The Moving Finger

Maoriland Worker, Volume 3, Issue 51, 1 March 1912, Page 8

The Moving Finger

"Yes," said the literary man with a sigh, "style is a fine thing for a writer to have; but when his wife's got if too, it lakes all the profit- away." * * * In an age when novels written by women writers are the vogue, the wife of a country vicar has leapt to th» forefront of fiction writers in two years. Since November, 100>), the • novels of Mrs. Florence L. Barclay, have attained a circulation of over nil),(100. Four novels stand te hor name, viz., "The Rosary," "The Mistress of Shciistone," "The Following of the Star," and "The Wheels of 'Time.'' Mrs. Barclay is the wife of the Bey. C. W. Barclay, of Hertford Heath, Hertfordshire, vicar of Little Amwell, and iv the quiet of her Hertfordshire home, she wrote "The Bosary," her first book—a simple lnva story with a vein of charming, oldfashioned sentiment. * * * What is the reason of woman's popularity as a novelist? A London publisher with a lifelong experience of tho public taste in novels expressed the opinion that "sentiment" was the secret of her success. ''Women aro bigger novel-readers than men, and they, jump at that kind of book. That is why they are so popular." * * * Are the boys' books made in our times as good as they were in the old days. "1 do not think so," writes George Edgar in the London "Daily Mail." "1 havo dipped into 40 lwok« for boys during this winter, and they do not give mc quite the same flavor. Even recognising the difference of outlook implied by the passing of years, 1 would hazard the opinion that, though there are many more boys' books today than thero were in my time, however sound and careful in craftsmanship, they are not so virile in their tone. I notice a schoolmasterish in many of them, and the purpose of the authors seems to be a conscious desire to improve tho boy." * * * A successful writer was advising a young aspirant to cultivate "the vivid phrase." "In descriptive writing," he said, "a vivid phrase is always better than half a dozen paragraphs. The vivid phraso is what every writer should seek—a phrase like that used by a child the other day. "It was walking in the street, when it suddenly cried out: 'Oh, mummy, turn an' look at that man a-butterin bricks I'" * * itSome epigrams from the pen of Ambrose Bierce, an American journalist, satirist, writer of verses and stories :— Remembering that it was a woman who lost tho world, we should accept the act of cackling geese in saving Home as partial reparation. Do nob permit a woma.i to ask forgiveness, for that is only the firsJ step. The second is justification of herself by accusation of you. In order that the list of able women' may bo memorised for use at meetings of the oppressed sex, Heaven has considerately made it brief. Woman would be more charming if one could fall into her army without failing into her hands. "Women of gmiuo commonly Jiavaj masculine faces, figures, and manners. In transplanting brains to an alien soil God leaves a little of the original earth clinging to the roots. A sweetheart is a bottle of wins; ft wife is a wine-bottle. "Heaven lies about us in our infancy." and our neighbors take up tha tale as we mature. Lovo is a delightful day's journey. At the farther end kiss your companion and say farewell. The man who is always taking you by the hand is the same who, if you were hungry, would take you by tho. restaurant. * * « The second issue of tho "Organiser ha.-s reached this office. It is a fearless advocate of Industrial Unionism, and is ably edit'd by T. P. Mottram, organiser of the U.L.U., Victoria section. We extend to the "Organiser" every good wish for a triumphant future, and trust that it will never deviate from its inspiring objective—One Big Union. May it grow and flourish as a powerful medium to stimulate working-class thought along the lines _ that lead to wor king-class emancipation—lndustrial Unionism. » • * Hartley's humanly charming "Organiser's" Notes" incidentally deal this week with tho love of books. His reflections aro as graceful as they are wise. * > * Our illustrated supplement should have a special interest for many, a» representing working-class actions more talked about than any others in recent years. * * * Bookworm: "Yes, I havo about 3000 volumes. These in this corner aro tha ones I read." Visitor: "But what are all the others ?" Bookworm: "Oh, those are the booki no library is complete without."—• "Life." "