Books Of The Day.

Books of the Day .

Books , Music , Sc . intended for review , should be addressed to the Editor of the Freemason ' s Chronicle , at Fleet Works , New Barnet .

— : o : — Masonic Musings . By Chas . F . Forshaw , LL . D ., F . R . S . L ., & c ( 5 s ) . —George Kenning . THE poetic effusions of our worthy Brother Forshaw are well known to readers of our pages ; indeed a' very large number of the

sonnets and other items collected in this volume originally appeared in our columns , the range of topics touched upon from time to time being most varied , and doubtless living in the memory of our patrons . We are pleased Bro . Forshaw has made this collection , as we feel there " are many of his admirers will gladly

avail themselves of the opportunity of securing in the one volume such tangible evidence of the extent and excellence of his muse , and will enjoy the opportunity which now presents itself of comparing side by side the merits of his many productions , which had hitherto been spread broadcast through the length and breadth of the world , as particularly represented by the Masonic press .

A Master of Craft . By W . W . Jacobs . With twelve illustrations by Will Owen ( os ) . —Methuen and Co . MR . W . W . J ACOIIS has come to stay . There was genuine humour in " Many Cargoes , " which was repeated , without monotony , in "Sea Urchins , '' and in '' The Skippers Wooing "; it is present —fresh and fragant as ever—in " A Master of Craft . " This title

is happily chosen , for there is a dual significance in it which is admirably brought out in the sequel . Captain Flower is a master of craft and a master of craftiness . His skill in doubling and evading the corner is equal to that of the controversialist immortalised by Dr . Johnson . He favours three ladies with his amorous attentions , and these ladies are by no means willing that his

courtship should stop short of matrimony . Some of the shifts to which Captain Flower has recourse in order to baffle pursuit and capture are described by Mr . Jacobs in a manner sufficiently ludicrous to delight the proverbial office-boy . At one time he retreats to his cabin and bawls through the speaking trumpet to intimidate the persistent lady who has tracked him to his anchorage ; anon it

is given out that he has fallen overboard , and is dead ; finally he ships to distant parts in despair . When he returns to his old haunts it is only . to discover , when too late , that the woman whom he truly loves has just married his shipmate . Other characters in this book are hardly inferior to Captain Flower as mastersor mistresses—of craft . The feminine skill brought into play

against Captain Barber , which ends in that worthy being triumphantly led to Church very much in opposition to his own will , is equal to anything of its kind written since Dickens penned his famous narrative concerning Jack Bunsby and Mrs . MacStinger . Altogether , this is an admirable volume . The hypercritical

school may insist that such stories in the vernacular are not " literature" ; but they are extremely entertaining . Mr . Jacobs , in particular , is master of several accessory arts which others might profitably cultivate ; hence it is that many readers reach his last page with a sigh of regret .

Marshfiold the Observer and the Death-Dance . Studies of Character and Action . By Egerton Castle ( 6 s ) . —Macmillan and Co ., Limited . WE share with many a very high opinion of the abilities of Mr . Egerton Castle . He is , we believe , a Master of Arts—he has certainly mastered the arts of literature . He is m the front rank .

what John Addmgton Symonds and Mr ., J ohn Morlcy are 111 history and criticism , Mr . Egerton Castle and Mr . b . -Marion Crawford are in prose fiction . We opened " Marshfield the Observer" with some misgivings , for we entertained a grave doubt as to whether the author could improve upon Voung April . " This we hardly think he has done ; but he has written some

powerful stories , which have no small resemblance to the shorter stories of Turgeniev . Perhaps the best of them are "The Herd-Widdiefow" and " The Death Dance , : ; but m saying this we certainly _ d ° not desire to insinuate tliat the remaining stories are essentially inferior . The visit of Lord Cosmo to the house of the Dean , where , in the person of -the Dean's wife , he hnds his lost love ; and the story of nis passion , so told by himself that the

impassive , beautiful ' woman before him cannot possibly fail to read his thoughts ; the extraordinary manner in which she responds to his Lordship ' s insinuated invitation ; all this is handled by iUr . egerton Castle so adroitly that we can hardly think of another writer who could have done it quite so well . There are other passages equally well conceived and written , but we must leave readers to search out the good things for themselves . ' ¦ Marshfield the Observer" is a booK to cherish and to re-read at leisure .

An Obstinate Parish . By M . L . Lord ( 2 s 6 d ) . —T . Fisher Unwin . WE recommend this volume to such as care little for reading . It is very entertaining , very light , and very clever . The parson and his parishioners are old topics and considerably worn ; but " Sydney Christian" has contrived to invest them with a fresh

interest—an interest which never flags . So far as this volume is to be regarded as a novel with a purpose , a pseudo-theological discourse concerning the method of regenerating an obstinate parish , it is likely to provoke criticism from every popeling who dissents from the author ' s views ; but it is a thoroughly well written narrative , and should find many readers .

Books Of The Day.

A Hero of Romance . By Richard Marsh . Illustrated bj Harold Copping ( 6 s ) . —Ward , Lock and Co ., Limited . A FORMER book by Mr . Richard Marsh bore the sub-title , ' A Mystery . " There is no mystery in the volume before usunless it be the manner in which the writer has contrived to pack a book so full of adventures from start to finish . The hero ,

Bertie Bailey , is almost as good in his way as Mr . Kipling s "Stalky "; and his escapades , considered collectively , comprise some " very pretty business . " Having , in company with three others , created a typical schoolboy " row" at the " tuck shop " he is rescued , by a gigantic globe trotter , from the clutches of the vengeful owner ; is driven to the house of his

new friend , and is advised to run away from school and see the world . The advice is taken—Master Bailey starts for the land of golden dreams with one and fivepence in his pocket . He meets his friend a second time , and is rendered happy by a present of five pounds . Of this he is almost immediately robbed whilst lingering at the circus . Thence he proceeds to London

wherelike Oliver Twist—he becomes the unwilling recipient of stolen property . Having in a truly wonderful manner been rescued from the grasp of a constable , he presently falls in with the youth who had caused his arrest . He accompanies this second " artful dodger " to his lair . Here he falls foul Of the " captain , " a scoundrel , who has just committed a great jewel robbery . Bailey , having overheard the incriminating conversation of the Captain , is regarded

by that worthy as eminently dangerous to his future prosperity ; the boy is therefore taken to Jersey , and thence to France . Here the Captain leaves his companion unawares , and the book concludes with a harrowing description of the boy's sufferings and privations among a people strongly given to Anglophobia . If any of our readers have noticed how rapidly Mr . Marsh ' s books succeed each other , and have wondered at their large sale , we advise them to read " A Hero of Romance . " The- perusal will explain much .

Four Months Besieged . The Story of Ladysmith . Being unpublished letters from H . H . S . Pearse , the " Daily News ' special correspondent . With maps and illustrations from , sketches and photographs made by the author ( 6 s ) . —Macmillan and Co ., Limited .

READERS familiar with Mr . G . W \ Steeven's " From Cape Town to Ladysmith" can hardly do better than supplement that book by the volume before us . Mr . Pearse has done his work well ; with one or two immaterial exceptions which it would . be ungracious to dwell upon . He has given us exactly what ¦ we were led to expect—a vivid and fairly comprehensive story of what took

place during the heroic defence of Ladysmith . The salient features of that defence are well brought out ; the never failing good conduct of the common soldier , the admirable bearing of the officer , the splendid self-sacrifice displayed by almost everybody during the whole of that fearful durance , the lynx-like vigilance of the surrounding Boers . Above all , we are shown how the noble officer who personally directed and

controlledeverything discharged his superhuman responsibilities in a manner worthy ot the best traditions of the British Army . The narrative is rendered exceptionally realistic by reason ot the style of its telling and of the illustrations of the British position at Ladysmith from different standpoints . There is also an excellent likeness of Sir George Stewart White , a military map of Ladysmith , and other plans . Mr . Pearse ' s volume deserves a large sale .

Khaki in South Africa . An album of pictures and photographs illustrating the chief events of the war under Lord Roberts , with a chronological history ( 5 s ) . —George Newnes , Limited . AMONG the many books which have appeared chronicling the progress of the war in South Africa , and the many side issues it

nas raised , there are few which will have so lasting an interest as this album illustrating the chief events of the contest now happily drawing to an end . We have had official despatches , the more elaborate newspaper correspondents daily accounts , and numerous pamphlets and books giving us details—more or less coloured—of what . has been going on ; and although at the time of their

appearance they may have impressed the reader , the interest m them is seldom long sustained , when one reviews them in connection with subsequent doings ; but when the aid of the camera is called in , and we are able to get true pictures of different events , a new interest is aroused , one that is certain to prove lasting and entertaining . The present is the first great campaign in tlie history of the world where it has been possible to collect any number of

actual sun pictures of what has taken place , and this work of Messrs . Newnes proves how valuable and entertaining they may be made as a means of instructing future generations m the history of tfie world . But apart from its educational advantages the album before us is interesting in many ways , and provides tne opportunity of passing a pleasant half-hour as it were actually around the places which have become famous in South Africa during the past twelve months .

China of To-day or The Yellow Peril . Illustrating the principal places , incidents , and persons connected witii the crisis m Cnina . Edited by Commander Charles N . Robinson , R . N . ( 5 s ) . —George Newnes , Limited . THIS is another work of similar interest and almost equal

importance as the South African volume just noticed , and a further fine example of what is possible with present day appliances combining the art of the photographer and the printer . Messrs . Newnes have here collected another splendid series of phtotographs , and have printed them with such excellence as to provide a most enjoyable , interesting , and instructive volume , entertaining alike to the