BOOKS OF THE DAY
Some Delightful Essays,
A.new volume of essays and sketches from Mr. E. V. Lucas is always welcome. During the course of last year Mr. Lucas contributed to "The Sphere," "The Outlook," "Land and Water," "Punch," and other periodicals a series of short disquisi-tions-shall I call them?—on. a. variety of subjects. These are now collected in one of thoso handy-sized, agreeable little volumes which many of us have come to know so well, under the title "The Phantom Journal nnd Other Isssays nnd Diversions" (Methuen and Co.). As in the past, Mr. Lucnj exhibits in- these essays or "diversions" a fertile fancy, a. pleasant allusiveness, and a very agreeable wit. Oceasionallv. there is a touch of satire, but it is always tinged by the characteristic Lucas : an geniality. In his title essay Mr. Lucas describes a newspaper which, alas, exists' only in the land of dreams. His Phantom Journal—for which he suggests the title "The Adjuster," .or "The Alleviator,"—has no leading article, only news, and only "good news." Mr. Lucas quotes various "news" paragraphs which «re delightfully fanciful. He is evidently'a believer in the "tote," or, as English people call. >t.using its Gallic name, the Pnri-Mutuel.
Tho Bill for tho introduction •of the Pari-Mutuel system into {.his country has now passed the Lords, and will shortly become law. Racing, henceforward, not only will be as pleasant as it Is irr France, with none of tho raucous din of tho bookmakers, and no' swindling; element, but pamblin? will automatically contribute both to the revemio and charity, for the Chancellor of the Exchequer Trill tako five per cent, and the hospitals two and a half.
But where do the racing clubs come in? Chi this point Mr. Lucas might well have.enlightened us. ."No. swindling element!" Ahem! "Well, on.that point New Zenlanders might possibly.and great, ly enlighten Mr. Lucas.- ■• . There is a pleasant little essav on the. London policeman, with a capital incidental story of a famous Bnssian' dangeuse, and lovers of George Tlnrrow willbe interested in porno "New .Glimpses" of. th» eccentric author of "Lovengro" and "The JRoiuany live." Borrow must.have been a bright individual, for when well over seventy he thought nnth'ng of ' walkin« -for twelve I'O'iro i thr at +''» rate of five miles an hour," find was so devoted •to swimming that "even in winter lie would plunge into the Fen Pond' in-Rich; mond Park and traverse its whole length. In a pleasant little'o.-sny, "The. Man of'floss," Mr. Lucas draws an engaging .portrait of tho hero of Pope's woll-known lines: ... •';'.' . ..
Kise. honest Muse, and sing the Man .of Rosa:
Behold the. market-place with poor o'erThe Wan' of Eoss divides.' the ' weekly bread; . '' . L .. '~ He feeds yon almshouse, neat, but voia of state, ..'... ~, '„' Where Age and Want sit' smiling at the Him' maids, lappTcnlic'cd orphnns, blessed ■• The young who labour, and the. old, who rest. 1' ■ ' \. Is any sick? The Man of liess relieves,Prescribes, attends, the med'eme' makes and gives. ' '■ ■" ■■ : Is there .1 variance? enter but his door, Balk'd are the courts, and contest is 110 more. .•■ ' Despairing Quacks with curses fled the nlaec , 'And vile attorneys, now an useless race.
Tho "Man of Bass" was in' real life, one John Kyrle, who acted .is a very practical and unselfish plv'tontlironist to the goo' l folk of the picturesque Utile town in Monmouthshire which was his l-irth-plaeo. It is from him that the Kvrle Society; an organisation whoso object is the getting of more "sweetness mid light" into the homes of tho workers, takes.its iiame. ■■.■■•.
Mr. Lucas has always had a knack of nne.irthing some quaint and little old bo"k and pic'."'".? out its tit-bit--- for our edification. His' latest, trouvaille is (in old-fashioned guide In the rood eonduet of young maidens, "The Elegant Girl," which was published at the beginning of last century. Out of this he get? F«roe capital fun. Au"Wer entertaining article; .suggested, so "Liber" takes somf <=mall pride in recordih?. hv a certain "letter from New Zealand," 'Vols "ith:.a little-known, work, entitled "Extracts from the Diary of a Lover of Literature."
These (ire some sjonrl things, ton. in nn csmv on "Epitaphs." Here Mr. Lues pives full pinv to InVimaginat'on. lie for "V-ri'f'.il ritlinr than ploomT epitaphs. "A rector,", he says, "wiho air lowed none lint cheerful enitaphs. would bo worth his tithes." "Would," asks the essayist, "there He any very im'iiospiblp impropriety in such an inscription as this?"
Here lien JOHN SMITH, Who found earth pleasant and rejoiced in its beauties and enjoyed its savours: who loved arid was loved; and who .would '" fain ro on living. He died relurtantly, but wishes well to all who survive him. Cnrpe Diem. "Now and then," ' suggests Mr.- Lucas, "a human fo'blc might he records! by the stonemason without risk of undermining society's -. foundations. ;"'.'-. ■ • Some secrets are better out. Here .for example": Here Lies , (In no expectation of immortality) THOMAS BROWN '' He was no Friend of the .Church, but he paid his way. interfered with none of his neiehbonrs and • his word was his bond. "What," asks Mr. Lucas, "would happen if Thomas Brown's friend* paid'for such lapidary style as that? Would the world totter?" • , Perhaps the most amusing item in a collection where general • entertainment is ever present, is that entitled "Broken English." A specimen of the famous Baboo English was,' of course, .inevitable, but some examples from the. West Const of Africa, and China are: equally diverting. I prefer, however..-to-.quote a Japanese letter, wliinh Mr, Lucas 4 »l!s ns was actually received at the London office of a Tokio engineering house not long ago-.,
Uegnrding the matter of escaping- penalty for non-delivery of the machine, there is a wav to creep round same hy diplomat. We m'ußt make a statement of pig strike occur in our factory (of course Dig untrue). Pleaso address my firm in enclosed form of letter and believe -tins will avoid penalty of case. As Mr. a. 'la a most religcoug and competent man and. also heavily upright, and irodly _it fears me. that useless apply for hiß signature. Please attach name by Yokohama office making forge, but no cause to fear pnepn hnppening as this is of ten. Opera-ed by other merchants of highest integrity. ■ It is highest unfortunate' Mr. B. bo godlike and excessive awkward for business purpose. .1. (kink much better add little ecrnentliko wisdom to upright manhood and >o found a good bueincM edifice. . As nil example of that Oriental "(dimness" with which New Zealand importers of Japanese goods had, dur'ng the war period, an Acquaintance as "extensive and peculiar" as was Mr gunnel Wcller, •Tiinioi-'fi, knowl«lir«! of London, the above is surely -hard to bent. Mr. Lucas's latest book should enjoy nil the popularity achieved by its numerous predecessors. These Ixmkn of his nro idea! "dipping books" for the bedside shelf. That is where all "Liber's" "Lucas books" go, nnd my only grievance is there are not more of them. Tho Palestine Campaign. Not a few New Zealimders are ant, I fear, to imagine thnt Allonby's victorious campaign in Palestine was wholly carried out bv tho "Diggers" and the "\ussies." On the other hand, anyone reading Mr. Rowlands Coldicott's book, "London Men in Palestine" (London: JMwnrd Arnold) might very well come to Hie conclusion that tho part played in the campaign by the men from the oversea dominions "in the Pacific was finite, negligible, for from first to last the antipodean "Mounteds" aro scarcely even
mentioned. Apparently the author kept lis eves on the Londoners, whoso pluok and ]'at fence and gallantry lie so generously nnd justly eulogises. The splendid march across the desert and up the torrid vnl'ev of the Jordan h a march which well maintains the reputation of the British infantry as the finest plodders that modern warfare has ever known, and is described in a elear-cut, unpretentious, and yet most fascinatm:: The closing chanter contains a dramatic de-scription-of a short but desperate hunt which took place on the Mount of Olives. Mr. Coldicoft intersperses hi* prose descriptions of the valour of his much-be-loved Londoners with some stirring verse. The Ijook contains some interestin? illustrations, and two excellent maps.
"Why We Do It." Under the title. "Why Wo Do If: IV oliological Gossip" (T. -Werner Laurie, Ltd.), a Sydney writer, Mr. It. M'Millaii, gives us 'a seres of infercsti"g essays dealing with what may he called popular psvehology. He discusses very nlensnntly and wisely, and often very wittily, siicli questions as "Whv Men Swear." !'Why Men Drink," "The Kelntionshin Between the Church and the World," and upon a host of social, political, a«l religions problems now engaging the public mind. Mr. M'Milian is, in places, inclined to a certain, excess of sarcasm, and he is certainly no optimist as totilie future of ..the world._ Speaking generally, he is an.individualist He fives an "abfolnte and unqualified denial" to the claim that ■ nil men are. born free and equal. -"Nobody," he says, "is free ill-the'realm of law, and any attempt to render them equal will end in cft'saotrous failure," Nevertheless, he predicts sooner or later we arc to have a Socialistic world.. I quote the final sentences of the essay on this subject:—
When a - man »ayn "Socialism" now it socms -something heavenly; something you need not discuss. It means, to some, unlimited beorV.it means to others no work and .hip. pay. It means to others a Binless,' happy world, free from pain, and misery and poverty. To some it is a lovely ideal, and I.know some delightful Socialists. The word "Socialism" has passed into a definite cult, as strong.as the worship of Oee.ris. Ises, or Horns, and as unreasoning. It is an illusion, a delusion, a dream, but ithcn the world has always been under the influence of illusion,- and Socialism is a widespread Illusion that is coming to rrfa as sure as day follows night.
I am by no means so sure as is Mr. M'Millan'that"{Socialism, as we understand the teim is "coming to rule us," but ho expounds his views on W>is and many other subjects in such an original and engaging way that, lie will interest many—and amuse nuiiiy more whom he may fail to convince.'
SOME RECENT VERSE. "Paths of Glory," "Path's of' Glory." ft collection of ponim wi'iltPV during the. war, 19H-1919, edited'by Bertram Lloyd (London; Georgo Allen land Unwin) contains contributions from several well-known writers of the .younger school of British noets, such- as Walter de :1a Mare, Wilfred William Gibson, Siegfiied Sarsoon, Louis Gohling. and Alec Wangli. An older school is nl--o represented in poems by "A.8." (G. .W.. Russell), the late Dora Sigorson (Mrs. •'/"■oii.Aur K. SV-ror). and For Mte most part the poems reflect an intense loathinfi of war, and in places n bitter scorn of the shams and mummeries by which some writers have sought to justify and glorify human slaughter. The editor proudly claims that "none of tjhn poems? hare ; -printed' is .concerned with the national and political causes, methods, or results of the present war." These, he adds sarcastically, "may be safely left to the invention of the hi.storir.ns, in various belligerent countries, who in this instance, as in the past, will doubtless mivvev what is. m ne t needed by their respective peoples. • However the various writers here represented may agree as to "the personal gallantry and selfsaerifine that war may incidentally call forth." they, also agree that war i»ust be regarded to-day,as an execrable blot unon civilisation. Foreign as well na Brifi';h''noots are represented in tho col-, ilpofion; which undoubtedly contains many eloquently-worded denunciations of war.' It is. however, an open question whether the cnllerHon as a whole does not prawnt a one-sided and, uniutentie.ially perhaps, a very unfair view of war. There mav have been those of whom, as Toiiis. Go'ding sings in his, "Soldier Thing," it may he truthfully written: .
They gathered in the. market plwe They eathcrcd- to buy merchandise Vv'blond v»". houirht.for little pri<-e. 't>- masters iioiiffM- ami I wns sold. This is wliv' my blood is ooi'nir Blood is.cheap and bought for gold." But it is surely unjust and lmtrii" to tin bit the elder men of England, wh"m infirmities nrcvented f''nm going to Hie front, as hnving "callously, cynicallv, l,n M nrU,l (m f!)(> vnun—T men to a do.'itli of which dhey themselves ran m risk." h»en far too much of this «>rt "f insiiiuario" in certain wh>"h 1,„..„ n., nr in er\m« of the London weeklies, notablr-or rather ■-l""ild I say nntni"Vi]slv'^—"The Nation." F < "l i« nn of. --V T :n""n in Vr. Pic<rfriert SassOon's lines, "Memorial • Tablet (Great-'War)"-. /
Squire nnwrei. and bullied tiil I wont to to fiirilt' . , . (Under Lord Derby's scheme). I died m hell— (They called it. Easschendnele); my wound wns slisrht, And I was wobbling back; and then a shell Bur«l slick upon the duck-boards! so I fell Int" the bottomless mud, and lost the light. Tn Bermon-timc while Souiro is in his new. He cives my gilded namo a. thoughtful stare: For though low dow:\ upon tha list.. I'm there t "In drond and glorious memory"—that 5 ixif dun. Two bWriing yenrs I fought in France, for Squire; And suffered anguish that he's never ijuessed. Once T r-"ne home on leave: and then vent. V/ert . . . ' What greater glory could a man desire? . • Now. I put it .to Mr. Snssoon that, this is simply a horrible slander upon a class of men. the English country gentry, 1 whose hearts are just as tender and lovimr and full of genuine sorrow for the. noor lads who died for their coun'ry ami their eountrv's cause in France, as; is i that if Mr, Snsfonn or any other facile, versifier 'win rails and rants at and vilifies 'lis fellow-countrymen in such poems fis this .. How does Mr. fiassoon know tliat the squire "never suefspd" the noor lad's nnsuish? As a class, the Enirlish country gentlemen behaved splendidly thrnushnul the war. Tt may be that thev assisted T.ord Dcrhv to carry nut his recruiting scheme, although to arouse them of "nagging and bullying" the village lads into klmki is a eruol <-i.:-iw to orn-i insinuate. But with those lads' Trent their own sons—thousands of ■ them—and squire's' son and labourer's son fo»>»ht fide by fide, and both were equally and honestly lamented by fathers irho. forgetting Hie difference in their relative, social status, mingled their teara over their slain dear ones. To write, a* Mr.' Sa c snon has done, nnt only in the poem quoted, bnt in others, is to foment a miserable class hatred, and I for one enter my protest against H. 1 There are many fine things in HiFr book, but; there arc also many lines which might much belter have. l>een lol't unwritten, and certainly imprinted.
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Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 132, 28 February 1920, Page 11
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2,458BOOKS OF THE DAY Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 132, 28 February 1920, Page 11
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