LIBER'S NOTE BOOK

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 169, 6 April 1918, Page 13

LIBER'S NOTE BOOK

Stray Leaves. By the' last English mail the Hon. Mr. Rigg received letters from the Hon. W. P. Reeves (ex-High Commissioner for Now Zoa'and) and the ivcllknown Labour member, Mr. Ramsay Macdonald, M.P., acknowledging receipt of copios of his book, "How to Conduct a Meeting," a guide to Parliamentary practice. Both of Mr, Rigg's correspondents warmly commend the book for its practical value to all who are called upon to conduct public meetings, debates, etc. I understand that the first edition of 1000 copies of Mr. Rigg's book is now almost exhausted. Among new books announced ly Messrs. Collins is an autobiography of Mrs. Humphrey Ward, .which should bo a most interesting production, for Mrs. Ward has all her life mixed with celebrities, political, ecclesiastical,' literary, and social. The same firm announces new novels by Marjorie Bowen ("The Burning Glass," an historical romance), Allan Monkhouse "Men and Ghosts"). Mrs. Alfred Sidgwiok ("Karen, a Tale of Germany"), Barnard Capes (an historical romance with an Elizabethan background), C. E, Lawrenco ("Mrs. Bente"), and Frederick Nivcn (a Canadian adventure story, bearing the curious title, "Penny Scots Treasure") Another new book to ciomc from MeSers, Collins is -IHrirtg Bachelior's "Light in the Clearing," but, unless I am mistaken, we NeiV Zealandtrs had an American edition some time ago. Mr. Richard lo Gallienne, whe sprung into some literary prominence— ns a poet and literary critic—in the 'nineties, but who now lives in New York and is little heard of, lias writton a "treasure storj-," with the Bahamas foi a background. The story V/nrs thp alluring tifcli;. "Pieces of Eight," whioh, of course, mil recal

memories of that amusing rascal 'Lonf John Silver, of ''Treasure Island' 1 fame, and his parrot. Mr. Algernon Blackwood, who has written so many weird and wonderfu , stories in which supernatural forces ar« dealt with,' promises a peculiarly daring flight of imagination in his forthcoming now story, '"The Promise of tho Air," for it is doscribcd as "the story of a middle-class family written round the author's idea that wo should take life as birds tako the air, and then develop a common consciousness, such as persuades tho birds to migrate at a givon time.".

Dr. Magaret Todd, who writes novels under the pen name of Graham Truvers I specially rccail lier grim but admirable story "Vr'it.uyhaagh," published iimv some years jigo-has written the Life of .;ex-i;iake." The book will bo puiilislieu by Macmillans, who also aiiiHiuiyo a 'iufe of Sir William IviV 1 ?? 3 ' Sir. Wui. Tiiden, ?!', , a . UOOK ot reminiscences, A' Sporting mid i/ramatic Career," by Alfred B. T. vwusun ("Itapier"), for many years editor of "The illustrated sporting and Dramatic News." Mr. Watson ought to have some good racing yarns to tell. Mr. Arthur Henderson, M.P., has been so much in the public eye of Into as a pacifist and labour advocate that his "Aims of Labour" is bound to find many interested readers. For many years past, Mr. J. W. X 1 ortcscuo (out here as private secretary to Governor Sir. William Jervois) has been engaged on a monumental "History of the British Army." Some nine or ton volumes have already been published, but the work is still far from completion. Mr.. Fortoscue, however, has recently collected the- scattered chapters dealing, with successive British campaigns- in Inlanders, and has linked together in one volume, which, will givo a record, more or less complete, down to the outbreak of the present war. ■ This should be a book of considerable interest.

A great-granddaughter of Robert JJurnß died recently at Cheltenham, England, in the person of Miss Margaret Constance Burns Hutchinson. Her mother, who died eight years ago, lived the first twelve years of her life, in the post's home. Miss Hutchinson's grandfather was Colonel James Glencairn Burns, tho poet's second son, Some years ago Miss Hutchinson and her sister were granted pensions from the British Civil List. "I am writing in what I call the Cattery, presided over by. two old spinsters (we call them Castor Oil and Pollux), who_ look as if they were holding Life in their pursed-up mouths and found it nasty, but were 100 genteel to put it out."—"New and Old," by Edith Sicliel. Dr'. E. J. Dillon, the eminent authority on Balkan politics, has made & special study of the Russian Revolution, and has written a lengthy book on the subject, to be published this month in Loudon and New York. That clever English writer, Mr. J. C. Squire, to whose capital parodies I have more than once made allusion in these columns, is to have the honour of a collectcd edition of his poems. It is to bo hoped that Mr. Squire will make a selection, from :tlie weekly literary causcries' he...contributes ,\tp f: tho "New Statesman." ■ In'their owirway these fugitive writings, are just as Weil worthy of permanent preservation' as were Mr. Arnold Bennett's "New Ago" articles, collected and published last year under the title of. "Books and Persona."