READERS' COLUMN.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 28, 23 June 1914, Page 6

READERS' COLUMN.

J (Conducted by James Worlley.) THE LMPKI3SS OF THE ARCTIC. ''Tlie Eternal Maiden." bv T. Kv t >r,-lt Harre. New York: Mitchell Keni nerley. Tlx: prominence given to [Vl.ir exploration iin.l research during tlie year or two by the daily press is relk.-.tcd ill (lie story ini.'ler review. The y/vii-r h either Wei] \ei.-;ed in Uie sn.-i;i; jfafcfc, and thought. of the inhaWtan:, of t.'ie Arctic circle, or lu > vjrv cl vi ilv coated an atamsjiherc. In' a:r. -ate, tlie book is extremely weli written, for i.s author im n: ;?d i;itci y i: uncial Oj the reader to a sphere i • human iiictivitv •unknown and undrw .•:»•.! of by t'.ie average dweller in eivi/ised society/-. I do not know of another work "which lias token lor its background the Esquimaux and painted tli,«re a picture of human striving and passion. In The Maiden 1 \vc 'have man and -woman in the primordial condition and winning 'sustenance amid tlie sterne:t elements of .nature.

Tile prelude ;of the story is jan Eskimo legend translated into 'beautiful and poetical Kngli-h. It tellU of tlie origin of the sun and the moon, fu it the moon is a youth . iu) lias yearned ! with ardent and i;u. .itistfied passion afte r the maiden, .Sun. Upon this legend we have built the story of Ootah, a faithful lover, who for years seeks the love of one, Anuadoah. Her love, has Leen given to the leader lof a Norwegian whaling expedition. This man, Olafaksoaft, after living wil.li her one summer season, never returns. Life the faithfu-l girl she is, she wak'hes month by month for his return, . hut without avail. She listens not to the importunities of Ootah. or the per- ! sistent wgings of the tribe, that she 1 should take a husband, for it is a thing ■beyond belief fcl-.at a woman should not ! Jiav.o a man to hunt the walrus for her. The conditions of life will not permit the tribe to find food for amattacliod mem-berg v.'ho, like Annadoa'h, are contributing nothing to the vital existence of the tribe., tithe. r 'by bearing children or bunting food supplies. One might oiif-te page after page, and in. fact the Whole book, to cxhaiist the beautiful passages it contains, lint this mint suffice. The walrus arc announced and the men arc hurriedly summoned to the hunt. "I come,'' replied Ootah.

The flap of the tent-opened. The ffunlight poured uivon the face of the yonny hunter. . . Ootah was graced with unwonted beauty. He was s'igiit and -..c'le of limb; his body -uiiple and life,?; his face immobile, beardless. and with' cui'ving lips vividly red. a nose small, with nos>tri!s diluting sensitively, and eyebrows 'heavily lashed. . . . His eyes were and dark, and .<\wam with an sirdeuc liffht. He turned.

"Thou wilt not iplaec thy face b mine, Anr.odoah? Yet I love thee. Annadoah. Jlv 'heart melts as streams in spring time. Annadoaii. My amis '*roiw strong as the wind, and my hand swift as an arrow for lovo of time, Annadoah. The joy tlie sisrltt of thee gives me is greater than that of food after starving in the long: winter! Yea, thou wilt lie niirp. Surely for my heart bursts few love of thee. Annadoah." . . . .but Annadoah shviv drew further inside the shelter.

With' a sigh lie flung Ms leather li;r over his ?--houl<!er. seized his harpocn and stepped from tlie, tent. Hi- step wis resilient and 'buoyant, his slim body moved with tin. grace of an Arctic deer, lie looked back as 'he reached the icy shore. Annadoah stood at the door of her tent. Her parting laughter rang after him with the sweetness of buntings ringing in fipring. Ootnh's heart leaped within liim." Tlie book liolds one's attention from cover to cover, with its description of the fierce buniing passions of man in the wild;! of the frozen north. Its charm is heightened by the quaint language and 'clioniN of a race we knew little of.

Ti.Jj.3.

"Robert Louis Stevenson," by Rosaline Masson. London: T. C. and E. C. Jack.

Of all ilia excellent little volume.? of people''? iwliieh Messrs. Jack lusv.* issued, tliis is Hie bust yet. Or do I think so because i liave just spent a most delightful evening with itV The author writes succinctly and with ease. Her information is accurate and coilewe. For those who have not at command the mass of nutter relative to E.L.S., thfa hcok fills a want. It will make a capital prelude to the reading of Stevenson's works, which may be taken iu chronological order. There is a sad cadence throughout the book which I believie was absent from Stevenson in the life, but the tragedy of his stern ■fight—and a losing one—with persistent illness, seems to liavo had its effect upon Miss Masson. Ilis varied and continuous itinerary from place to place in search of nea'th are, of necessity, in a 'hook of ninety pag?.s, very briefly touched tipon. During his >tay in Samoa Sic paid two visits- to Sydney, which aire just mentioned, and that is all. There is no word of 'him f-tcipping of at Auckland (it would be. the winter of 1892 or '93), where the writer hid the pleasure of shaking Imnds with him. "Tho Piinania Cansil," toy C. Reginald Enock. London: iCollins Nation's Library.

Thi-j number of tlw National Library is quite up to the very high standard set by 'the preceding volumes. Specially written for this serifja, it gives a very useful account of the Canal—its history and the history of the iytilwmw and locality in general—the political and commercial nigniiicance of the undertaking, and the actual construction and fortifications. Locks yersuis sea level passage is discussed, and the reasons giv,en tliat weighed when adopting the former method. Not least interesting in a chapter dealing with the early work of tho French engineers, and all going to '>how that in general principles tihcir plans wore ; n accord with the latest approved engineering ideas. The climate andi graft were the two things that beat l)e Lesseps. llow the doctors accompanying tho Americans overcame the mosquito and malaria is surely one of the wonders of recent medical scienft?. Til the "Panama Canal" the general reader has all hp wants about this great work.

NOTES. Xclsoii'ii Announce a n« edition or their encyclopaedia, embodying infoirmatioii down to (lie end of JDl'i Of th? liftst edition, cloth tn-uml. sun! ordinary paper, one million copies ;wore sold. The new edition is printed on thin paper, leather bound, and will be uold at 4Ss for the twenty-four volumes, This enterprising firm makes some attractive annaußMiiiM'nts for ho'f'k lovers. Among the befit Hooks f have seen lately ane Trovelyan's T-ife of llaeajuley (2 vols.), "Through Finland in (.'iwts.'' by Mrs. Twee<lie, "Sea Wolves of the iKditerraneai," and "The Bwrden of the Balkans," all in their shilling edition. . Rowntree'l ''Poverty" is another volume that deserve* a column to itself Taking oi*s city—York—as ia basis of research, Mr, llowntree shows how very thorough and far-reacluntsr any scheme must be, iwhla'i will deal with the canker of. .-•EneWKs underworld. None the

problems pale beft-re the importance and urgency of this question, whieih is like a great uig gap through which tli,? life of the nation is ebbing in a mighty litreanr.

Hooks for review supplied by Mr. A. S. Drooker, the U.K. Hook tShoji, Devon street. -