Review.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 7739, 15 February 1905, Page 2

Review.

.—» Hits ! Skits |- and Jingles ! By W. T. Goodge. The author of this collection of clever verse, which | comes to ns in a second edition from she Bulletin Newspaper Company, of Sydney, is a well-known Australian journalist, with a certain salty humour, and a marvellous faculty for turning out ready rhymes appropriate to almost any subject and occasion. Mimy of the pieces contained in this volume have, us we are informed in a brief preface, already appeared in various Australian papers. They are, however, none the worse, but rather the better on that account. Verses which have met with acceptance by the Bulletin and the Sunday Times come with a certain guarantee of quality, which is too often wanting in other metrical compositions wantonly inflicted on a suffering public. While not without much that is commonplace in thought, and ironies and jibes which arc a trifle worn, the verses are in every case perfect in construction, and enlivened with a smartness which makes them go. There are two hundred selections in the volume, and tho bulk of them contain little thnt is serious. Their motif is condensed in the epilogue, which may be reprinted as an example of Mr Goodge's muse. What's the good of a doleful tale ? Make the people laugh ! Whajf'g the use of u woeful wail ? Make the people laugh ! Ain't.;therc misery enough In this- world we find so" tough ? What's the good of the dismal stuff ? Make the people laugh ! That's my notion all the while— Help the folk io laugh. Lord ! Micro's money in a smile ! Raise a ringing laugh ! What's the use to keep your nose •Snivelling o'er the worst of woes ? Sorrow comes—but sorrow goes ! Shake it off and laugh. The verses include some which are in dialect, or whatever we may cull jtfee variety of degenerate English spoken by Australian city larrikins and bush " blokes." But we doubt exceedingly whether even the larrikin has acquired such a masterly grip of coster English as is exemplified in the language imputed lo a love-born specimen of Unit class on page 17. A sampleSo it's nark it now, Sal, or I'll shove yer I Don't be khldin' a bloke ns is l / true t For it's no dlcken pitch as I love yer, Oh, strike me pink, Sally, I do ! Frequently there is u homely truth emphasised, and made pointed, in some of Mr Goodge's hits, as for example in the verses termed " On his own." " Oh, you can't take a horse by his colour, Nor a woman by what she may wear And you can't take a book by the cover. Nor a bard by the cut of his hair. And ulthough to all virtue and goodness Hespect should be properly shown ; Stjll you can't tell a man Till his actions you scan When you catch him away on his own."For those inclined to (ind fun in the minor troubles of domestic life there arc many amusing pieces, and those who have experience of the " Four O'clock Baby " will agree with the .sentiment— .-. " Of course it's better to laugh than cry ; It's well to laugh and sing ; But " Dickery Dock " at four o'clock Is certainly not the thing." There are throughout the book nu- , merous pieces, which will make ex- I cellent recitutfqns, being full of hu- ', mpiir nn<l go, but we could wish that j! the one which deals wi(.h the " Aus- '] trulian Adjective " represented I. therein, by nq less than thirty-one l] dashes—had been omjttod. The idea is hot new, and the adjective is not i Australian. i; We inay conpludc our extracts by ( Mr Goodgp's summary of Life— ') Infant ; teething, thrush nnd croup. I] Schoolboy ; marbles, top and hoop. !■' Youth ; sweet picnics, cigarettes, 'l Cricket, football, sundry bets ! I; Young man ; courtship, lovely she ! i Married ; youngsters two or.three It Worry, trouble, smile, ami frown, t In memoriam William Brown. |l 'fhere 'arc several illustrations by i 1 Norman Liivdsay, the most forceful ' and original of Australia's black- < aud-whjtc artists, and the letter I press and general execution of the book are of high quality. 1