BOOKS AND AUTHORS.

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 235, 28 June 1919, Page 11

BOOKS AND AUTHORS.

(BY LIBBS.)

"The Mud Larks Again." lly-nll means put on the next order list you send to your bookseller a Httlo book of. humorous war stories and sketches entitled "The Mud Larks Again," by Crosbie Garstin (Jl'cthucu and Co.). Contributed to "Punch," the author thero using tlie nom-de-pliune of "l'ntlandor," these highly diverting storic.s of adventures, misadventures, and high spirits in the British and colonial lines during tho "latter days of tho Great War made a well-deserved hit, and many of those who, like myself, read and enjoyed them in tho pages of the popular linglish periodical, will be glad to renew acquaintances with them in collected form, whilst an. even greater number of new readers will, I trust, find in them an unfailing mino of humour. Mr. Garstin is a born humorist, who knows the British subal-tern-and tho-British "Tommy" right through; knows his unfailing cheerfulness," his vigorous but frankijr sincere speech,, and, above all, appreciates his unfailing readiness to perceive and recogniso and revel in the humorous side of things. In these stories ho takes us t<\ the British front in Flanders, to Italyeven, too, as'far afield as East Africa— a.ud never faiis to enlist our interest and to put and keep us in good humour. . '• The difficulty of tho average British subaltern in coping with linguistic prob- . lenis .is.-the subject of somo good fun.nniking.ih the opening sketch, "A Change .of s Front" Efi- route to Rome it was Suggested' by one of the party, an.- ingenuous youth known as "Tho Babe," .that "somebody'd ■ tetter hop oil' the bus at the.'next stop and buy a book of tho words." The author continues:

At tho next halt I dod&ed the inevitable deputation and purchased a plirase-ljook with a Union Jack on the cover, entitled "The English Soldier in Itaij'," published in Milan. , Among military terms, grouped under the headinc of "The Worldly War," a garctta (sentry-box) is defined as a, "watch-box," and the machine-gunner will be surprised to find himself described as "a gra-peshot . man:". It has also short conversations for current use. "Have: you of any English papers?"-"Yes,-sir. Here is the 'Times' and 'TitBits/ (Is it. possible . that the-.land 'of Virgil, Jforace aiid Dante; knows not the '.'Daily Jfail"?) "Give" me, pleaße, many biscuits." "No. sir, we have no biscuits;, the fabrication' of / them has .■ been avoided by Government." "Waiter";' show" me a. good bed, where one may- sleep undisturbatcd." In the train:— "Dickens! I-liave Iqst my ticket." "Alas, you shall pay the prico of another." A jocular-' vein is ' recommended with cabbies "Coachman—arc you free?" "Yes, sir." • "Then long live liberty!" Very young subalterns with romantic notions may waste good bser-monev on foreign phrase-books and get themselves ravelled in liopeloss international tangles, but not old Atkins. Tho English Boldier in Italy will speak what' he has always spoken with complete Buccess in Poperinsrhe, Amiens, Cairo, Salonika. Dar-es-Salaam, Bagdad, ; and Jerusalem, to wit. .English. One of . the best of the stories, "The Convert,' 1 takes us to German East Africa. Hero wo lenrn how >a lthodesinn ex-settler and war-time soldier, Trooper Hartley, -No.. .784,, was taken uuawnres by aGennnn, ono GYistavO'.Muller.hvhom ho had iirst met "Von the wallaby! in 1913, with nothing'oil,-, by t-a topee, an- army overcoat, and. a* bo'x- of. parlour magic." . ''Set-up as a wizard in Chala's Kraal, used to produce yards o[ ribbon out-of ilio-mouths of the ait'lictcd, and ;collapslblo liower-pots out of their nostrils—casting out ' devils, you understand.. Was scratching together a very comfortable practice; but Mie began to dabble in black politics, eo I moved him on. An entertaining old-rogue, but harmless.: ::

During tlie war' tho ex-Teuton lr.cgician turned up again, and, despite the fact that ho . hadn't been in ilermiihy-for thirty years, was <iuite ferociously llnil in his syiujiathics. ' He raptured his old acquaiiitanco, tho trooper, who says:

•He Bid me bailed up, all right. Arguments 'weren't no use with the cuss. "I'm a Sherman," was all he'd say, and next day wo' starts to hoof it to Herman territory, me promenading in front calling Gustav every name but his proper one, and liiui marching: behind, prodding me in the. back with the blunderbuss, lie d'isenjoyed that trip even more than I did; he-had-to step behind me all day for fear I'd dodge him into-the 'bush, and ho sat up all. night for fear tho boyß would rescue mc. lie got as redeyed as a bear, aiid his figure dropped off liiin in bucketfula. At tho end of a month we crossed the border and.'hit the trail of the Soutseller —burnt; villages-'everywhere, with, the messed-U'p. bodies of women and piccannies lying, about, stakes driven tlirougn them. '"Waug'h! ~, . , , "Aro you still a Sherman? i asked; but Gustav says nothing: he'd gone a bit white about- tlje pftlls all the same. Then one morning we ■ tumbles-into one of the lluu columns and the game is up. I-was' given a few swipes with ' a buelthido kiboko for welcome, and hauled before the Commander; a little short covo with yellow-hair,, a ,liand:carveil jaw. and spectacles. lie diagnosed my ease as serious, * prescribed mo soine. more kibolto, and.'.l., "was hove, into .a grass hut, under guard, pending the obsequies. The officers called Gustav a good sport, gave him' a Bix-by-four cigar, and .tool? him oll'i'to dinner. 1 noticed lie looked 'back at''-:me once or twice. So I sits, down in the : hut, and meditates on some per ; botis' eetisu of humour, with ji .big Askari linfck - padding it - lip/and down outside, whiling away the sunny Wmrai with a bit of disembowelling practice,: on his bayoiiet.\' • . That "jiiglit something happened" to tlio Askari. guard, something which- made him erumpio up, "give a couple and styitch-ftut as if ho was tired."

"Whißt! Is that you. Bill?" comes a whisper through'tho hole. - „„„ :\- • "W.hat'B left of me, Bays 1. Who ire you?" ; " , . : ■. "Me—Gustav, says tho whisperer. .. . "What's, the antic this time?" "Capturin mo again?" says I. ' ... "No, I'in rescuing you now, -says lie.. "The devil, you are," .saysi f, i.and. .iyith'l that I glided o.ut- through tho'. hole, and followed him on my stomach. .A-.sentry gave tongue at thescrub edge, but .Gustav rose up. out of the: gra-ss and-bumped, him behind: the'' ear,'aiid we ,went' on. "Well, you're .a lively: nuickrqhange" artist, capturing a bloke one. momertt, and rescuing him the next,". says I' pre-;, -sently. What's ■ come over you, Am t" you a. Sherman no longer?" ~ GnstaY . groans as if. his heart would break."" "I've been away thirty year. I , didn't know they was like that. I'd forgotten. Oh. my Gawd, what swine!" And , he sspita like a man tliilt has bit • sour beer,, aud wo-rail on again. .' 'f.liero is not a dull page in Mr. Gnrstiii's jolly littlo book. There is not miieh of it, only.ninct>- odd pages or so, but it is a veritable mine of good fun.

' Since writing the above 1 have, received a copy of a special japcr-liaclccd Australasian edition of "The.Mudlarks' Again," published by .Messrs. >;ngus and' Robertson, Sydney (p°r S. and W. -)l»c----lsay). I warmly commend either edition to -my readers. The war yams of "Patlander" are a suro cure tor low spirits. "Said My Philosopher." In a little volume of essays 'r.ntit'ed "Sriid My Philosopher" (Molbonrae: 0. .Tervia Maofcon) ilv. Alan D. Miehio pro video somo'thoughtful and TeU-iMiMeed views on life, expressed with so great affection of stylo, uut. eminently clear and suggestive. Written, for the mo<t ■part, ill war-thne, Mr. Mickle's essays are, he holds, "in no wcy rendered obso-' leto by the cessation of hostilities." Fer they are, • in fact, "amaingt an iu&tnan nature," and liuinan mature, pie.foundly affected though it may ba by certain special ~ features of a Titanic conflict betweon nations, is, after all, in it? basic features, very much the Fame in war-timo as in the piping times of peace. Mr. Jtickle proves himself a shrewd observer of life. Ite is no cynic, but. he can penetrate an outer shell of sham very quickly and thoroughly. One of tho best of his essays is that entitled "Tho Age, tho War, and the Average Mail." Writing of tho "nverage man's" .difficulty—must not most of 113 confess to' having often experienced it in those four long, dreary, weary years of wnr that even ,to-day still constitute a nightmaro!—in grasping "the suffering, and misery, and general hellishness of the war,'.' our essayist remarks: Trying to picture in liis imagination the whole thing, and to apportion values

Give a 'man a pipe he can smoke, Give a man a . booh he can read; And his home is bright with a calm- delight Though the room be poor indeed. i m " >—JAME9 THOMSOE.

to the details rind events oj it, he is liko a man on a mountain trying to civc a description of thai mountain. All about this man are rocks, trees, leaves, crass— a million, million details, lie <loes not know where to begin, and ho simply does not begin. But a mail twenty mites away, Becine the mountain wrapped in .its purple robe, with only a few outstanding and important features, might .-do with comparative ease what the other man could not even attempt. So looking hack through time, some pott may some day put a value lipon the present age and its events, and'the importance of the war realisable to the average man. But at the present time it is too near and too big and too crammed , with details. So the average man, after thinking at first angrily, defiantly, rebelliously. but finding in the end how vain it all is. rrives in, .and resigiiß himself and adapts himself. /'And the: big and-'most momentous things that day by day come along, he takes as a matter of course.

Some of the essays deal with art, others with literary subjects.. For the most part; however, the author dismisses the spiritual and intellectual elements in life. Ail tho essays are distinctly readable. Manuscript' Writing and Lettering. In a beautifuliy-printed volun«».c-utit!-ed "Manuscript Writing and Lettering" (London: John Hogg, per Whitcombe and Tombs,. Ltd.), an "educational, expert" provides a, very uselul •• 'handbook fur si/hools and colleges,,showing the historic.al development anil'practical application of modern handwriting, and of several manuscript styles derived trum ancient Homan letters. The information given is set .forth in a simple, clear terminology, and tho illustrations are of great' number; and some •of them of exceeding beauty. . A series, of collotype plates, reproducing various aucient letterings— Roman, Old English, French and Italianis an exceptionally good ;cnture of a book which, though primarily designed for educational purposes.' should find'a plu-'e in every public and private' library. I am glad, to notice that t .0 author does not wholly approve of '.he -"continuous pen-movement" which, originating in America, is now :so widely 'Adopted, and that ho does justice to the claims of individuality and' beauty' as opooaed to tho mere quality of rapidity.' The book is, 1 notice, a. volume of the Artistic Crafts Seriqs. of Technical Handbooks,- the general editor of which is I'cofc&sor W. A. Lethaby. ■