BOOKS & AUTHORS.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2259, 19 September 1914, Page 5

BOOKS & AUTHORS.

[By Liber.] SOME RECENT FICTION THE JUSTICE OF THE PEACE

Quite the best novel I have read during the last low weeks is Frederick; A'vven's ''Justice of the Peace" (London, Eveleigh flash). A year or so ago Mr. Niyen wrote a novel, "Men Adair, ,, of which Edinburgh was the background. To-day it is Glasgow's turn to serve as scenario for a second novel which, in many ways, is the superior of its predecessor. It is a novel to which, 'were it not for a sterm editorial embargo upon long reviews just now, ivhen the all-important war-news acts as an automatic ''blue-pencilling" of all other newspaper "copy," 1 could cheerfully devote a full column. The leading characters are few, the story being almost entirely confined to. tho chronicling of the struggle between two stubbornly warring temperaments, those of mother and son, Mrs. Moir, the ultra Puritanical, ultra Philistine, wife of a good-natured and far broador-minded woollen merchant, and Martin, the elder of her two sons. Destined by his parents to go into tho father's warehouse, David Moir, who from childhood has exhibited a taste for art, desires to become an aitist. To please his parents, bo goes into the warehouse for a time, but it soon becomes clear to the wise and kindly father that to deny an outlet to tho son's natural taste and' ability would be a grave, mistake, and he agrees to the young man's attendance at an art school. ■ 'Tho mother, from the outset, has .bitterly opposed the idea, and as time goes on there is created a gulf between mother and son which the latter tries in vain to bridge. How, by nor almost studiously cruel coldness and openly avowed aversion from his artistic tastes, tho mother' slowly but surely kills the deep affection of her 6on; how even when success comes to David as a great black and white artist, but not as a success ill that branch, is denied', him by a.-curious colour blindness—the woman refuses to unbend, ajidto: what a tragic end, for all concerned, this strange enmity is pursued, is. unfolded by Mr. Niven with quite remarkable ' literary artistry arid power. It is only, towards the end of the story thai; the explanation of the mothor's hatred of art is afforded us. Sho has all her married "life suspected her husband of a love affair with an artist before their marriage, and has got it firmly implanted in her narrow, ever-suspicious irihd, that between this and Martin's love of drawing there is seme subtle and sinister, connection. 'Hie story is -ich in character-drawing outside the family trio, and for its pictures of modern Glasgow life alone, both commercial and artistic, is well worth reading. Not tho least striking feature of the story is the peculiarly skilful handling of the father'e portrait. "The Justice, of the Peace" should be "double starred" on your next bo/>k list.

THE MYSTERY OF DARK HOLLOW. As the. concoctor of a clever criminal mystery, Anna Katberino Gieen showed herself, some years ago—in "Tho Leavenworth Caso" and "The House of the Whispering Pines"—an exceptionally able writer. To-day, in her latest etory, "The Mystery of Dark Hollow" (Eveleigh Nash), she proves that sh-o can still mystify and thrill her leaders with all her old skill. Tho mysterious cause of Judge Ostrander's curious retirement, irom the .social life of his 'littletown; the suspicion .which, attaches to hirson in .connection with the murder, twelve years previous to the opening of the etory, of the Judge's most intimate friend, Algernon. Etheridge;..the part played in the development of the drama by the widow of the man who has been tried, and sentenced by Judge Ostein- , der, for the murder; and the final, crowning sensntion, the discovery of die real murderer, and of the way in which ha has, for so many years, submitted himself to a cruel, humiliating and yet quite private punishment—all those aro features in a story in which the reader's interest, at once secured in the opening chapter, is.. "heid firmly to the final pages. It is melodrama, of course, but it is melodrama so skilfully presented as to decoy the reader—at leaet for the time being—into . the conviction that here is. a transcript from the realities of life-. . • . '

SOME INDIAN STORIES. Flora ■Annie Steel does not often , give us a "three-decUer" nowadays, much to the regret of those who, like "Liber," have such pleasant memories of those fine stories, "The Potter's Thumb" and "On tho Face of the Waters." But oveii her 6hort stories are always welcome, and there is all the old strength of character-drawing and vivid local colour in the latest collection, "The Mercy of' the Lord" (Heinemann; per Georgo Robertson and Co.). Again, with tho exception of the titlo story, which has a Welsh background, the scono is India, tho India whose pcoplo and everyday life Mrs. Steel knows so well, knows, indeed, so many Anglo-Indians-hare assured me, even batter than tho great Jiipling hiniself. Some of these stories, aro really novels in miniature, in all there is an astounding sureness of touch, in more than one a certain grim humour. Mrs. Steel makes a strong point of what sho deems tho felly of over-educating, or, rather, I should say, educating on wrong lines, the Indian youth, but she is as keenly nppreciative as ever of the splendid qualities of persona! devotion, of love' and loyalty, which a combination of iirmnoss and kindness in their rnlers can effect upon the nntivo character. If you would know the Indian people as thoy really are, read Mrs. Steel's books.

"THE HERO AND THE MAN. -, A lady journalist and novelist whose literary career has won her well-de-served fame is afforded an opportunity to make a cbs'e study of the struggles of the decent living and honesty respecting section of, Rothney's population. Rothney is tho progressive, typically "live" Western town to which Alice Delamerc comes on a visit, tliero making the acquaintance of a prominent citizen, John Fenton, who is at the head.of tho local "anti-graft" arid "uplift" movement. _ The story of Fonton's fino fight for civic honesty and deconcy, and of the part .which tho lady visitor plays in tho straggle, is narrated -with commondablo vigour in Mr. L. Curry Morton's novel; "The Horo and tho Man" (A. C. M'Clurg Compan,v; ntr George Robertson, and Co.). The Now Zealand reader is beginning, I fear, to weary not a little of the "graft" motif, which dominates so many American novels, but Mr. Morton varies bio main theire' by many interesting unci amusing pictures of Western life, and has a keen eye for dramatic effect. A vory readable story, although it would have been the better for some compression.

"WAITINC." Tlio worst feature _ about «, many novels dealing with Irish life of the present day is that they reflect so glaringly tlio political sympathies and. prejudices -especially the latter —of their authors. In Mr. O'Donoyan's "Waiting" (Msctnillan), the political element is not merely an incidental feature. It permeatM and colours the whole story. "Waiting" is the- story of a young schoolmaster, a. Roman Catholic, who has noble idcalv for the futmro of , his country, but who from the moment he dares to challenge the authority of liis Church by marrying a Protestant, finds

himself moet bitterly pursued by clerical tyranny. It is difficult to believe that there can exist living prototypes of some of Mr. O'Donovan's clerical characters, and clever, brilliant, indeed, as undoubtedly are tho author's literary gifts, it eeems a pity that he should have chosen fiction as a medium to express what had been more suitably 6et forth in a serious pamphlet or book.

"REALITY." When the young and beautiful -widow of the elderly and vicious Count von Cleve, tho heroine of Miss Olive Wadsley's "Reality" (Cas3ell and Co.; per Whitcombe and Tombs), marries, greatly to the disgust of her relations, a brilliantly gifted young French violinist, who suddenly lias all musical Vienna at his feet, she makos a sad mistake, for Jean Victoire's passion for her mere sham and pretence of a calculating egoist, as mannerless as he is unprincipled. Disillusion comes Tapidly, for the violinist speedily fails a willing victim to -the smiles of a married lady of unrestrainedly amorous tendencies', and soon begins, to show himself in his true colours as .an unmitigated cad. Divorce finally cute, the tie, but not before the unhappy Countess had been sorely tried. Hie novel contains some lively pictures of the society and musical world of Vienna.

BY THE AUTHOR OF "RAFFLES." Mr. Horming, whose "Raffles" yarns were so amusing, attempts a new variation of the everlasting '"detective" story in his "Crime Doctor' , (Eveleigh Nash), the chief figure being a doctor whose studies in criminal psychology encourage him to.start what might be called a Nursing Home for Criminals—a home which is conducted on certainly most novel and curious lines. Some of Dr. Dollar's patients repay his ministrations by reform. With others, notably with a militant Sutfragette, he has sad trouble, biit. in this latter case he is fated to enjoy a sentimental and highly satisfactory compensation. A ve.ry readable book, but 1 prefer "Raffles" and his friend Bunny to Dr. Dollar and his Lady Vera. When, too, I wonder, will Jir. Hormmg give us another "bushranger" yarn?

A CANADIAN ROMANCE. Alice Jones is a Canadian writer whoso name will bo new to most Now Zealand readers. Her latest book, "Marcus Rolbeach's Daughter" (Appleton and Co.; per George Kobertsou and (Jo.), is a vigorously written, wholesome, and highly exciting, story of the backwoods aiui lakeu ot the Canadian Northeast. The heroine, Virginia Holbeach, is the daughter of a well-born and wealthy Englishman who owns ' a big hunting reserve and who wishes his daughter to' rnairry an English cousin. The young lady, however, ' prefers a handsome young backwoodsman, Jack Lβ Roy. The path of true love doe& not run very smoothly for a time, but Jaok "makes good" by conducting a, dangerous prospecting expedition up to the frozen Nortii, and everything ends as the' seritiinentally-rninded reader would desire. . For a lady writer, the euthor's descriptions of mining camp life aro surprisingly vigorous.

Recent additions to John Long's series of sixpenny novels paper backs), are ''Fugitive Anno", by Mrs. Campbell Praed; '.'ln fcSuihinor' Shade," by Mary E. lUann; and "A,Cast' Off, ,, by Nat Gould. To Mr. Lorg's sevenpe-nny, (cloth bound) series has. hcen added. Ourtis Yorke's story, ''irresponsible Kitty."

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