BOOKS OF THE DAY

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 229, 21 June 1919, Page 11

BOOKS OF THE DAY

A Sequel to "The Blue Bird." ; •■•■'l'he'boy. Tiltyl, whose acquaintance ivo ■'■fiKt'liuuii- 111 "'i'lio Ulue Bird," is . the : h"eVo'pt' : nc\vfairy .iilay,. ".'t'ho Be!vo!h(YI„or The Blue flinl's r.*imice" (Metliucn and Co.). Tiltyl ■is now .sixteen, a lifijipy r . rustic, tvno . liithei'to has not di eiimt of love, anil it limmics' incumbent upon him, so thinks liis' ■. beuL'volenl;' but shai'ii-witted—r.ml sometimes, rather sliiu - [i-toii};ue(t— fairy protectress :Bei-yluiiO; to choose 'rt , wife. So he is given a hat with it tnitli-reveat-ing sappliifoj in it, and r.ccompauied by Lii'lit and JJestiny proepeds to consult bis ancestors. AY'itU liim go six younfe. village maidens, each of'wlioni, in turn, he thinks may be suitable. The ancestors .do. not .solve the it. being -left to the descendants in.the Abode,,of. tho Children, the souls wlio are ivniting to 'appear in mundane life, .to - decide.Tiltyi's matrimonial; fate.. -Alas, for „!he sis nspirauts, or perhaps,. I should" say, the six whom' Die ybutlr.hiinself has suggested as olijibles, they are all discarded .lyheii ; tlio eliildreit dfeidp upon their future'mother in favour oif a iau Oindprella.- a -formless., .spirit.' «Ihi. •had: followed pitifully ; after . the.. • six ■ luaidons,' nivaiting tho' day when- tho .talisman of:.-Love shall invest her with happy embodiment.". * TJie nutbdi:, transports-, us into various' spheres of fairy-dom.-but ever does he. suggest; though, at times ' the -suggestion' is ' but. faint- and fugitive, the definite philospppy'.thn't.only through Love.-, shall we lcurii rind' rccog-. 'nise what is Truth. ■■•■■■.' , The dialogue .is simple and direct ("St. TeixeVa ' do' 'jlattos is again , .the .translator), ... .and- is... ; relieypd' • : liy toufhes of a' whimsical . hunjour. Tho Fairy's expounding of, the one thing that., counts in:, man's' life, .the choice,. ■ wise or foolish, of a. niate, is tinged with it singularly .' acute, perception of how. •things work in a non-fairy world: I

'. '.We havo' to ehoose the great and only love of your life: for each'man-has only one. If he miSßes' It,' he wmrdors iniscrably over. the face of.- the earth. .The'search. goes - oil until he. dies,; leaving unfulfilled the great duty which he owes to all those who are : within him.- But lie •seldom- lias an idea of this, He wulUb along witli Jits eyes shut, -sir.es eome woman whom he chances, -to' meet/in the dark, and show 3 her to his friend* as proudly as'though- the'gates of Paradise were opening. ■ He fancies himself alone ill the world and imagines thai in his own heart all things • begin and -enJwhicli. is absurd.- . . But no-ibore-of that!- .Put. on- your hat. and turn tho sa-onhirc; then they'll - come, iu.

•Many wonderful' and 'magical things happeu' .on tho "pcrsonally-condu'ctcd" tour in search of Miss liiglit upon which •.Tiltylembarks, and it is proved unto'the wanderer how different the seemingly most desirable maiden 'mfcy appear when ■by chaucc or purposo tho 'truth-revealing sapphire is put into use v The delicate •'elusive charm of "The Blue Bird" is even more to the fore in its successor.. Never has Maeterlinck drawn so liberally upon : the treasures of his imagination, flestiny for a timo is a grim forbidding figure, but- happily ho fades away before all- ' conquering Love, and tho playwright-poet provides a 'finale n'hich even those who fail to grasp'the mystical beauty'of tho play will find eminently pleasing. •Whether, ■if the picco'be given a stapo presentment, an audience of children will find 1 tho ' same." delight .in "The. Betrothal" • ns,.they derived from "Tho Bluebird" is, I think, more J than doubtful. .'- Perhaps, however,-''they will ignore, as they may-fail'to'understand,', the' piny as an nllegory on earth-life, and dwell temporarily enchanted with the magic of fairydom. And, after all, it was not; I iancy, so much to the children as to 'their fathers nnd mothers that the poet-dramatist intended to make first, appeal when lie set down in words his delieato fantastic dream. . "The Betrothal" is,- as its sub-title declares, (i sequel to "The Blue Bird,' 1 but it may be read quite independently of its famous predecessor. .- ■ > "Air Men-o'-War," Amongst tho numerous' British correspondents 110 0110 lias surpassed Mr. Boyd. Cable in the vigorous presentment of war scenes. There was a certain compelling entrain about "Action Front," "Grapes of Wrath," and "I'ront Lines" which made them most-fascinating. Mr. Cable does not ignore or hide the repellent, the repulsive side of -war, as .indeed should no one; for war at its best is .a very ugly, thing. But ho spares 11s .ill theatricality j 110 never, "writes up" his scenes. Tli'ey arc the real thing, intimate and poignant impressions- recorded with unfailing honesty and clarity. In his latest book, "Air M'en-o'-War" (John Murray} per Whitcoiube "and Tombs), he does for the Air Force, what he for tho ordinary soldier.' He explains the excit. ing though dangerous' nature of air fighting, sets forth its high value as a branch of the Intelligence Department, and-re- 1 produces the special atmosphere of tho work with conspicuous success. In somo of the eighteen separate sketches of which the book is ebmpniied, humour is prominent,'' 111 others the dramatic, ,iiid, alas,' the too'frequently tragic side of war fly-ing'is-to the fore. The author assures us that marvellous and almost incredible as certain of the incidents present in his'titles may "appear to non-military readers, practically every such incident has actually occurred; indeed, he assure.s us that he -has left untold- niaiiy episodes which, "for - sheer sensationalism, would beat these hollow/' Tll the story, entitled "The Littlo Butcher," Mr. Cablo records how nn air commanding officer was asked how it was that a particlilar airman,- popularly known as "The Little Butcher," was "so keen on killing Huns." Inferring to the.charge of "pure bloodthirstiness" brought against liis subordinate, the C'.'O: made'answ-er'thus: •

. I'll tell you. It..is, because lie was ouce In., the iiifuntry". an I lyas; and. .because he knows, as I do, what it means to lino to have au nrlillcry-ob«orri'ng machine overhead, 'directing ' shells ou. to you fellows, or taking photos that will locat'c your positions, and bring Hades down on you. Kvery Him that comes over tho line, you fellows have to sweat for; every minute a gun-spotter or photographer, or reconnaissance machine, lKprks over you, "you" pay for in killed and wounded/ Lots of our pilots don't properly realise that, and treat air-fighting as more 01' less of a sporting game or just tlio job-they're here for. The Little Hutcber Kuowb that every- Itun crashed means so many more lives saved 011 the ground: every Hun that gets away allvo will bo the death of some of you; so lie's full out to crash them—whenever, wherever, and however lie can. . • • Home day one of them will get him. You saw hiß bus when it was brought in just now? No.' Well, it had just thirty-seven bullet-holes in it. including one through the windscreen, a foot off Ills .licad.'\ . . .Hut lie'takes his risks,:and will go 'on taking 'em beeaueo every risk, every lluu downed, is saving sonio of you fellows 011 the floor. /l'hero are a-maiiy women at home to-night whomight be widows and are still wives, and for that you can thank God-aud the Little lintclicr." There is not a dull page in the book. . "Love-Life: A Sonnet Sccucnce." From llio Australasian Authors' Agency (Melbourne) cdines a tastefully-printed, booklet, cnlilleil "Love-Lil'c: A Sonnet Sequence." . In setjuCneo of thirty sonnets the author, Alarieda Batten;. dnuvs a series of poctical pictures of married life, of the beginning*, development',, temporary blenches into, but .triumphant repairs and strengthenings of tho loves of two young people, until the crowning joy of maternity creates a new union of lit'arts which promises to defy all possible destructive elements. The iiuihor wieldsa graceful pen, which answers the prompting of a. thoughtful and truly spiritual muse. Tho simplicity of the stylo is in admirable keeping with I ho subjects of tho sonnets, tho various phases of married love and quiet domestic happiness. The mystery of approach-.; ing, ma.lui'nily js described with a tine

delicacy in the one sonnet which space limits permit mo lu quote:— This tender hope, tills interest we share, ims anvil upoj) yurjovu u golden Hub-gntiiei'-U up each joy, ca'cn i.uu'icd ■ woo " ' . Into one cleaming. cord tnat ends just where . . ■ U r c hum each other'* hearts secure from care; For .euro ean never close two .hearts that IvllO.W True love is. theirs, and one; day will .. bestow , -. Its gut on therii, its crown, their nnsivered: prayer. ... Till lhat day-dawn ~oi- mingled love and liride 10-may iho, weeks CO past oil -winged feet, • ' , . When motherhood shall nianilest love s grace;. . ... : ■ All! thrilling, longed-for moment, honey- ,. Aweet, . When. jea/ous time my jowel. shall ccaso .• to hide, . . ..... ; And 1 mjly iooI; upon my baby B.faee. A Book on- Influenza, 'In a well-printed booklet, entitled "iniluonu and' Air-borno IJiseaso" (Ayiiitcombe and Tpinbs),- . a - northern .medical piactitipiier. i3r. I'.. Home Atacdunald,' of Otahiiiiii, puts lonvard some original and interesfiiig 'theories upon ■the prevention, and cure . of. that latter<la'y' ; pc,st, : ' iniliii'iisia 'in its so-called inieumonio' fornu : Br: Jrucdouald ■ contends that tho first mid most lertiio source of inlluenai—in its more recent and virulent forms—is a dirty-tongue. . "The trapped germs on tho" tongue, kept at bleod. heat'in this moist, nourishing - .place, colonise, rapidly : by. - multiplication . '.and ' the . culture spreads, rapidly." ..'i'he '"orguiiisinal cause" of liiaiiy diseases are, lie says, "air-borne .germs.". - Under tho heading "Cleanliness" the author writes:—

It Is .essentially, due .to oiir 'old-fasliioncd .teachiiiK that.the' toilgue'. is'a "sign" of ill-health, .not .tlip .cauee."Jlow. Iqi-.g, oh, how long,'is this attitude to blind us? Wo go searching Uji the -naso-pliaryiu for exceptional serins. Wo g<J hnnting. down .tho trachea tor explanations, wniie the ■semi-solid' culture of colonies on the tongue is'starlng'iiß'in the. face. 'On the tongue is I'HB cause, not a siitn.-'. Tlie tongue is THE nidus, not a nidus. The tongue iB the ONiA dust-trap. And natural cleanliness alone demands that we pay letter attention! tor it— outto apart ti'om disease. In health it is important to. • keep the dust-trap clean. It. is JtQUK important than yo'ur face or-hands or teeth. Hygiene it; society should compel it at all. times. '

Dr. Macdonald's treatment, roughly and briefly summarised, resolves itself into the regular cleansing. .of the :tongue, especially • -the back of the tongiiL. lie says:—

Stop tho Bourco of the enemy's supply by cleaning particularly the back of the tongue, and cast out the gerniß already in the system by every means in your power. Cleanse the bowels, keop'tlie lung tubes as dry and quiet'at you, can, and llood out the iioisoucd-. Wood organs with water, soup, lemon drinks, • etc. . . . If tho :patient bo given a mirror, and catches his tongue with -a, rag in liiß left hand, he can easily clean the back of the tonguo with the brush in his right hand, without assistance. I have, Adopted this simple method an routine Ircalment in hospital and privato practice, unless the patient haR been too ill to do It for himself. Even the extremely 411 undo uneventful recoveries. And of tlio irany nurses employed, though they were mostly untrained persons, only 0110 contracted the disease, and she had candidly failed to. appreciate instructions. In type lief illness was pneumonic, llecovery was ( any.

It 13 not .for a.lnyman to discuss in detail the interesting theories itnrt suggestions which .the author, €ets forih, with laudable, clarify,..ami with . evident earnestness .and sincerity. .: Expert medical opinion on Hie alleged prevention and "cut'e" - will Ino doubt be forthcoming. Suffice it to say that Dr. llncdonald's little boolc is one of conspicuous interest and importance. War Books. In the latest list of announcements by one.London publisher alone, are no fewer than, fourteen new books, all dealing with various war phases and scenes. 1 fear that many of these war books, of which there is stilt an enormous monthly crop, will fall very deild on the book market. Now that tlie war is over, most people, at least most people..! meet, seem disinclined to read-war books. Thero is, on the other hand, a great demand for what may be Milled "reconstruction literature." .Such' n fine and permanently useful work 'as .John Buchan's "History of the War" will be bought by iniiny. In years to come, perhaps, people may collect' books on ihe Grodt War of 19M-1318 with' the same, zest: as .in the past the literature of the Napoleonic wars has been collected;- But for,the. next decade, at least, the average war book will, I am afraid, be the "deadest" of, "dead stock.'

Stray Leaves. ■ It is - generally understood that tlio actor manager -who is so pronmient a ljgurß in Air. Gilbert' Caiman's latest novel, "Atuinmery," was drawn trom the late sir Herbert Jieerbohm Tree. If so it i.-j a portrait the very'reverse of Haltering. The artist and play-producer of t-lio story! also ti very disagreeable character, in aiiid to have ljeeii.iilentilie.il ns Mr.. Gordon Cra ig, son of, I lie- lata Bllen ■Terry. ' Jli\ Caiman has, i notice, a now siorv coining out very .90011 with Air. Fisher Urlwin. Tho ■ title is "Pink Hoses." it is a story of London in war time ■" .Many of my readers may remember the Into ill - . Thomas, Spurgeon, who for a tiiuo was pastor of the Baptist Church iu- Auckland, and who, after returning to England, took up his famous father's old position at the 'Metropolitan. Tnbernaclo in South London. Mr. Spurgeon died in October, 191", having retired from the charge of the Tabernacle ill 1908. His biography lias now been wrilteit- by Air. W. V. Fnllerbn and published byiMessrs. Hydder,and. Stoiigliton. .. Three new volumes have, recently been cdiled to (hat excellent series, "Bvery Irishman's .Library," published by Fisher Unwin.' The titles aw "Oarlelon's Stories of Irish Life,", a good old book which lias long been dillieult to procure; Gerald UriffinV half-forgotten novel, "Tho Collegians." .-which is not a'little in tho style of Charles Lever; mid "Selections from tlio Works-of Maria Eilgeworth." Tho three -Volumes will -have intrcduelions respectively-, b.v -Messrs. DArrell ]•%«», • l'adrai© Column, and Malcolm Cotter Reton. Sir Wider -Haggard's latest 'story has been'piiblishcd by Cassell's, 'It is a war novel, entitled "When the World Shook." Copies should be .available- very soon at the bookshops. Sir Arthur Copnn Boyle s'efrms'to have 'gone over to the -Spiritualists lock, stock, and. barrel. ' In his jast hook, '"The New ■Relation," lie even accepts the "npports" theory, the conjuring up fwm tho spirit world of material objects

Two more volumes have hpen added io .Hip. series of Tcliekov's short stories. published by Oiiaßo. and Windus. Tchekov iuis beeii called, so J notice, tlieHussijin Cluy do Maupassant, but personally I fail f.) perceive liny sinking similarity Ijc-V-cP" the two writers.' Tlio only thin;; tllp.vliave in common is Hi pirtlepressi pessimism. Tie "Nrtui'nassaiit. il:. is Into, s'onietiines iiitrp.duc.es.. u..lighter- vein, lint '.dreariness seems (o. porvade .Tcheltov'-s -work almost; ' without exception; Tlio only Kussian writer. In whose ' work T. \ have been ahle to- find any sense of ' humour is Gogol, whose "Pi-flit Souls" show?'on uumistnknlilo Dickens influence., A long course of. "Dostftevslty. ivmild.. I think, have « uiosi: depressing effect, oven upon Iho most eheerful and optimistic of minds.