LIBER'S NOTE BOOK

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 263, 2 August 1919, Page 11

LIBER'S NOTE BOOK

Stray Leaves, "it.M.C." writes ns follows re a recent review- of -Sir. "Billy" Sunday's dread-ful-production, "Jjible Stories iietold":— "Dear 'Liber,'-! am now an old man, and 1 luivc road many of the articles nnu*.*r your name m 'rilfl lioMIiNIUX thisjirhL toil years," ami itoue of (how with greater pleasure tluui that in your last, (July 18). All your remarks about Hilly Sunday «nd his Jiible 1 agree with, especially your last paragraph, n seems aB n Burnt! oi Hie socalteil evangelists l'orget- f-no Injunctions lxiid down in tlie lust ciiuptor ot tho In at book about the adding to or subtracting from' its glorious pages .'and •' language. Thank you very mucli.'' Mr. li. M. Mata litis an interesting article in a recent issue of "Xlio JJook Monthly" on "Dickcns's Uest Sellers." it appears that "Jt'lckwicli." comes lirst. It islands apart from all the.other works, find sell.s the rate of three fi> two of either "David OopperlieUr or "A. Talo of Two Cities," the next favourites. Then conies a group of iivo iioveln more or less eciual in sales—"Alartiu Chuzzleivit," "Uliver Twist," "The 01(1 Curiosity Shop," "Donibey and Son," and "Ureat 'Expectations." l'ollowing these would be "Jjitilo Dorritt." "Our Mutual ..Friend," "Bleak House," ".\icliolns A'ickleljy," "iiarnaliy Kudge," and "Sketches )>y ]}oz." .'is. Mr. Mate is connected with tho firm of Chapman and Hall, which holds tho Dickons copyrights, 1 take it that lie is right in the "best selling" order he has given. Personally, I am surprised to find "Dleak House" so low down on the list. Tho -May "Bookman" (Ilodder and Stoiighton; is a Whitman num. ber, and contains a long and interesting appreciation of tho "good gray poet" and of his work from the pen of hlrnest lihys. Another interesting article, bv Mason, deals with llio poetry oi - John Driukwat'er, of-whom a lino portrait in photogravure is given as a supplement. Mr. Jla?on icgards the author of the delightful "01 tun Pools" as morn purely English than any other poet of his generation. "Theme, landscape, his very tradition and moderation, alike .betray his lineage. Tie goes his way untempled from the secure highway of our national ' Jiterahire, ' either by foreign nrenS. by "rash oxperinientulism, or by Celtic will-o'-the-wisps." When, sa.vs Mr. Mason, Drinkwater wants to introduce a vivid bit of colour, he tiirnn' to no tropical flora, but: is content to rely mi so mo familiar and homely Knglisii scene Through a littlo farm parlour-door A floor , Of red tifep ami blue, Aikl the air Kwcei, with the hot- .Time sun cascading through 'J'ho vipe leave? under tile glass, and a scarlet frame