A Dark Month.

Waimate Daily Advertiser, Volume II, Issue 103, 1 February 1900, Page 3

A Dark Month.

Of a (ruth this January will be dismally memorable in thp history of English literature. Jiiackrnore the novelist, baa been added to the h&t of victims of that foil fiend, milnenza. Perhaps, however, we ought to -withdraw the -\vorJ " dismally,"' seems? that; of the throe distinguished writers just Called away the first was anonnienan.rn, the nec-ind an octogenarian, find the (hud a septuagenarian, — tor niackmore was born as far back as JS2S. " Bjuckmore, the- novelist " : lei us rather say, " Biackmore" the author of 'LornaDoone.'" For, though he wrute many tales of more than average merit after the production of his ma&terpiece, the woild really knows and honours him as the man who gave ife t'jat delightful romance' of love, and fighfc awl the West Country. A century hence, it it safe to say, his name will live solely as the name of the creator of Loma, and we should

be prepared to disown our gceaij grandchildren beforehand if we thought (hat ibe book and ita enchanting heroine would bo less deaj? to them than to outlives. It ia seldom that a book written in a deliberately archaic stylo 1 its the mark, — an effect of artificial ty is a1i8035 inevitable, — but " Lorn a J)non " is ono of the few cucccsses m (his lino. A book leal and cordial as tho hcavt of Me me England rich and wholesome .13 the sun and fcho sun-biirnod moors gl< d and (gracious as a West Country -welooin° ! It will do all ol us all the good in tho world to read it again, us, of course, we all sLraightuay ; shall, with thanksgiving to tho good gardener of letters who ga\o it to us straight from his sim^y heni'b. I'y Ul3 way, while we arc writing of departed a-'ithors, a \».>rd of tribute should 1)3 given to poor oteevenn, tho p'">puljr andengayi.ig ! war correspondpat, whose "with I Kitchener to Khartoum"' all Iho world has pag^riy read. Tie died not, at 95, or 91, or 71, bat at ,U. — died, as he would hivp wished m rhe camp of wa,:. Honour to bis b'-ive, brief, life! Our war correspond jnts are practically ot ihoracrfof our war/urs, and thg g.ot-y of the warnoi is theits.