THE HEADERS' COLUMN.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVI, Issue 296, 18 May 1914, Page 2

THE HEADERS' COLUMN.

(Conducted by James Worley.) ON WOMEN'S MAGAZINES. Books Supplied for review by A. S. JJrouker, tlie B.lv. Bookshop Devon street. ' Margaretta Tuttle, whose new ibook, "3lis Worldly Goods" I proposed to review in the next instalment to this column, writes a most interesting article in the May number of The Ladies' Home Journal on "is any mail ea-iy to live with?" Having read this article and glanced at some others in the same journal, leads me to remark how very superior it is to the average English periodical devoted to woman';; sphere. Why is it that the women's magazines of the Old Country are such maudlin, wishy-washy affairs—full of ridiculous gush -about leaders, or fancied loaders, of society? I read one article a week ago in a London journal of accep'ed prestige among women, which described with gushing enthusiasm the antics of a certain society woman's pug dog, and dilated at length upon, the great attachment displayed by this dog for a particular chair in the lady's drawingroom. The marked difference in the class of matter served up to the American woman by such mediums as Jiarper's Bazaar, Ladies' Home Journal etc., is a matter for hearty congratulation to our cousins in the States, and it is more than high time that English publishers followed suit.*

NOTES. Mr. Philip Snowdon, who is visiting New Zealand this year in connection with the Temperance movement, is a well-known writer on social questions. His book, "Socialism and Syndicalism," in "The Nation's Library," (Collins) has run through three immense editions. He is considered one of the sanest leaders of the Labor party in England. Mrs. Pnilip Snowdon is also a writer of outstanding ability <on educational questions. She, too, has contributed to The Nation's Library, being responsible for "The Feminist Movement," a volume giving in a clear and dispassionate manner the position as it is to-day, relating to woman and the franchise. Both M. and Mrs. Snowdon, are large contributors to the reviews and magazines. I notice some very popular titles ara appearing in liodder and Stoughton's shilling library in paper covers. Surely this is mistaken economy in these days of cheap books. So many titles and editions are available in really serviceable cloth that I have no doubt by now these enterprising publishers have set about remedying their error. "System" (A. W. Shaw Company) is par excellence the b'tiainess man's magazine. Since I last saw a copy it has considerably improved and broadened its base of appeal giving numbers of articles which are 'of equal interest to the small trader and 'the man with a world-wide concern upon his shoulder*. The current number deals with such subjects as "Whore science serve;; business," by Sir William Ramsay; "Why business lives ami grow:;"; "Records the, small sho-p needs," etc. Que very fine articles describes the methods adopted by .some concerns to keep their workmen in health, even to attending to small scratches or indigestion.

NEW NOVELS. "The Pathway," by Gertrude Page, author of "The Silent Rancher," etc. London: Ward, Lock and Co. 1914. After spending a delightful afternoon reading ''Where Stranje Roads Go Down," aml_ noting especially the hint of a sequel in tne dosing chapter I had been expecting to find this sequel in The Pathway." This was not to bo, and unfortunately I cannot join the chorus of unbounded praise that has greeted this book .Setting aside the leport 'o, those who claim to bo judges, that the Rhotlesian background °is wretchedly portrayed, the human interest in the plot is never aroused To begin: Bobbie and Betty Glynn are living on an impoverished Rhodcsian farm in a tumble down shanty where the straitened exigencies of life make it impossible to provide even decent culinary utensil*. No prospect is held out of doing better on the farm. Bobbie is a loveable creature, but a little impossible. So hastily sketched is she .that we hardly see the analogy between her womanly ways with Toby Fitzgerald, and the conscious acts as a "woman of empire" which culminate in the timelv warning and rescue of Sir James Fortcseue. To be artistically true the story should picture the Glynns and Toby as winning out for themselves, without the patronising aid of Sir Jainc-s. In Van Tyl we have a devil of a man —a Boer of a most unscrupulous, jealous, and villainous character. Henry Blake, an Engjishmnn, and in the ..hands of Van Tyl, is hardly less treacherous. "Trader Carson," by John Barnett, author of "A Queen of Castaways," etc. Loudon: Ward, Lock and Co., Ltd. 1914.

This/book will satisfy ev-ery reader who longs for the bloodthirsty. There is a thrill 011 every page. Blue-funk Carson derived his nicKname from an expression he fond of. Whenever retailing his many- hair-breadth escapes, he was wont to assert that he was in a real -blue funk. Tf the story of the book sets a criterion, the hero must have b;en for ever looking for opportunities to be in a funic. Incidentally the stnrv tells much of the hinterland c'f the African We.-t Coast, and the scenes of rapine ami bloodshed that are being emu-led there to-day. Newspaper references to Congo iilroc-.ities and cables about I'uta!!!uv,. ami Mexico- remind us that the wanderer from the straight paths of civilised society i? still" experienc-ins the ups and downs of Trader Carson. "