THE READER'S COLUMN.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 306, 22 June 1912, Page 2 (Supplement)

THE READER'S COLUMN.

'• (By James Wortley). The British Weekly for April 25 contains an admirable and comprehensive sketch of the late Mr. W. T. Stead from the pen of Sir Wm. Robertson Nicoll. The death is reported! at Richmond of the Rev. Alfred John Church, who is reported to have reviewed in his lifetime no less than 45,000 books. His chief work was done in connection with the Spectator, but he was also responsible in later years for a good deal of what appeared in the Westminster Gazette as ' well. Another loss of interest to the literary world is that of Justin McCarthy. His death, however, was not unexpected, for he had attained! a great age, and had been in very indifferent health for many years. His life was a very stormy one, as was to be expected of any leader of the Irish party during the latter years of the nineteenth century, but throughout it all McCarthy showed great manliness, gentleness and courtesy, his personality endearing him to all with whom he came in contact. His profits from l his "History of Our Time" were £IO,OOO, all of which, it is reported, was paid into the funds of the Irish Nationalist party. The Bookman for May is a Robert Browning number, to celebrate the cen-. tenary of the great poet. Centenaries and centenary editions are now in the air, so a new edition of Browning must appear. Messrs Smith, Elder and Co. are publishing one of ten volumes. The first part appeared on May 7, and is being followed by the others at close intervals during the year. Each volume is to contain a biographical introduction by Dr. Kenyon, Public Librarian of the British Museum. The Home University Libarary continues to add useful volumes to its list. Certainly Messrs Williams and Norgate v have managed', despite the multitude of books issued, to break new ground, and provide for the general reader a long-felt want. Every volume I have so faf studied deals pithily and with its subject. The editors have been fortunate in their contributors. "Can- ' adtt," by A. G. Bradley, which I have just j finished reading, is a masterly sketch of { the Dominion—its geography, its people, i and its history. J SOME RECENT FICTION. "Hearts Contending," by Georg Schock. j (New York and London: Harper Brothers). "There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job, and that man was perfect and upright, and one that feared God and! eschewed evil His substance also was seven thousand sheep, and three thousand camels and five hundred yoke of -oxen, and five hundred sheasses and a very great household; so this man was the greatest of all the men of the east." Such was Job Heilig, of the Blue Mount tain district of Pennsylvania, and the j storge Georg Schock has to tell us is a r modern version of the book of Job. Job | Heilig is the patriarchal head of a group of German colonists. Owning a great tract of country in the district, he is looked up to by all his relatives, until he come 9 to think of no will but his own. For his sons he plans various careers, and his first rude awakening is when Jonathan, who has been destined for the Church, comes home from college before the completion of his education, and tells his father that he cannot honestly con-' tinue. He comes home to the farm. The chief interest centres about an orphan girl, who is taken into the home of the kindly farmer and! his wife, and who becomes the innocent cause of much conflict and heart-burning in the family. The story deals with what the title calls ; "hearts contending"—the misunderstandings and jealousies of various relativesbrothers, sisters, father, mother, uncles and aunts, who, underneath it all, have a very real affection for each other. It is an attractive subject for a novel, and it has been cleverly and enthrallingly dealt with. It holds the attention to the end. (Our copy reaches us from Messrs Gordon and Gotch, Wellington).

"The Prodigal Pro tern," by Frederick Orin Bartlett.- (Boston: Small, Maynard and Co.) The handsome name plate of the Acme Manufacturing Company adorns half the kitchen stoves of America, but this golden fact does not appeal to the artistically inclined 1 son of the proprietor. Consequently Dick Barnes is sent packing in search of subjects for his brush. He meets with a surprising adventure of a wholly innocent and very entertaining character. Mr. Bartlett has added another to the long list of popular American novels, and one that will be read with avidity by the general reader. At once highly comic andl highly tragic is the scene when Carl Langdon asks for Miss Patton's hand, of the man whom he supposes to be her brother, but who in reality is his successful rival. (Our copy reaches lis from Messrs Cordon and Gotch, Wellington). A GREAT SELF-HELP BOOK. "Getting On," by Orion Swett Marden, editor of "Success" magazine. (New York. Thomas Y. Crowell and Co.) Mr. Marden, from the number of other volumes quoted to his credit on the title page, shouldi be better known to me. I confess with shame that this is the first of his works I have looked at, and a more inspiring book it would be hard to find. Tt deals with the essentials of character necessary to make the most of one's cancer, whatever that career may be. A few chapter headings will indicate the lines of thought taken:—"The Precedent Breaker"; "No chance"; "A fortune in yourself"; "A cheery disposition"; "The stimulus of rebuffs"; "The tragedy of carelessness." The greatness of the book, showing its depth and breadth of outlook, reaches a very high point indeed in Chapter 24 —"Commercialising one's ability." Here it strikes a note that needs sounding. Here are a few sentences: "A boy does not think so much of whether or not he is getting into the place for which Godi intended him, as of how much money he is to get out of the job. 'What is there in it for me?' is written all over American life." And again: "Many authors today do not seem to think so much of putting immortality into their compositions—of -writing books which shall live through all time—as of earning the largest amount of money possible with their pens." "Are American youths to be wholly commericalised ? .... It takes a strong man, of grand character, to refuse to turn his God-given ability into mere money-making instead of life-making. The really worthy arc, those who have contributed to the comfort, the happiness, and! the well-being of their fellows." Tt is a book every man may read with advantage. It will help him to get out of the rut. Especially should youths be put in touch with works of this kind—they cannot but be thereby influenced forgood. It will tendto give purpose