TABLE TALK

Te Aroha News, Volume VII, Issue 437, 15 January 1890, Page 6

TABLE TALK

(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.) London, November 16. THE ARRA.N MURDER. The bald reports in the London papors of the trial of Laurie for the Arran murder give no idea, I am told, of the accumula. tion of circumstantial evidence against the miserable man. His counsel dwelt long on the absence of any reasonable motive for the crime, urging that no sane creatur e would commit murder for the sake of the few coins Laurie knew Rose possessed. No sane creature perhaps but then I think Laurie was not strictly sane. Certainly, a man with all his wits about him would not have written letters to the police and behaved in the eccentric fashion this creature did before he was caught. The murderer must have laboured like Hercules, and ex hibited in his excitement altogether abnormal etrength, to bury Rose's corpse as he did. A significant point made by the defence was that some of the rocks piled on the body were far larger and heavier than a slight man like the prisoner could possibly roll or lift. Unfortunately the theory of the deceased’s having been killed by a fall was negatived by the condition of the internal organs, which wero unshaken. Laurie blenched somewhat when he heard the verdift, but quickly recovered himself, and protested his innocence THE PARNELL COMMISSION.

The Parnell Commission Court now presents the dreariest scone—empty galleries, a feiv sleepy listeners in the body of the hall, idle reporters, bored judges, and a single figure (that of Sir Henry James) droning Interminably on about heaven knows what. Both sides now wish the sitting was over. What the judges will say one can imagine, viz., very much what they would have said before the Commission began its deliberations. We shall be told that both sides have been in fault. That the Parnellites have never actually conspired criminally against tho Crown, but that they talked and behaved in such a a rash and reckless manner as to justify the “Times” in believing they had done so. Six to one and a half-a-dozen to the other will, in fact, be the judgment, save that the “ Times ” must come in for a few words of r probation about the now-almost-forgotten Pigott incident. CHRISTMAS GIFT BOOKS

The youthful prejudice which used to exist against the Religious Tract Society’s publications, on the ground that they were “ goody-goody ’and serious, l:as now completely died out, and the annual volumes of the “Boys’Own Paper” and “Girls’ Own Paper” are amongst the most popular gift books of each Christmas season. The former has, indeed, distanced all competitors, Koutledge’s “ Boys' Own Magazine’ having disappeared, and the attempt to resuscitate Beeton’s failed. This year's volume of the “ Boys’ Own Paper”contains, in addition to the usual medley of miscellaneous reading, a serial story called “ Conqueror Compass, or the Days of John Company,” by Captain Franklin Fox, late of the P. and O. service, and “ Sir Sttdar, a Tale of the Days of the Great Queen Bess,” by Talbot Bates Reed. The “Boys’ Own Paper” offers endless prize competitions, and is throughout lavishly illustrated. Much the same may be said of the “ Girls’ Own Paper,” which is not intended for quite such advanced young ladies as “ Atalanta.” Tho new volume has a most interesting serial called “ Our Bessy, by Rosa Nonchette Carey, and another, entitled “ Noah’s Ark : A Tale of the Norfolk Broads,” by Darley Day. The “ Girls’ Own Paper ” soems to improve every year. The “Leisure Hour” neither improves nor deteriorates, but remains much the same wholesome, “ stodgy periodical one remembers 20 years ago. The serial running through the volume is an Irish story called “ Carriconna,” by Tighe Hopkins. It is mildly exciting in places, and appears to be written with some knowledge of the “ distres3hful country ” and its people. The annual volume of the “Sunday at Home ” contains serious stories by Agnes Giberne (“The Dalrymples”) and Leslie Keith (“Of All Degrees”) and the usual variety of suitable Sabbath reading. Why, I wonder, do well-meaning masters and mistresses invariably inflict the “ Sunday at Home” on the servants’hall instead of the “ Leisure Hour.” The latter is much the most suitable magazine I know for the purpose. The annual volume (1889) of “Good Words” continues incomparably the best value of all the magazines people buy bound. The present issue contains Edna L\all’s admirable novel, “ A Hardy Norseman,” Geo. Manville Fenn's “Haute Noblesse” (reehristened in 3vol. form, “Of High Descent”), and heaps of highclass miscellaneous reading. I fancy a great many people all over the world buy the annual volume of “ Chambers’ Journal,” rather for the sake of “ auld lang eyne” or because their family, have always bought it than because it is what they would voluntarily choose nowadays. In truth, both the form and matter of Chambers are veryold fashioned,and though there is always a good novel contained in the annual volume, eight shillings seems a high price to pay for such a book. This year, your present visitor, Christie Murray, contributes the serial, “ John Vales,Guardian, which I described when it came out in three volumes. “Russian Pictures,’ by Mr I bos. Michell, C. 8., is a companion volume to the “Australian Pictures;’ “Norwegian Pictures,” “ Canadian Pictures,” and half-a-dozen companion volumes issued by the R.T.S. forming one of the completest series of handsome drawing-room table books one could wish to possess. LITERARY NOTES. Rhoda Broughton, who was the inventor of what may be called the quotation nomenclature for novels, viz., “Not Wisely, Bub Too Well,” “Goodbye, Sweetheart,” “Cometh Upas a Flower,” etc., has once again come to tho rescue of the perplexed w”riter of fiction in search of a draw. The title “Alas!” of the new story which the clever author of “Nancy” commences in “Temple Bar” for January, offers a vista of brilliant possibilities in the shape of exclamatory designations. If “ Alas !” hits the mark, why shouldn t “Pooh!” “Hush!” “ Hello ” “ Bah !’’ “ Hiccough!” “Whoa !” and a score of other ejaculations. The sales of Ruskin’s works increase every year, notwithstanding the difficulty of getting them and their comparatively high price. The most popular is “ Sesame and Lilies,” now running through its ninth edition at the rate of 3 000 copies a year. Then comes “ The Crown of Wild Olive. “ Modern Painters, ’d’ The Seven Lamps of Architecture” “Stones of Venice,” and * (Jnto this Last.” Subscribers to the large paper edition of the new issue of ‘ Modern Painters” were able to sell at a large profit before the set was completed. Lord Palmerston,, it seems, left behind copious diaries full of. racy sketches of notable personages and events. These will shortly now.be published, and are at present undergoing revision at the hands of the Hon. Evelyn Ashley.