CURRENT COMMENT

Otago Witness, Issue 2895, 8 September 1909, Page 87

CURRENT COMMENT

Mrs Lecky has written a memoir of her husband, the late Right Hon. W. E. H. Lecky, and Messrs Longmans and Co. hope to publish it shortly. The volume wiil contain many interesting letters, arid will be illustrated by several portraits. Mr Swinburne was among the appreciative readers of Mrs Allen Harker's story, " A Romance of the Nursery," o£ which Mr Murray has just published a eecond revised and enlarged edition ; and in the course of a letter to the author he said : " All the children are flesh and lifelike. Paul is something quite nfew as a study. I quite agree with his view of sums : ' the oftener you add a line up the differenter it comes.' I always find it so." Mr Hall Came, who recently 1 returned to London, spent about 12 months in Egypt during the past three years in studying the scene of his new novel, " The White Prophet," which Mr Heinemann is to publish shortly. The story is not exclusively Eastern, although its principal character bears points of resemblance to the Mahdi, whose power General Gordon wished to break. Beth these historical personages, as well as one other still living, have been laid under contrioution by the novelist in his new book. The new novel by Elizabeth Robins — a writer always to be noted — is entitled " The Florentine Frame."' This is a strange title if the book be, as is said, a story of American life, having for its central point of interest Columbia University. Mrs Parkes (the married name of Elizabeth Robins) ie a Kentuckian by birth, and has been talcing an exceedingly active part in the Suffrage movement. • We regret to record the death of Rosa Nouchette Carey. Miss Carey was one of the most acceptable writers for girls, and her many books have had a very large/ circulation. She never became known to the general reader : .but some of her books, and especially " The Old, Old Story," which is by "far the best of them, ought to be widely known among all readers for their purity, strength, and pathos. Miss Carey, who lived with her friend, Miss Buroside, also Well known in literature, was one of the finest types of an English lady, refined and gentle, bat with a shy wit and humour of her own. One of the pieasantest books of the season is a volume of short si-ories " The Fun of the Fair." by Eden Phillpotts, published by Jolm Murray. The genius of Mr Phillpotts is admitted by ail competent judges; but the extreme length to which he carries detail in some of his novels has made them difficult to certain readers. Here he in as Dlain as a man can be. The stories are genial in the best sense of that rather disagreeable word, and invariably effective. There is a warmth of humanity in the_ book which is ver* pleasing, asid Mr Phillpotts can describe a courtship as well as anyone alive. James Lane Allen's new novel. "'The Bri-le of the Mi-tletoe." ha.* ju*t been imMifched by the M^milltin LV.mvanv. In his preface Mr Allen onnouncss that "a second &tory, of tqual length, laid in the fame house, is expected to appear within <i tv. elvemonlli. it is an AmeWc.-.n children's *tor\\ ' A Brood of the F/»gie. f During the year a third woiic. not fiction, will he published, entitled -The Christ mas Tree: au Interpolation." The tbrfe 'york« will .^rve to ..•cmnlctp ?aeh otl'er. an-d they complete a cycJe of th^ theiv<?. Among the books piom.is.cd fov early public, t ion by Dou'uloday, Pare, ard Co. are new works of fiction by E. F. Benson. Irving JTWhillrr. Marjorie Bowen. Mary Siewirt Cuttin-. ard a mini b or of other.'. \!r Bar heller's no re 1 will be <a!!e.l "Tim M??ter." which lecounts the of a youn^ man in qnci=l of a fortune which awaits him in tli." hands of a jpjV'ing uncle. 'Hip fe t ii>s of fie novel >.v>ve from the spm:-Ko''t-niian life of New Yor.k to the decks of ;in oM ?<-!:oonrr and r>, rrnnn in the •<vj!d c riK?s. Tiiei-o if p'enty of re\v ficfio" nronv'-H in- Did' 1 . Ms-H. ard Co. for eailv r-übh-ctioii. TT-e;:din:i Dip 'isf i- Oeo'T* 1 Bsnv "U'CutH-oon. -vl:<i=e lhtr~t vei^m" in the fi- ol d of "oro-iiice i« to It c- 11 -d " Truxfon Kinr: n Sic-rv of G'-?u=t > >rk." The original "Gvan-sMrk." by tbe vav. through \vmo=p nncrep Mr \f Pittr-h^on first mR4e hi? how n? !f novelet. i« li^re :-c+ f^mm l)v the P'lWiVhers '-n havin-r enjofpd n ■-"i-inlnrilv nT-as-u-ar 1 " hv the =r!e of 672.00 copkv. ,"Tnixton Kin::" i* inH '> ihp lan.-> of Oj"ni=l irk. :•"-? Vw? i= full o r th-e adventure in -uhi-h kins*? a'ul queens and prince" jjenoTplly df»if»n to nai-tike. Another on ' tho li^t i« hv- Acme* and E^erton Cn^tl-p. " 'Ohrr:ir"-] '"'tit Ppiste.'' the seiinl f + orv v.-lnVh h :,<; heen running iv the P^ki^nn. It if a romance of intriiiip. th» ci^v^rn^s of whir-h give« it thronchout a flnvonr of comedy.

A« iho *mvr>-''fr> of p-«= i« to r" 1 "-- "••to f Hr» Gnvcnii' I1 ''' a r :i i* ' - c 'Mrr* w-o.k if" rjufith a nfv: <■->-.. r ' 011-"0 11 -" = to h» <;oc' d in T?r)^, at a co~t of £CC6