis as Christmas, presents. In her latest StOry, the scene is laid in England— for once the popular Sydney writer lias le Australian background to uhicn she was long so faithful. The story has an ingenious motif. The Hon Gilbert Dimsdale, son of tho wealthy .Lord Brenchley, marries a pretty anil 'highly virtuous pantomime girl, and goes to America, where lie is lulled in a railway accident. His widow and her twin babies, a boy and a girl, sail for England, but the steamer collides with an iceberg, and tlio mother, with, alas, many other mothers, is drowned. Tlio babies, however, aro saved, and so, too, are other babies, and when at Liverpool the work of identification is completed there aro four, - instead of two, babies left to bo-taken to Brenchlev Castle. Grandmamma fails to decido which two are her son's children, and eventually decides to care for. tlio'four. So tlio story begins. How it ends you must read for yourselves in Ethel Turner's brightly written and most amusing book. . Needles'sto 'say, the two sets of bairns grow, up to bo very jolly children, and equally needless for Miss Turner's admirers to bo tokl. they get into endless scrapes. Miss Turiier's book, lrliich has some particularly good illustration's in colour by that .clever artist, Miss Wheelhouse, should, bo very widely-read this Christmas. .' * . -—— 1 — v . Myrtle Read, : : • "Threads of Clrcy and Gold" is tho title of n daintily got up book (published by G. I\ Putnam s Sons; Melbourne, George Robertson,and Co.), in

ivhicli have been collected a number .of ossavs (some biographical, others 011 general subjects) and poems, '.written by the lato Myrtle Recti, a writer tho popularity of. whoso stories with tho American reading public is testified to by tho fact, vouched for bv tho publishers, that over two million copies of Hier works havo been sold in ,the United States. In the collection now published I prefer tho biographical studios —til© love stones of Washington, Randolph, Jackson, and Lincoln—but many readers will find pleasii .0 in such essays as "Tho Ideal Mail," "The Fin do Sicclo Woman," "Pointe- - s for the Lords of Creation." I cannot honestly say much in favour of Myrtlo Reed's verse, although in one poem, "Tho Spinster's Rubaivat," t'liere is a welcome touch of sly humour. Somo Australian Verso. From Angus and Robertson, Sydney, come four volumes worthy of heartiest welcome from every lover of good verse. 'The publishers havo in the past dono excellent service to Australian writers, and their latest enterprise, the re-issue, at tho modest price of 3s. Gd. per volume, of many of the most popular books in what is called "The .Snowy. River" series, should introduco. these books to a yet larger public. Included in tho series • are tho poems of A. B. Paterson, Brunton Stephens, Will H. Ogilvie, George Essex Evaus, Victor Daley, John Farrell, JJarcroft Boake, and Henry Lawson. The four samplo volumes sent me arc: "The' Golden Triamr.y of Australian Verse," edited bv Bertram Stevens; "Hearts of Gold and Other Versos," by Will H.Oilvic; '•The Poetical Works of Brunton Stephens and "How He Died and Other

Poems," by John J'V.ncll. The volume edited by Mr., Bertram Stevens is a revised and greatly enlarged edition of the "Australian Anthology," compiled and edited by tho same gentleman somo years ago. The new collection includes all tho old favourites, with tho addition of many interesting poems, the use of which was previously restricted. It is now a finely representative collection of all .that is most characteristic in tho best short poems written by Australians—and some New Zcalanders—or inspired by the scenery and conditions of life' in the Commonwealth and tho Dominion. Tho editorial preface is all that could be desired in tho way of introduction, and in his choice of tho poems Mr. Stevens displays a laudable eclecticism and literary taste. Tlie biographical particulars given in tho appendix will bo found very useful. It i.-V pleasing to see that several New Zealand writers, not represented in "An Australian Anthology," aro now honoured by tho inclusion of somo of their poems. Tho book well - deserves its seemingly ambitious title,' and.will, I trust, have a. largo sale in this country. ... Will Ogllvfs's, "Hearts of Gold." Will Ogilvio is an'old' favourite of mine. His ver.se is so fresh, so buoyant,. so free from that morbidity and pessimistr. which, either naturally, -or as tn.o result of a mistaken pose, characterises so much Australian pootrv, especially by writers of tho "Bulletin" school. Mr. Ogilvio loves to sing of tno open-air life, his poems have Hi.V and attractive lilt, his sentiment.rings true, and in certain of his poems there is a, distinct felicity and grace of verbal expression which is eminently agreeable. To tho poems included in the well-known volumo entitled' "fair Girls and Gray Horses," arc now added a number of others, written sinco their author returned from Australia to his native Scotland, some of these aro replete with a quiot charm which is most fascinating, hut ills good to notice that Australia, with the old rough, froe life of tho bush, whirh on.co tho poet knew and loved so well, still holds a warm corner in his heart. Later on, when the. present rush of new books is over, I may bo tempted to return to Mr. Ogilvie's later poems. Today space forbids any detailed notice (if a volumo which is full of good things, both new and old.

A Queensland Poet. Bruuton Stephens's verse is not so well-known in New Zealand as it deserves to be, the reason being, uo doubt, that lie has not been, for some •}?'!! s - ' cast ' a contributor to "Tho Bulletin." Tho work of the Queenslaud poet, must hold, however, a deservedly high place in Australian literature. If only for his "Convict Once," the longest and most finished of ris poems, his name should be rcmombered, and there is a fine, truly poetic quality in the patriotic verses, "The Dominion" (1S83). and "Fulfilment—Australia Fedora ta" (1901). The versatility of tho poet is exhibited in this new edition ,if 111s works. . In lighter vein he could be. refreshingly humorous, but even in this class of vcl'so he always preserves a certain tone rif'litoraHi dignit\v A fino.photogravure portrait of the aullnr is given as a frontispiece. John Farrall and His Poetry. The fourth volume, "How He Died, and Other I'oems," by John Farrc.ll. possesses a special interest for "Liber," as, upon a visit to Sydney somo years ago, I saw a good deal of tho clever and most lovable author. For years, f?!7?"„ wa ? ? 'hard-working journalist. j jiitliiully plodding through «i monotonous round of dreary duty, which would have depressed the souls of many men! But. 111 tho intervals of his -newspaper drudg ' cry, ho studied and lead, and wrote, as his heart, and not his employers, dictated, and only those who have enjoyed Ilia conversation know, how wido was the field of his intellectual interest how sound and cultured his literary taste, how unfeignedly sincere ■ anil frank was the man himself. "How Uo Died" is the ppem by which Farrell is best known, but there are many other poems in this volume, notably tho sonorous and/stately "Ave Imoeratrix," which won the appreciation of Rudvard Kipling; Professor Dowden. and other Old Country .writers,-'which' are well worthy-of'being preserved. The reminiscences find appreciations of Farrell by Victor Daley, Georgo Essex Evansi F. 0. Kendall, and others, which are included in tho present edition, arc very welcome, throwing, as they do, many interesting sidelights 011 the poet's' literary career and personality. A photogravure portrait of the author is given as a frontispiece.

These now editions of the most, popular Australian poets., well printed, from new typo, on _ good paper, and attractively bound in gilt-topped volumes, well deserve tho attention of the many lovers of good verse, who 111,' iv hitherto 'lave been debarred from their possession by the higher price of tlio earlier' editions. They should, too, find a wids and now public of their own.