BOOKS AND AUTHORS.

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 160, 2 April 1921, Page 11

BOOKS AND AUTHORS.

(By

Liber.)

BOOKS OF THE DAY M Tha War of th# Future.” Despite its title, “The War of the Future, in the Light of the Lessons of the World War” (Hutchinson and Co., per Melville Mullen and Co., Melbourne), General von Bernhardt's latest book, makes very few definite references to the ' battles and engagements of the Western front. The book is none the less a very careful, much-detailed study of the special conditions of modern warfare as they were revealed in the great struggle which left Germany, so the author says, impoverished and broken.” Von Bernhardt disclaims any desire dr intention, to sharpen the sword of vengeance, but it is quite clear that he cherishes the idea and hope of there coming a. day when hie country will be once again triumphant. The good people who indulge in dreams of a “repentant Germany should read Bernhardi’u latest book. Ho shows that the German 13 very much alive to his possibilities and quite ready to learn from past mistakes. Thus:, For the moment we are at th. is ““’s “‘‘sj'u.s of seventy millions, which can be chastened^\n“ obled people will arise Br«r e it. really is. . ■ The book is mainly devoted to the purely military side of war, but in one chapter, entitled “The Influence of Politics and Economics.” the author deals with the part played, by the non-mili. ry elements in the nation when war, *“reafr- •’ «ris or is in ■progress. His view is that of the old Prussian military and class,- namely, that the people generaJly exist only for the purpose of obeyin* the dictates of their masters. " "th; SmbtaaUon of, Political and military acfeWW.Ww ‘FBS. *K”S this simple rule was not observed. Von Berwhardi warmly defends secret diplomacy.: It is hoped that by forbidding secret » ac « e Xt o^ e outb^ e or u. reeri h but S the fact 1 tho? this is" wholl? ff igSored nOB Th t e°re FP is e obviousiy no security against anything, while the opis «ven an absolutely free hand It is amusing to find a German, one o that nation whoso chief political rulers cheerfully tore up a sacred treaty as a . “mere scrap of paper writing as follows: — - ’

It is perfectly obvious that S‘. openly, we could never be mute c ejtain that our opponent or opponents would ■ act as honourably as ourselves. Remembering the pre-war time Teuton diplomacy, and of the lu»8 upon which it was conducted, it is.difficult to •refrain from a smile of contempt as one reads that phrase “as honourably as ourselves." But Bemhardi, like all Germans. has his own peculiar idea of what is honour.

'Secrets of Earth and Sea.” A welcome successor to thbse delightful studies in popular science, "Science from an Easy Chair” and "The Diversions of a Naturalist,” is to hand m a volume entitled "Secrets of Earth and Sea (Methuen and Co.), in which are collected a series of articles contributed to various periodicals by the distinguished writer, Sir Edwin Bay Lankester, K.UE, E.B.S. As in his earlier volumes, the author discourses upon a great Tanety of subjects, from "The Earliest Picture in the World” (a description of some curious prehistoric cave carvings discovered in the cavern of Lortet near Lourdes, in the south of France) and an essav, specially interesting to dwellers in ‘a country possessing volcanoes, such as New Zealand, on various recent or comparatively recent eruptions of Vesuvius, to a learned and yet;. most readable disquisition upon the origin and real meaning -of the swastika. In. the two essays on suspended animation are set forth many curious facts and ingenious theories. "The Cro=s-brceding of •'Races” is also another specially interesting essay. Th-bis preface the author ."referring to Iho place of Science in. everyday post-war life, says that all must "bz.i„ directly o” mdirectly.in the makin" of new knowledge. Whilst mankind is still so backward in .knowledge, nnd the worship of wisdom, it is idle to indulge in despair of the future. A cheap way to increased welfare is still nnpn. n*)/! F R offers. therefore, hi> book as "a contribution, how-, ever restricted, to tho spread of a . dosire for further knowledge of the thingsabout which it tells-*-a possible incitement to serious study of some one or other among them.” (N.Z. price, Ils.) “The Ntw Social Order.”

.An exceptionally interesting contribution to the literature of post-war reconstruction is to .bo found in "The New Social Order,” by Meredith Atkinsdu, head of the Department of ' Sociology in the University of Melbourne (Macmillan and Co., Melbourne). Mr. Atkinson’s general position- may be described as that of a moderate but progressive democrat. and fi is book is of special value in that the author does not blindly accept the dicta of English and American sociologists, but examines tho various problems with special regard for Australian conditions. As befits a leading educationist, he pnys special attention to tho necessity which exist- to-day for the broaden-, ing and deepening of national interest in educational progress, emphasising the importance of education for citizenship, and making many wise remarks as to the place of science in a general education, Another interesting chapter, is that in which he deals with "International and Imperial Problems.” He refers to certain anomalies in tho Peace. Treaty which specially affect Australasia, and it is interesting to note that he does not favour an Imperial federation, preferring an Imuerial convention to meet every three years, all rcommendations lo he referred to-the separate Parliaments. Upon the question of independent diplomatic representation. of the Dominions (as favoured by Canada), Mr. Atkinson •ays:

It 1? all very well for Australian Oovernments to nuaeeat senarate ambassadorial representation at Washington and elsewhere. But are we prepared to face tho conßcnuences of having a separate foreign nolif V? The best plan would teem to be to reconstitute the British Embassies in the leading countries, so as to include attaches or other representatives of every part of the Empire. Behind each delegation should be a. Department of Foreign Affair*', in each Dominion. Close co-opera-tion in: London ia, however, the most vital essential. Under the heading "Forma of Industrial

Give a man a pipe he can smoke, Give a man a book he can read; 'And his home is bright with, a calm delight Though the room be poor indeed. —James Thomson.

Control” comes a useful explanation of the Soviet system—in its theory, if-not' in its actual working out in Russia—and what the author has to say of “Industrial Councils” is also very much to the point. A useful index is appended to this excellent little work, which deserves the attention of all young men who. are studying present-day political and industrial problems. LIBER’S NOTE BOOK Death of a Dickens Illustrator. An interesting link with the later Dickens period has disappeared through tho death of Marcus Stone, as reported in a cablegram this week, at Che ripe old age of eighty-omj. Stone, who was born in 1840, was a son of an old friend of Dickens, Mr. Frank Stone, who, by the way, drew three of the illustrations to one of the novelist's Christmas stories, “The Haunted Man,” and' died in 1859. Five years latar, Dickens selected Marcus Stone, then a young man of twenty-four, as the illustrator of his novel, “Our Mutual Friend." Hablot K. Browne, better known as “Phiz," had illustrated ten out of the fourteen principal Dickens novels, and there is nothing in the Dickens' correspondence to show that tho novelist had been dissatisfied with Browne’s designs for “A Tale of Two Cities,” which immediately preceded "Our Mutual Friend." It has been thought that Dickens wished to do a good turn to the son of his old friend, Frank Stone, but poor "Phiz,” then getting on in years, was very much cut up at being passed over. In a letter to Young, the engraver of. the plates he had done for several of the Dickasis books, "Phiz” wrote:—

Stone is no doubt to do the new Dickens. I have been a good boy. I believe. The Diate's in hand are all in good time, so I don’t. know what’s up, any more than you. Dickens probably thinks a new hand would give his old punnets a fresh look, or perhaps he doesn’t like mv illustrating Trollope neck-and-neck with him —though, by Jingo, he need fear no rivalry there. Confound all authors and publishers. I say. There’s no pleasing ono or the other. I wish I had never had anything to do with the lot.

Marcus Stone’s drawings duly appeared in "Our Mutual Friend,” and gave the novelist every satisfaction. It may not be known to many admirers of the story —it is the one. for which, outside “Hard Times,” “Liber” himself cares least among all thq Dickens stories —that Stone was mainly responsible for the appearance in the story of that quaint character, Mr. Venns, who dealt in “bones warious; bottled preparations warious; dogs, ducks, glass eyes warious.” Stone had required a model for a “begging dog” for one of his pictures, and a friend sent him to a taxidermist and animal dealer who dwelt in a dirty little by-street in Seven Dials. In conversation ono day with Dickens, the latter- told the artist that he was looking for a man of some strikingly peculiar avocation to introduce into his new story: "It must be- something very striking and unusual," he explained. Stone at once took him round to his new acquaintance in St. Giles, and the result was the introduction into the story of 'Mt. Venus. The illustrating of "Our Mutual Friend” pfloved an excellent advertisement for the young artist, and his own original artistic work became so popular with the dealers that ■when Dickens was writing his last novel, “The Mystery of ’Edwin Drood,” Stone, who was offered the task of illustrating it, declined the commission, which was given to Mr. (now Sir Lake) Fildes. Stone dia a few illustrations for the cheap edition of Dickens’s stories, but his growing popularity ns a genre painter —who that knows Victorian art does not know his groups of interesting lovers and pathetically pretty maidens?—caused him to eschew the humbler branch nf book illustration. He remained, however, one of “Boz’s” personal friends until the death of the novelist in 1870.

.The Creator of “Raffles.” The late Mr. E. W. Hornung, whose dcatlj was' reported the other day, was often referred to as an Australian novelist. He was, however, n Yorkshireman by birth, and. only spent throe or four years in Australia, in the eighties. Upon his return to England h.e wrote several novels, amongst others, “A Bride From, the Bush,” "The Boss of Taroomhn.” finally making 1 a popular success with a series of stories, the chief figures in which were a clever cracksman named Baffles, and his associate in crim”, Bunny. Many thousands of tho “Baffles”. books must have hem ff'Bld. -Mr. Hornung did good service during the war in ambulance and other work. Chesterton on Cocoa, Mr. G. B. Ches-orton appears to have carried his oft-declared detestation of cocoa with him to America. Years ago, when he had quarrelled with the proprieFors of the "Doily News” (a wellknown firm of cocoa manufacturers) he relieved his mind, after praising tea. as a gentleman, by writing Cocoa is a cad and coward. Cocoa is a vulgar beast. And judging by the reports of certain interviews in New York, the “modern Dr. Johnson,” as one Yankee journal styles him. still retains the old antipathy. "No country on earth,” he says, "could force me to touch a drop of cocoa,” Mr. Chesterton shares a personal enthusiasm for ale with his friend, Mr. Hilaiiw Belloc, whose lyrical praise of The swines that tiiey brew at the Washington Inn. has -become famous far beyond Sussex. li. would ho interesting to have Chesterton’s private opinion upon his compulsory deprivation of' his favourite “tap”—“all taps is vanity,” said Mr. Stiggins! — while sojourning in Yankee Land. In the book of “American Impressions,” •which will, of course, succeed tho visit, we shall no doubt have some characteristically . Chestertonian obiter dicta, on the “dryness,” real or only imaginary, of the States. Galsworthy’s Latest Novel.

Everybody who has read whatl I shall always consider to be John Galsworthy’s masterpiece, “The Man of Property,” as fine a social satire as anything to which even Thackerary ever put his name, should make a point of reading tho sequel, . "In Chancery.” Here we have the Forsyte family again, tho period being that of the Boer war. "In Chancery” is easily first', in point of literary quality, amongst the novels of the last year or two. I hope Mr. Galsworthy may live to write and I to read a picture of' the Forsytes of the third generation. ’ When ho is not: exploiting some of his fads, when, as "In Chancery,” he tempers his hatred of social shams and pretences and that moneybags pride which is personified in ceitain of the Forsytes, by a little charity and allowance for natural human weaknesses, Galsworthy’s work not merely attracts, but fairly compels, the admira’ tion of all who enjoy really high-class fiction. "I Don’t Think.”

Not a few people, I fancy, have shared "Liber’s” belief—held up till quite recently—that the all too commonly used phrase “I don’t, think!” is of purely latter-day origin. I gather, however, from the always informative and very often amusing “Letter Box” in John

o’ London’s weekly, that Sam M eller Used Hie expression, and that Dickeiis probably got .it from an old farce by Henry Mayhew, produced in January 1834—that is nearly four years before the first number of "The, Pickwick Papers" made its appearance. In Mayhews farce; one of the characters, .Tom Bags, remarks, “You’re a nice man now, I don't think, to talk about proper authorities.” Tho same phrase occurs in Cuthbert Bede’s amusing story of Oxford life, “The Adventures of Mr. Verdant Green, but that book camo a good deal later than “Pickwick.” Stray Leaves. Dulcie Deamer’s new story, "Revelation,” is described by "The Athenaeum” as a venture in the same direction as "Barpbbas" and "Ben Hur.” The English critic adds, however, that it is free from Die flagrant errors in which these two books abounded, and is, indeed, informed by a real effort at understanding the’ social life of Jerusalem during Pontius Pilate’s procuratorship. St. Stephen and the adulteress acquitted in the Temple are two of the principal characters; The story is published by Fisher Unwin, and copies will; 1 sup. pose, soon bo on sale here. The author is well known in New Zealand. A "Manchester Guardian writer on reviewing: "Bad books should be reviewed occasionally and justice done to incompetence and pretentiousness. And yet, with the ordinary bad or iwdr it- is ns well to do nothing at all. j"t ’ let it drop out of the world, and Sa ke?e h arl ’interesting items in Messrs. Collins’s Spring List new novel by Maurice Hewlett, e "Mainwaring.” Mr. Hewlett has temporarily deserted his favourite backgrounds, for "Mainwaring is described as a modern romance, written round the life of a ; an Irishman of temperament and ate beliefs.” The same shortly issue a new story, The Black Diamond ” by Francis Brett Youn o , also a new novel by that clever writer Rose Macaulay,. whose. Pottensm -will not speedily bo forgotten* „ • The first volume of The Tempest of 1 the new Cambridge Shakespeare, editec. by Sir Arthur Quiller-Couch and Mr. J. Dover Wilson, is out. The format seems to have pleased English critics. The opening volume’of the edition-a piny to a volume—contains a general iatrodu<rtion by Sir Arthur Quiller-Couch. Tho English price is 7s. 6d. a volume. Mr. Joseph M'Cabe, well known in New Zealand as a "Rationalist”*lecturer, has published, I notice, a Biographical Dictionary of Rationalists. As the term Rationalist is generally understood, it means a Freethinker, or ntt J‘ n p bc^ ev « Divine revelation. Mr. M Cabo must stretch the meaning of the term pretty widely, for he includes m his dictionary Thackeray, Ruskin, Abraham Lincoln, LongfelloW, and Robert Louis Stevenson H- would not be difficult, I think had I the time to undertake such a task, to prove, not only from tho published writings, but the letters of all these men, that they were firm believers m Christianity Mr. M'Cabe is not, lam afraid, a very trustworthy guide as to the religious beliefs of certain great authors.

SOME RECENT FICTION

“Marie Claire’s Workshop.”

"Marie Claire’s; Workshop,” by Marguerite Andoux (Chapman and Hall pet Whitcombe and Tombs), is a sequel to "Marie Claire,” that poignantly pathetic study of a French peasant girl’s life, which, published just before the war. was hailed as a new departure in French fiction, and enjoyed considerable popularity. Marguerite Andoux’s second story is largely devoted to a study of life in a Pa'risiian dressmaking establishment The hard-working, unlucky Madame Dnlignac, her devoted husband, a roueh-mannered hut good-hearted provincial, the "patron’s’’ selfish and cruelnatured .sister,. Madame Double (quite a Balzncinn character this, with her avarice, her petty jealousy of her sistcr-in-

law (and a crowd of work girls including the heroine) all aro very skilfully drawn. ' Moro than one romance is reflected in tho dull and rather dismal atmosphere. of the workshop, and more than ono ends in tragedy. Those who may have taken their ideas of the Parisian work girl from the novels of Paul de Kock, or even Do Maupassant, will see quite a different sido of the dressmaker’s life -set forth in this pathetic but beautiful story.

An Anglo-Indian Novel. The seen© of E. W. Savi’s story, "When the Blood Bums” (G. P. Putnam’s, Sons, per Australasian Publishing Company, and Whitcombe and Tombs), alternates between England and India. The heroine is induced to leave England in comnany with a wealthy young employer, whom she adores, and who id married to an elderly woman who refuses to divorce him. The "free union” is a happy one for a time,- but the heroine’s secret leaking out she is promptly cut by the female society of tho station. The man who has betrayed her returns to England on the plea that his mother is dying, and the unhappy Marcello, after being befriended by an honest gentleman who -sends her to some friends at a hell station, is practically .hounded into flight to Calcutta. After undergoing some very trying experiences she is sought out by her benefactor, who marries-her and takes her to England. The first lover’s elderly Wife now being dead, he seeks a renewal of the old liaison. But tho old love is dead on tho woman's side,, and she settles down to happiness with her husband, who, in the meantime has succeeded to a baronetcy. The story halts not a little in parts, and neither the heroine nor- the selfish Stallard is entirely convincing. The Indian scenes are, however, full of interesting local colour. Some New Reprints.

Several welcome reprints are to hand. From Hodder and Stoughton, per Whitcombo and Tombs, conies yet another of Mr. Archibald Marshall’s excellent stories of English country society life. In "Roding Rectory” Mr. Marshall tells an exceptionally interesting story. Mr. Marshall's country parsons are as good as those of Anthony Trollope, indeed, as I havb so often said. Marshall may be regarded as the true successor of the author of "Barchester Towers,” the ereator of the inimitable Mrs. Proudie. From the same publishers, again through Messrs. Whitcombe and Tombs, come two of the earlier stories of the late Henry Seton Merriman, "The Grey Lady," and "Slaves of the Lamp." Merriman was a bom story-teller, and both these novels, the first of which fl mt appeared, if I remember rightly, in the “Cornhill Magazine," are well worth re-reading. Another old friend to come forward in a new and cheaper dress is Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's fine story “Rodney Stone," with its stirring pictures of later eighteenth century life, and. in particular, its famous description of the old-time prize-fighters. Mr. Charles G. D. Roberts’s stories of the Canadian wilds, with their pleasant admixture of agreeable fiction -and informative natural history studies, are always welcome. In "Babes of the Wild'* (Cassell and Co., per S. and W. Mackay), Mr. Roberts presents yet another series of his excellent yarns, the juvenile hero of which, together with his Uncle Andy, a skilled backwoodsman, and big Bill Pringle, fakes part in a series of adventures of a very- curious, and, at times, of a decidedly thrilling character.