Reviews.

Ellesmere Guardian, Volume X, Issue 972, 30 December 1891, Page 2

Reviews.

;,* / > "THE SIFTER ON THE ,Tl2dL\" A mobs felicitous title might easily have been selected for the little volume of poems which Miss Jeßs'e -Maokay <puts forth through Messrs Bimpßoii and ; Williams; The first poem, wQibh givfs jit? name to the collection, is by no means I the best m the book. -Satiribarteree-iS" 'not Miss-fMackay's forte, y she/shows to I much greateir advantage m 4h6 -lyrioal pieoea which are scattered here and there through her pagesp 3?he Maori legends recall the better work done, _by. Thomas Bracken, and the/dida^tio; poems show more ambition than ability. Bat scattered through the. little book are a few gems of poetic., feeling and happy ex- - pression which "would amply atone for much more marked deficiencies. JGjedpifce carelessness oF niefcre and rhyme, \ there is a swing about ' The Sowing of the Wind ' which carries the reader with it. ' Sydney ' is- a poetio description of the' wondrous Queen of 7 the Southei n ; Seas;, , 'There, is the true spark in;* The' Passjiig p£ Macphail,' and iq ' Corf iv.ar ' -r 'which last by the way* hi ways saw spelled 'Corrieyar.' The faults ; pf-*the jr authoress are those common; to almost *\\ our poets-^HBXuberance of diction^ and- excegs of npValwaya, appropriate r \|lpltßV^ .ewe . and - expedience wji|{' "develop! r^nt^> beauties/and when f MisV ljlaokay;, again ■efafeUoßges:.' pub) ie opinion, we shall, ; look for her work with interest : : (j '■ '■ It is only necessary 1 to add that the •bsok- is ! ; pubiished^by^ Josasß jSiippson and Williams at jihb v-^.mo^erat^pti^e of one ghi,llmg;': ; '^.l?4e;'\prmtih^ ! "*aha general get-ttp is good ;' : had only the* ,paper-'b3en : a-little heavier 4t WStitcl? hafo l^ft nothing }o be des,ired., r 1^