THE READER'S COLUMN.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 99, 22 September 1914, Page 6

THE READER'S COLUMN.

NEW NOVU6.

(Conducted 1)y James Wortley

"W'estways: A Village Chronicle," by S. Weir Mitchell, M.D., L.L.1)., author of "Hugh Wynne," etc. Jjondon: T. Fisher Unwin, 1914.

This village dhronicle tells of Hie clfect iiie great age of tue American wvil !\V'ar liad upon tlie daily life and occupations of the people who lived in little hamlet on tiid Western fooU:l:t> o; the Pennsylvania. Alloghaniea, and it was in such fasluoa we nutty expect 10 read liJ'L.y years' hence, of lihe effect ol the present war upon some quaint French village ,pf the Ardennes.

_ But the ell'cct of the abolition question possessed a quality w'liich in our dav and generation we are unlikely to see, it was that quality which lay Hi the decision it commanded froai the individual conscience. This decision, lAsed upon no natural divisions of race or creed, resulted in the sword being dnawn by 'brother against brother', father against noil, or 'husband against wife.

The tragic consequences of the conditions that arose are admirably 6et out in tlie (took under discussion, and while 'po.saiibly little i» added to our knowledge of this mighty upheaval in the then nowly-coiisiitu-ted rnpulblie. ne gcx an entirely different view-point, and one from the inside.

In John Pen-hallow an J siis wife we have representatives of the rival camps in the paity politic® of the nation. The pair are distrait when -the subject of the moment crops up, mentioned by som-e visitor who knows not the position of -husband and wife. To John the nephew, and Leila, il was not -understandable. "Jolhn felt unable to make clear to her why the two people (their uncle and wile) they respected and loved l and never discussed what tlie village talked of so freely. These intelligent children were in the roils of a question which was disturbing the conscience and interesU of a continent, The ai.upler iside was clear to lioth of them."

For the rest of the story, there is enough direct and simple love making to satisfv the most volatile young woman. John is many a tuno a forlorn swain as coy as the most mischievous girl can be.

'lb happened m Egypt," by G N. and A. il. Williamson. London: Methuen and Co., H'l4.

I e have cwwc tu know and appreciat tlu: Williamson books. They a.re took's 'J uurist Guides, sugar-coaled and palatable. Wo are never taken, far lrom the beaten track where coupons ar 0 awopted, but nevcrtlhelet-e, it is a delightful iholiday jaunt which we ae complish. And Egypt is quite or successful as the former book». The itformation about deserts cn<i palm-tree*. Cairo, and the Nile, is served up with a vigorous anil orthodox love story, which is entirely satisfactory to the tourist reader, and many another who wishes to pass a, plcasa.u hour. ''l'he End of the Honeymoon," s>j Mm. Belloc Townis. London.Mcthuen and Co.

To arrive in l'aris after a delightful honeymoon just as the city k en ffto wuii liie visit ol' the Czar of all tliu Kiitiijians is not tho good fortune of every bride. Thus it Happened to Nancy i remain. Finding all the rooms taken, mine 'h't.Ht ana iioailefcß had to improvise accommodation for Nancv, and pacK tho bridegroom up to the gurrel. That i« the last, Nancy sees ot tier hiis'b.md, do'hu Dumpier, a cefebrated English artist., resident in Paris. In. teais the following riorning, Nancy approaches the landlord, who, much to l.er consummation, denies all knowledge of Mr. Dampier. .Resident Americans. Senator Burtoa'ii family, befriend her. and tho &wry then resolved itself into a search l'or the missing Daxyier, in vhich Ui'i'ald iiurlon diopiuys a disintcl't'Sted tfeal. ("i Uhe yu-ry polite man l'.cr of the French 'police. we hear lmuh, and they do a good deal without any real penormi.uu.-u. A very realistic picture is drawn of a visit paid to Tan.-. n'oir<;uo by Uerakl and Nancy. At ldigth, alter many months, the mystery is cleared up, satisfactorily establishing the death of Dampier, and suit•ahly rewarding young Jjurtcm for Jus assiduity .u jmrsuing the s.;aivli.

SUJO3 NOTAISLE IS yEVIiNi'ivNNY XiKTS.

Among tlie new vohtincs now issued in these famous editions from 1!k various publishers, one naturally turn-: to see what there is in titles suggestivt of riubjicts relative to milters that may bo touched by the war n.-w in progress We find a few (specially a'tiractive. In yiew of the fact that {Stevenson ■took a very active interest en the spot iu the struggle between the chieftain-; Mileatou and ilatiiafa which directly mulled in the, close of tiio Covwnment <>l Samoa J»jr the three I'owers, America, Britain and Germ-any, and the pirti•lion of the country between America i-i.d (Jennany, '•fcterensor. in Samoa" enpedally inli-irestiing. Stevenson llield soiilu very strong views on. the question, and in his letter i-e writes with little reserve, and a good deal of force. ''The Life of Lord Kitchener," by Fred 'crick llar*elwood, is surely a big thing for lihe money, as also ia "Life 01 Jfciden-Powell,"' by liatci.cior, and "M> I.ife oil Land and Sea," ly Command--! Oiambier. lUf notable novels there is a lon;> string of titles I'ooth from Mervininn and .Sir Gilbert Parker. ''Tile Shulaliiile," 'by Alice and Claude Askew. "The Countess Tcckla," l,y lUobcrt lian. "The Green Flag," by iionan Doyle, "American Wives ani Erigiiuli Jlus bauds," by Gertrude Afhcrton, "God's Prisoner," !>y ,Jno. Oxcnham, "Ann Vei-noica," by 11. G-. Wells, and "The Js'ight llidcrs," and "The flouiul of tlio North," both of L'idgwell t'ullum are all book,} above the average, even of reprints.

A MINO.il 1 POET JN r Tllli MAJOR KEY "Blake's Poetical Library. - ' Holm's I'mwlar Library. CI. J Jell and Sons. Henry l!olm Jias l 'been known for two generations tis founder of the cheap library of cliwakat literature. For many years his reprints of works which in any other f'. rin, worn only procurable if at all, at ii very high .ligmc. Frequently, ilte only access to much they printed were rare copies in some famous library. Masai* I*ll, who hare held Jiohn'ri copyright,* since ISGt, lira vcpriiiling these reprints at one shilling. Such (i copy 1 luive before me in Weliiam Wake's Poetical Works. Nothing is eheaj) about the production but the price. In glancing ovei\ the pages, 1 take the following Hues appropriate to tlio times. It rings with true patriotic fervour: