LITERARY NOTES. London, July 7.

Te Aroha News, Volume VII, Issue 397, 28 August 1889, Page 6

LITERARY NOTES. London, July 7.

Readers -'who are not' making up a set of Macmillan's "Men of Action" series, bub like to!pick-o'ut»-an occasional plum, should on no account •'miss - Clark-Russell'e " Dampier," an admirable little biography of the bold buccaneer, and as'irttjeresting as .ajnavel. - Hooper's " Wellington " is not so good. There have been several better short lives of the " great Duke " done. I ccc, by-.the-wAy, Sir William Butler, whose "Gordon V in tjhis series was 'so successful, is "'underlined ['to* v wrifce botlr " Marlborough " and "Sir Chftples NapierJ'^ Of the rest already promised I should expect Walter .Besirat's.-" Captain Cook-"<md Sir A. Lyall's " Warren Hastings " to be first rate. . The- ohe.ap edition of Clark-Russell's novels is. now complete. They -do not sell' ver,y well, for the simple reason that when one has -read one or two "of this author's works, one has read all. Sea" stories of a ' genuine kind do not admit of great variety. 'Sampson-Low are now gflingto bring out a two shilling edition' of Blackmore's novels which have' not hitherto been obtainable under 1 six" shillings a-pie"ce. The orders received f oi" " Lorpa Daone " in this form are alreadyenormous. ".'Blind Love" is the title of Wilkie Cpllins' new novel for the "Illustrated 'Nevys." He has again been very ill with gout, but never stops work unless compelled. One of the funniest scenes in " The Moonstone" was, *be declares, written when he felt almost frantic with pain. ' Mr J. H. S. Escott has completely recovered fro«» his long illness and recpmmeneed doing leaders for the "Standard." Great rejoicings, at the- Savile Club in consequence. The best of the " Tales from Blackwood " in the new volume (No. 3) of the third series are Lady Margaret Majendie's "'A French Speculation," and Mr Maurice Kingslqy'S Mexican yarn, " The Puerto de Medina," but the whole five are thoroughly readable. Amongst the literary on dits flying about is one'to the effect that Lady Dilfce is the author- of " The Repentance of Paul Wejitworth," and that the story gives Sir Charles Wentworth Dilke's faux 'pas. r I must confess T tried to read that novel, and couldn't, so I carr offer no opinion oii the subject. Mrs Stevenson (R.S.'s- mamma) declares the popular .novelist's Btep^on, Lloyd 03bourne;:'is really alone^'responsible for that depressingly- humorous - production "The Wrong -.Box."* Mr Stevenson's portion of the collaboration consisted solely of " putting a little 1 pepper into the story." The most inqujred-after novel at Mudie's just now isJMr Brii\sley Richards'," Prince Roderick, 0 ' whioh I "mentioned 'fo you- some time back.' The , author is at present '* Times " correspondent at Vienna, and has, -besides, Spent some years at various Grand Ducal Cour.ts in Germany. His hero, "Prince Roderick," was unquestionably modelled to some extent on the lamented Crown Prince Rudolph of Austria, but there is no"like"ness betwixt the two stories. The main events of Mr Richards' narrative are, indeed, founded on an esclandre at a much smaller court than that -of Vienna. 1 Mr Thomas Hughes has been immensely scandalised by the publication in America (agakist his express wishes) of what the Yankee publishers call "an amended and expurgated edition" of * : " Tom Brownfe's Schooldays," the, English version being considered not'quite wholesome for young America. ' ' < ' ' r ' The July magazines contain several articles worth noting. "Blackwood" es peciallv has a, quaintly gruesome, yet powerful story "About an Umbrella Mender," I by one of the <k advanced "young latlte? of the period — Miss Beatrice Har raden, B.A. — whiih should on no account J b.e_miBBexL . .Also another, instalment of * c Prison Visitors,",, deeply interesting, -and "Scenes from:*; S^enb.'Worifl."', Tlie writer deals this time with tlie wouldbe suicides ' who have " come under .her notice in prison^ She, describes one remarkable ■ case, tliafc of an ignorant, illitel'ate'old ma 6, an agricultural labourer, with a scolding shrew^of ajwife .whose life ' had. ' b'eftri"' spetit' in ceaseless, grinding, wear^y.toii to procure the. bare means of subsistence. 'This old man seems (from his own account) to have been seized one evening^ after a quarrel with his wife with r a frantic desire to make an end of the weary, intolerable business of existence altogether, both for himself and for the woman who so ingeniously managed to' intensify "its bitterness. He here and then calmly killed his wife, and then gave" himself up, remarking, "Now I'll go like a Prince to the gallows." At his trial this man, Richard. Hodson, obstinately pleaded guilty, nor, when the Judge assigned him counsel and insisted on tryirig the case, did he allow anything to be done for Kirn. " A plea of insanity fell utterly to the ground. Hodson was far too sensible, besides being cool as a cucumber. He knew -pcrjectly what he wished ; he wished to die to ' be extinguished. The possibility of another and a botter world made him only uenasy. Life in this one had been such a poor business he shrank with terror from the prospect of another. Hodson ate a hearty breakfast fifteen minutes before he was hanged, and died quite happy. I regret to add he was one of the victims of Berry's maladroit experiments, and had his head all but twisted off.