SONGS OF THE EMPIRE.
Our contemporary, Splashes Weekly, of Sydney, N.S.W., under the heading, The Bookshelf," writes as follows:—
"A local application of the War is to hand in a little book of verses by Dorothy Frances McCrae, the talented daughter of one of the most cultured of Australian poets, George Gordon McCrae. Soldier, My Soldier! is the appropriate title of this book, which contains thirteen excellent little poems, specially concerned with the Expeditionary Force, and giving the women's view of the situation, calling forth so signal a display of patriotism. The book is very artistically printed, and has an attractive pictorial cover in two colours, with ribbon, and is published at a shilling. It is sure to be very popular. Here is a sample of the verses:—
That is the tone of all the poems—a patriotic fervour, & depth of restrained feeling."
Our readers, however, must not be under the misapprehension that Miss McCrae alone of Colonial writers has stepped into the artistic field opened up by the War. Thus in Canada Miss Margery Morne, daughter of the well-known historian, Dr. Macnamara Morne, of Toronto, moved by an inspiration which we can only characterise as prodigious, has published a dainty volume, appropriately called Heroes All, to celebrate the departure of one of the Canadian contingents. This little work, which is charmingly bound in detachable skunk moccasins for the convenience of travellers, is sold at one shilling net. We give an excerpt which admirably illustrates the high quality of the workmanship displayed in the ten excellent little poems which the book contains:—
In New Zealand Miss Esmeralda Zadwick, daughter of the great and well-known musical genius and entrepreneur, Erasmus Zadwick, has electrified and delighted the critics by producing, under the pseudonym of "True Bluebell," a curiously fascinating book of patriotic verse entitled Brave Soldier. The designer of the cover is to be congratulated on his happy taste, for it represents King George and Mr. Massey (Premier of New Zealand) shaking hands across a picture of H.M.S. New Zealand, whilst beside them a British lion is fraternising with a kiwi (the New Zealand national bird). The following verse may be quoted as showing Miss Zadwick's marvellous grasp of the technique of versification:—
There is in this poem, as in the others, a fine spirit of courageous altruism shining through the inspired words, which is all the more remarkable as Miss Zadwick is only eleven years and seven months of age. She is, however, a linguist of no small attainments, speaking fluently both Low and High German, Tamil, Gaelic, Maori and Tierra del Fuegese, in addition to her native English. She is also a performer of no mean order on the bass fiddle.
We are glad to receive from Fiji the first-fruits of the pen of Miss Daisy Dunkley; we say the pen, although in fact it appears that her composition was taken down in writing by her father at the young lady's dictation. The performance of this talented new authoress is all the more noteworthy and startling because she has barely attained the age of nine months. Her father, however, Mr. David Dunkley, a prominent member of the Suva Chamber of Commerce, has for years been a constant contributor to the open columns of The Fiji Times, and it is thought by students of heredity that his transcendent literary genius has communicated itself to his daughter. Be this as it may, the book, which contains no fewer than fifty-three poems of the highest order, has reached us for review, and we find it somewhat difficult adequately to express our admiration for it. The binding is most tasteful and attractive, being composed of cocoanut fibre delicately plaited over a handsome vellumesque cover, prepared from hippopotamus-skin, with a backing of pulped banana. What makes this little book all the more delightful (though perhaps less easy of understanding to the average reader) is the fact that Miss Dunkley, with a mastery of language rare in one so young, has composed all her poems in the Cristocolombo dialect of the Solomon Islands, a language which for soft vowel sounds and harmonious quantities has no equal in the world. The very name of the book, Um Borrowed Booe (i.e. The Human Sacrifice), whilst possessing that soothing quality so dear to the ear of the true poet, yet contrives to contain also a scathing condemnation of German military methods and manners. We append the poem called "Umbo Upoo"(i.e. "Our Soldiers") as being the best of a very good collection:—
Of which the following is a translation obligingly furnished by Mr. David Dunkley himself:—
From this sample our readers can readily see for themselves the fervour of white-hot patriotism in which the poems were composed.
In spite of her tender years, Miss Dunkley shows high promise as a linguist. She is undoubtedly a patriot and an Empire-builder of the first rank, and, although she cannot as yet play a note on the bass fiddle, she is without doubt a most talented performer in the bassinette.
Home Rule in Operation.
"The Irish Ambassador called at the Foreign Office this afternoon and had a long interview with Sir Edward Grey."—South Wales Echo.
"S. O. S.
BELLOC
IS COMING TO DUBLIN."Irish Times.
We learn, with considerable relief, that this is not a despairing cry for help against a coming danger. "S.O.S.," it seems, has been chosen as the motto of a charity bazaar at which Mr. Belloc is to speak.
"Paris, Tuesday.—An enemy airship was reported in the district of Compiegne Dammartin this evening. The prescribed precautions were immediately taken. The police ordered all lights to be extinguished, and crows collected in all open spaces to watch a squadron of French aircraft perform its evolutions above the city."—Edinburgh Evening Despatch.
How these patriotic birds must have longed to join in the chase of the German "doves."
"Lovers of Shaksperian drama will find one of that poet's immortal works, 'David Garrick,' presented at the Lyric Picture Theatre, Symonds Street, Auckland."
Auckland Weekly News.
It is pleasing to learn of one Shaksperian drama whose authorship will not be challenged by the Baconians.
