BOOKS & AUTHORS

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2438, 17 April 1915, Page 5

BOOKS & AUTHORS

.(By Liber.)

BOOKS OF THE DAY. Memories of Mary carrlngton. It is difficult to perceive the exact raison d'etre of such a book as "The Memories of Mary Carrington (Whit.combo and Tombs), in which "H.V.L." gives to the public certain sketches of 'life purporting to have been written 'by a schoolmistress who, emigrating from England to the Dominion, spent some years,'first in tie country, and afterwards in the city, in the pursuit of her profession. The essays of the real, or imaginary Maiy Carrington. are written, it is true, jrl an attractive literary style, their chief fault being :■» too frequent tendency to preciosity. But althougli the language employed is characterised by a certain fascinating grace and delicacy the thoughts .enshrined therein rarely merit such over-elabora-tion of expression. Certain Stevensonian echoes are undeniable. As thus: "He who has tasted life and. found it bitter, and made no _ whine, but looked with a high courage into the stern eyes of Duty and gives himself to her cold 'embrace, after many days, perchance, finds the elusive witch Happiness l smiling at him from the wayside." The tone generally is too palpably that of the' ''superior person." If "H.V.L." would Jbut sink her: ego a little, and, sternly abjuring, preciosity,'deal with life- and things more', frankly, more directly, her undoubtedly'high gifts of literary expression might "find a more 5 useful and acceptable outcome. (Price 2s. 6d.) j

'•'Cranford" Redivlous. . la these times of warlike "storm and stress," it is Rood, occasionally at least, to take, refuge'from the '•>. everpresent "war books" in the pages of some .old favourite which may -take us, temporarily 'at least, into a more serene and gentle atmosphere. Thus, it is* that I give a specially sincere welcome to. a delightful new edition of Mrs. Gaskell's masterpiece, "Cranford," which has just been published by Methuen and Co. The format is the handy foolscap octavo, in- which Messrs. Methuen have issued the' novels and essays and anthologies of Mr. E. V. Lucas, arid apart from a new "introduction" by that always charming writer, the now edition has a series of. notes .by the Rev. ; G. A. ■Payne, of Knutsford, which quiet old ■world, town in Cheshire was, it may bo remembered, the original background of Mrs. Gaskell's story. -Yet another excellent feature of the -newi.'edition, is the series : of topographical illustrations, from pen drawings by. Mr. E. H. New.\ I had long held the edition of "Cranford," published by George;Allen and illustrated ; by Mr. Hugh Thomson, to exhibit thei ideal form in which Mrs. Gaskill's masterpiece could appear, but this new edition of Messrs. Methuen' s must assuredly displace the old favourite. Mr. Lucas has been successful in gathering , together quite a . number of new and interesting facts concerning Mrs. Gaskell, of whose hovels -"Mary Barton," "Sylvia's Lovers," arid "Wives and Daughters," are the best known—such eminent Victorians as Dickens, Charles Kingsley, . Lord ' Houghton, Jowett, and Dean Stanley, thought' so:higlily. Of air Mrs. Gaskell's books, however, "Cranford," with,.its . charming pen portraits of so many quaint and lovable characters, best deserves to live. You cannot: read :it in a, better edition ifchan the one _to. which I now direct attention. (Prica 45.)