LIBER'S NOTE BOOK.

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 140, 2 March 1918, Page 11

LIBER'S NOTE BOOK.

The Late Noel Ross's Bosk. "Who'is Noel Hose?" asks "Everyman," apropos to tbo clever little skit, "The House Party Manual," which the brilliant young New . Zoalandor had written but a few weeks previous to his greatly lamented death. The "Everyman" critic evidently thinks very highly of the lato Mr. Ross's book, for ho continues:-— Are wo merely ignorant of Australasian literature ? Or has a first-rate humorist appeared liko a conjurer's trick from nowhere? "Tho House Party Manual" is as funny as anything that Barry Pain or E. V. Lucas ever wrote. Tho ordinary book of humour makes you snigger. This has' a laugh in every paragraph—almost in every lino.. The only way to quote" is to-open tho book at haphazard and wade right in. For example: "If you really want to ciiicli tho cars of the company say something startling when there, is a lull. ..Siiy Nt fhe lop of your voice: 'Asyuith.is. the ideal premier.'

"You don't need to stick to it,-but you will get your hearing'. You can then go on to discuss tho Armenian ma>siicres or the new band at Cherry's, Another way is to use bad langiiago, but it must bo very bad language to startle a houseparty .• Do not-always take tho example of other guests as to how to cat your food. You may always eat asparagus with your fingers, but remember that a dulro 'or-'.-n' marquis can eat anything with his fingers. So can n multi-mil-lionaire. Do not talk too loudlv about mir enemies. 'RDjiienibrr that the very best neople linve-German relations who now have n house-party of their own at Doninston Hall." "And so we could go on," adds the "Everyman" reviewer. It is all as good as this, and the twenty illustrations by George Morrow —well, you kiiow George Morrow." Stray Leaves. To Dent's "new arid: uniform" .edition of Joseph' Conrad's, stories the publishers have' added "Youth and Other Stories," making the fifth volumo of the series. But will the edition be complete, as well as uniform? Unless it is to include tho earlier o tales, "Almnyer's Fojly," "An Outcast of tho Islands," and that masterpiece;- -'.'The Niggor of thei-Narcissus," I do not reeomend.niy readers to; invest, -.'■"■ '' ' . '.'■'' ■" • Dent's also announce a new edition of those excellent essays "Pebbles on j ■tho Shore," by "Alpha of the Plough," with ninety illustrations by H. M. Brock; uniform with the same publisher's dainty edition, also illus* trated by Mr. Brock, of Lamb's "Essays." Mr. E. B. Osborn, tha essayist and literary "gossiper" of the London "Morning Post," has started what is in these days of many books and liltln i>pnce (for reviews), a somewhat curious venture. "'Let us. make," ho says, "critioism once ' more a living ait. . . . Wo shall make a beginning by reviewing certain Victorian master* pieces as if they were now books by new authors, newly arrived for i<jview." In the first article, "Tho Caxtons,', "Shirley," John Stuart Mill, and "The Idylls of the King" are dealt with, on tho principle of finding out what they mean to the older yet younger England,' Years ago Henley did something of the kind in "The Scots Observer," and is there not that long set of "Tho Retrospective lleview"—a, mino of good literature and curious information, to show that the snnie idea was carried out nearly a century ago? It is astonishing how so many young peoplo gusli over, certain now authors, of quite commonplace ability, and yet have no knowledge of, say, the best of Thackeray, Carlyle, Dickons, Matthow Arnold, John- Morluy, and other famous Victorians.

The Americans continue to be busy in the field of literary biography and criticism. A study of the times of Johnson, Goldsmith, and Garrick is promised in a book on "Richard Cumberland: His Life and Dramatic Works," bv Dr. Stanley T. Williams, of Yalo College, which Mr. Milford will shortly publish for tho Yalo University Press. Curhberland wrote his own "Memoirs" in 1806, and Mudford's life of him appeared in 1812. The new biography is based not only upo» these, hut also upon original manuscripts ,or Cumberland's in tho British Museum and other contemporary memoirs and papers.