THE READER'S COLUMN

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 223, 8 February 1913, Page 2 (Supplement)

THE READER'S COLUMN

(Uy Jaiiii'-. Woi'Lloy).

XOTKS. Sumptuous is not. too flowing an adjective I>.V which to div-cribe the Christ ma- number of tlip liookman. It is published at two shillings, and runs to a'hout .."ill pages of magnilicent illustlatioils and letterpress. The canvas cover is adorned with a recent portrait d< liudyard .Kipling, whose collected verse is j'.ist being issued in threes elaboraie e'litions by .Messrs Ilodder and Ktoiightoii. Anioiiji its principal literary articles are "The lievelatiou of iicorge Alerodilli." by Dr. Harry: "Thomas Hardy." hv Darrell Kiggi-; and "Tlie Mind oi Mr. I'aifour." by Dr. Moliatt. As a supph ;u< r.t it ha.- jour lii'.nd.soino eolorei! i!!u-( ration.- of l'o/- poems bv Kdmiiml Dulac. M. -lack i Loudon and Edinburgh) are publishing a series of capital little volumes at lid net. some of which reach me per medium of the U.K. 'Hie matter is all specially written for the publisher-. and the various hooks cover a very wide lield. Among litem we have "Aviation, 7 ' by Sydney Walker; 'Thicken, - ' by l'rof. A. .1. Jones; "Syndicalism," by J. 11. llarley, .M.A.: "(.roniwell," by Hilda -Johnstone. M.A.; "Aristotb'," bv Prof. ,\. K. Taylor; "England in the Middle Aires." by Mrs. E. O'Keill, M.A.; "The (.'rowth of Kreedom." by \V. IT. Xevison. These titles will serve to show the catholicity of the series, which already run to over forty volumes. Truly folk may fret much learning nowadays at very little expenditure of .C.s.d. "(Jreat Writers of America." by Professors Trent and Erskiue is one of the more recent works in the Home University series. It is a very readable account, of what Americans have done for literature, though 1 notice W. 11. Hudson, writing in the lSooknian. falls foul of some of the criticisms advanced liy these writers. Harriet lieeches Stowe and Walt. Whitman are each given a chapter, while l'rescott,. Motley and Parkman are lumped in one as "The Historians." A\ e can only judge by our own idea of things, and so in my linmble opinion, I say. the critique on these three men, while it might well have extended to a chapter each, is admirable from every standpoint.

SOME RECENT ROOKS. '■The, Hero of Herat." by M;iml Diver, author of "Ciiiiliiiii Dnminiond." etc. (London: Constable and Co.; 1012). Tn this hook the author presents us with the stirring biography of Eldred Pottingcr written in story form. Eldred Pottingcr was a prominent figure in (he frontier life of Afghanistan over half a. ( century ago, and this tale of Maud Diver's can he well compared with Oertrude Atherton's magnificent study of the American patriot. Alexander Hamilton. Tn many respect* the two hooks are alike. The method of telling a life history in. this way allows of much greater freedom of expression, and consequently, from the general reader's standpoint, is much more interesting than a marc strictly clironological biography. In the "hero of Herat'' we are taken through the long siege of Herat, and we have pictured in wealth of detail all the dreary course of Oriental intrigue and deception. It is a sorry spectacle we have of the jealousies and "self-seeking to he found at the viceregal court at Simla, although beside it there is much true purpose and lofty idealism. MacNaghten. Keanc. Stoddart and Cotton arc some of the men of the times we hear much about, and students who read the book will have fastened on their memory a fascinating page of Imperial history. ■i'osaleen OTlara." by .10-eph Hocking, author of "The Trampled Cross." (London: Hodder and Stoughton). This is the. hook title for the. serial which has been running for the past few months through the liritish Weekly as "St. Oeorge and the Shamrock." As j the latter title would indicate, this is I a novel dealing with the Irish question. Joseph Hocking is a virile writer and deals with the question in the sure manner of one who has made himself master of the subject. Contrary to expectations of some, a sympathetic attitude towards the Irishman and his religion is maintained throughout. Like many Jiiore. of us, Mr. Hocking has surrendered to the lovable nature of the lri:-h. lie recognises in the priests much that is kindly, inspiring and thoroughly Christian, though he docs not like their idomination. In Patrick O'llara we have a line character -polled by bis extreme fanaticism. His daughter, equally earnest, abounds in the common sense her father lacks, and on more than one occasion saves the -itnation. The hero. • Dcni- Kildare. is an Irish lad. reared in England, with English prejudice, who unexpectedly succeeds to estates in Ireland. His heart rings true to his native land, however, and we have the experience of seeing him gradually estrange himself from bis class, the Protestant absentee landlord, and take his place beside the poor and Catholic Irish. Protestant though he is. If there is any shade of disappointment in this capital story, it is in the -oinewhat. -till', though natural, character of Lenore. It would have been nice to unite Denis and Tiosaleen instead, and restore the dilapidated estates of the OTlaras.

■'Wesley's World Pari-." by Prof. Ceo. Fiiidlay. D.D.. and Mary Oace T-'ind-lay. (London: 1 bidder and Stoui>hton and Charles 11. Kelly; V.H.'!).

Professor Kindlay is enirajied ujmiii a monument life nf Wesley, much new mallei' that. lia> come to liirlit. Thi< little hook, which is published at Is net in paper, or 'is in cloth, may be eonsidereil an inM'oduet.ory book to the larger work we may expect shortly. It. is a very enmlcnsed resume of the work done ami attempted by the W'esleyan Missionary Society during the til si. century of il- existence. With Mich an e\ten-i\e lield the writers have indeed done wonders to "ive ns within ll mipass of some two hundred pajjes so clear and concise a survey of this j church's .ureal enterprise, and its story appears to he well ami impartially told.

Me-srs I bidder and Slou«hton have just published another biography for which there is bound to he a ureal, demand - "Cencral 1'.0.dh." by tJeorfre S, liailton (his lirst ( oinmissioiier). Th< book is advertised as the official lifi of the llcncral. and illustrated by 11

larLTe Tiiiniher of family portrails. Shal we llnd revealed in the reformer of til nineteenth century a. man like unh Weslev in the eighteenth? (We are indebted to the U.K. fo copies of the various books reviewed i this colunin to-day).