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OUR BOOKSHELF.
A good book and a loving- friend
Arc sunbeams ever until life's end.
SHELF in.
Letters again, for we shall have two setfl
of essays—no four—besides the November '
discussion before the party! 1 feel inclin
ed to ask the Lditor for a whole page to
ourselves till the end of the year. The
judge pronounces the essays too interesting
to leave out, so if letters are cut down .on
only answered you will understand.
'^Mary Mills."—Thank you for a bright
and breezy letter. Thank you for placing
the quotation asked for.'
"iTaxstick."—I find a letter so long held'
over that it seems best to take it.as read..
^Tiank you for the charming little amteur
iqagqzine yfiu sent me lately. t

"Harold Woodlands."—The story about \
stamp collectors/must have interested you |
particularly, as you collect stamps. By the \
way, can you tell ine of a good Australian i
book on gardens or gardening? Something
quite simple if it is to be found. I quite
agree about Steele jRudd's book.

"Pussie."—I have lost your address. Can
you send it to me? Your little verses were
cliarming in idea, but unfinished.

September 20, 1005.

Dear Magpie—"tetters and Social Aims," by
Emerson, I've just dipped, into—took a chapter
litre and there. One interested me particularly,
"'Quotation and Originality." Like others, be
says "there is nothing new under the sun; all the
wise sayings have been uttered before, all the
modern* instances are as old as the hills." "Oliver
Wendell Holmes" comments on the same truth in
his "Autocrat at the Breakfast Table," and
gives the same comfort—thoughts may not be
original, but they am individualized. No two
people view a scene or circumstance in a similar
way. Holmes says "every; thought has come
to you in a new express train of associations,"
and Kthereon—'"There remains the _ indefeasible
persistency of the individual to be himself. One
leaf, one blade of grass, one meridian, docs not
resemble another, livery mind is different; and
tbe more it is unfolded the more pronounced is
that difference.'' This seems especially true—
clever people are always eccentric, they say (they
being the commonplace folk) who uiove in tlife
same old groove year after year, assimilate
others' opinions, and do not exert themselves
sufficiently to think. We can gather from this
essay of Emerson's (hen that though we can't be
original we can be ourselves; as he says—"What
is originality? It is being one's self; and report
ing accurately what we see and are." "We can
not overstate our debt to tlie past, but the
moment lias the supreme claim. The pa6t is for
us, but the sole terms on which it can become
ours are its subordination to the present." What
a. very high opinion Emerson had of Wordsworth:
—"This poet, he says, as soon as lie heard a
good thing, caught it up, meditated upon it, and
very soon reproduced it in liis conversation and
writing." Speaking of poets reminds me that

I've never yet given you my mental picture of ]
Drowning. X imagined liim rather uncouth in ap

pearance—a large man in every sense of the |
word—absolutely unconventional, caring nought ;
for the world's opinion; in fact, a thorough |
Bohemian. It was rather disconcerting to road

this description of liim, given by Mrs. Bridell I
Ecx:—"He was," she writes, "sl'm and dark, and j
very handsome, and, may I hint it, just a trifle

of a dandy, addicted to lemon coloured kid gloves !
and such things, quite the glass of fashion and

the mould of form." This tvos in voutli. When i
middle-aged—"He was a middle-sized, .well s.tep
erect man, with somewhat emphatic gestures and
a curious'y strident voice. His faults, a certain
occasional fierceness and grossncss were His faults
that arc counted as virtues among sailors and
primitive men. His virtues, boyishness and abso
lute fidelity and a love of plain words and
things am the virtues which arc counted as vices
among the girigs who pay him the greatest
honour. He lived and died conventional." I
hope (a iake more of Emerson next time.—Youis
with love, ETHELWW RAnrjri? sue „.„,.,i.

Another letter is held over.

Bear Magpie-Am reading "The Virginian"
again, and find even more delight in it than
when I read it first. lie our Bookshelf chat on
love--' 'The Virginian" is a fine example of a hook
where sentiment and eommonsense are splenaidlv
balanced. The -Virginian's love was a deep, beau
tiful part of liiin. Vet iie went away from jt, and
forgot about it, when in necessary times he had
to play "some more of the game," as he ex
pressed life. I do not admire a man who lets his
love interfere with his duty and work in life.
His love is all the stronger for his sometimes
having to turn his back on it. I want to put
my little Emerson chip in. Am always glad
when he is mentioned in the Shelf. His thoughts
of self-reliance. What a difference it would make
to the world if they could ho carried out. What
progress there would be—chaos at first, perhaps,
but progress at forwards—if orrery one stcod on
their own feet and acted on their own thoughts.
At the least it would do away with much sense
less custom and timorous "What will people
think?" This is good:—"You will always find
these who think they know what is your duty
better than you know it: The great man is lie
who in the midst of the crowd keepB with perfect
sweetness the independence of solitude." And
"There is a time in every mail's education when
he arrives at the conviction that envy is igno
rance, that imitation is suicide, that iie must
take himself for better, for worse, as bis por
tion." Jf as individuals wo wore not so posi
tively afraid to do that we would get more done,
and send the world along farther during the
short term we are lierc. A friend said to me the
other day that Emerson's style was unnecessarily
obscure. I agreed, but wondered if it only seemed
so to ordinary minds, and that this lofty lan
guage and thought was natural and everyday to
him. Vet, perhaps, we often have the same
ideas without the words to clothe them. We
admire a saying of some great man, and take it
as tme, not simply because a great man lias said
it. but because we feel tiiat it expresses a thought
which has been latent 111 our own minds. It
n>ay be that the genius is lie who lias the pow rS
of putting his thoughts in fitting words. Em* r:
son had splendid ideals, so high as to seem
almost beyond aiming at, yet cannot be so, for
tbe higher our ideals the higher our lives will
be as we strive towards them. Farewell for
this time.—Yours sincerely, BELLE MOSELEY.

M'.i words.

This is quite an Emerson number. Thank
you for placing the quotation.

November 8.

JVC suggest to the Hookeliclfites a plan I bad
thought of. Dear FcIIowShelfitos—There are
some of us, you remember, who wished we could
meet. Well, "Magpie" lias given me pen;iis6ion
to try and arrange a Reading Club in connec
tion wifli the Bookshelf ir this way. In Mjlviro
we have a club—"Ve Bachelor Mavds"—it'j, only
a tiny atom as yet, and it's for girls, as you
can tell; and I'm hot sere how many of us
"Bookies" are "Mayds," but the Brothers of the
Pen -wouldn't harbour a grudge against us on that
score any more than our country members, as v.e
could all meet sometimes, as most of our "Bache
lor Mayds" are blossoming elocutionists and
6ingeis. and we like giving concerts, sa combined
entertainments of music and literature once or
twice a year in sports, where we might nwet
distant llookshelfites would not be too lively,
would it? What do you all say? Write and say
if sounds worthy of a trial, won't you? The
present "Bachelor Mayds" meet at our house
Wednesday evenings, and every Bookslicliitc that
could come we would hail with delight. Then
our friend and leader, "Magpie." has offered to
tsive us simple and workable rules for a reading
club. I think we would do our level best, to
lie a creditable branch of the Bookshelf. So now

an rcvoir. and at your service, I await the vcr- |

diet.— HUBY.

I print this at once that there may be
time to talk it over before the end of the
year. M.v idea Was rather a reading-circle
meeting, as you meet, following perhaps
the course of the reading club, or one of
their own devising. The tendency of
Bookshelf members to make friends with
each other might make such clubs interest
ing little friendly circles linked with the
shelf. But—I make no promises, and would
advise you to wait till the idea has been
talked over before deciding on your rules
brilliant ideas may be sent in. Your other
letters must be "taken as read," they will
be marked to your credit, but not printed.

October.

Bear Magpie—I see by this week's Journal that
"Pcndcnnis" suggests a new rule for our Book
shell'—"That members who do not write at least
twice a year should forfeit the right to the
name of Bookshelf member." As you said you!
will be glad of other member's opinions on the
subject. I am sending mine. I think we all owe
it to our belovtd and painstaking leader to write
at least twice a year; but, unless the long sil
ence of members increases—or mikes more diffi

cult in any way—your work, Magpie, my- answer'
would be an emphatic "No" to Hie suggested new
rule. Vie do not know the reason of the silence;
there may be ill-health or some trial or sorrow
which destroys for the time all heart for writing
letters. And again there may be sickness in the
home, and no time for writing—there are so many
reasons; and, anyway, I do not believe our
Mother Magpie would like to make a rule which
would prevent the return of any of her prodigal
"chick's." I think we all watch for, and are
glad to see old member's names again. Myrtle
Smith's letter, ^vith its interesting quotation
about clover, reminded me of a little book I
liad been reading called "Tamsiu Rosevrarne"
(Nellie Cornwall). It is a simple story about

two orphans who lived in Cornwall with their
grandmother, who was very. poor. The elder—
Alsey—used to search for a four-leaved clover,
because she had been told that if she found one
she woul sec the fairies, who would (jive her
"heaps of cold," but after being1 caught in a
thunderstorm whilst searching for it, which
frightened her and worried her grandmother, she
decided to bo satisfied with the kind of gold her

grandmother had in her heart. Tamsin, when
speaking of the kindness of people said:—
"Hearts are -full of love, my dears, and, I sup

pose, God lias need of his poor children to draw i
it out to Himself. Perhaps that is why so much
sin and so-row are allowed in the world."
Should like to read more descriptions of Corn
wall. In "Honor, a Nineteenth Century
Heroine" (E. M. Alford), the heroine reminded

me of that little poem, "The Two Reformers," j

which appeared helow "Crumbs" a short time
since. Honor began by grumbling at shams, and
life generally, and ended by striving to be help
ful, and to improve the conditions of life. She
found, as Mrs. Wiggs said—"There's always lots

of other folks you kin he pony fer 'slid of yer- -
self." I enjoyed Lovey Mary very much. ' It
was nice to meet Mrs. Wiggs again, and to find
her as cheerful and resourceful as ever. Humour

and philosophy, as in "Mrs. Wiggs" are mingled j
charmingly. With good wishes to all, hom IDA.

405 words. |

j Another letter, September, must be

"taken as read." The August one has
been used. Thank you for your postcard
and "all-to-myself" letter. I am glad you
| liave said your say about the proposed new

rule. 1 do not want to be hard, but I

do want to hear once a year if I can. :
Still, for old time's sake, the names stay
•on the roll, and now and them a letter
comes that shows that the Bookshelf has
been regularly read, though no sign has
come for years. I ant hoping, especially

this Christmas, to hear fmn all the oldest t
members of the Shelf if possible. I

Knightsbridgc, November G. I
Dear Magpie—The conclusion bus at last forced
itself on my indolent mind that one letter Goes
not give one the privilege of calling oneself a
Boo! slrelnte, and that I may not be denied that
privilege I hasten to write this letter. Thank
.vou for your suggestions for niv reading, but as
I am a teacher I am afraid if I set apart llio
evenings for light reading I shouldn't get through
much good lending. For some months past I
have been pegging away at Darwin's "Origin of
Species." It is extremely interesting, and I
wish I could get on faster with it, but every
time J set apart a time for reading ir I find
I have to spend more than half of it looking in
the,'dictionary, I know of noiliing which damps

a reader's ardour more than that. Nevertheless
I shall stick to it. The ' 'Origin" is one of the
members of m.v own little shelf. That Blielf
hasn't many occupants, hut what it lias I'm
proud of. Don't We get fond of our hooks? Sly
incipient librarv consists of a Wordsworth, a lit
tle .Matthew Arnold, a Tennyson, a hook of poems
selected fiom Heine, a Keats, Herodotus, "Tlta
Martyrdom of Man," by Wimvoede Head; "The
Light of Asia," and dear old Omar Khayyam.
Not much of a collection, is it? Hut some day
at will lie larger. A friend of mine and 1 are
reading together "Aurora Leigh," and 1 was glad
to ste that good letter about it last week. I
think Homnoy Leigh is typical of a good many
men—nice, sensible, oftentimes intellectual and
idealistic, hut \\itli the most limited ideas about

woman's supposed "mission." May I through tip's |
letter congratulate Ellio Wcmjss on her Ballarat :
success? It is something to he proud of. This, j
"Magpie," is a short, scrappy epistle, hut it
keeps me a Bookshelfile. Sincerely your.-'.

EVATCTL

I am glad to have this second letter, for
though "a begun turn is half ended" yet a
habit is only formed from repetition, and
one never feels sure that new members wile
keep on till they have sent at least two

Tuesday, October 24.

Dear Magpie—I don't wonder that Rookshelf
members think so much of "Sesame and Lilies."
I had not read it until lately, then two if lis
started it together, one reading aloud. It is a
very pood way, I think, providing both are in

sympathy with the bcok read. The comments are j
greater and more varied. If professors heie and I

in other universities are half so entertaining as
Kuskin, then lectures are not the dry-as-dust af
fairs I thought them. In reading the boak one

can imagine something of the nature of the man. i
lie hits out all round in no uncertain way, at
tacking evil and thoughtless carelessness in one

way and another; such sla|>s he does give. Those .
who sat under him must have had some rave old

treats. He seems a bom fighter, and would have 1
made a great general, I should think. I have
often wondered what Die title of the hook meant
—a truly pretty thought, sesame—the password Id
all good books, opening the way to greater riches
than gold, showing all those who care to enter
vast treasures worthy of kings, and called king's
treasuries. Then lilies—good women and their
influence. While reading the book we wanted to
find out the origin of the word "sesame." In
"Arabian Nights" it means something like "open
to .us," hut I mean before that; cu looking the
word up tliis meaning was found:—"Sesame, a
plant, an annual with oily seeds." 1 was won
dering whether the extracted oil from the seeds,
applied to a door fo make it open easier, could
have been the reason why that word was used in
the first instance. Am 1 going too far l ack?
What do you say, Magpie? Rusk in tells us that
the right way to read a book is not to jiufour
own construction on things, but to try to get
behind the mind of the writer, or in other words—
"to put ourselves in his place." This is what
he calls reading. "Watching every accent and
expression. Now, iiT order- to deal with words
rightly this is the habit you must fomit—when
ever you are in doubt about a word hunt it
down patiently, never let a word escape you that
looks suspicious. It is severe work, but you will
find it, even at first, interesting,' and" at last
endlessly amusing. And the general gain to your
character, in power and precision will he* in
calculable." We thoroughly enjoyed the book: so
now I slmll be on the lookout for more. Next
time perhaps I will liave more to Eay about the
"Lives," have not read any more yet. That is
a good idea about taking an outline of Roman
history at the same period, thank you. With
best: wishes to you and all Shelfites, I remain,
yours sincerely, NEMO. 470 words.

Every professor is not a Ruskin, Univer
sity life would be rather exciting if they
were. But we have some,who can make
"Idiry bones live" and the past come back
most vividly, or describe some abstruse sub
ject so clearly that we find we can really
understand. Your estimate of Raskin, "a
born, fighter,'' is particularly good. Your
sesame idea is feasible at least. A good

letter.

x Palkey Hill Woods, August 29.

My Dear Magpie—1The war has turned our
thoughts to the two nations who are engaged in
it. Gleaning much information out ef "The Real
Siberia" about the Russians, I eagerly read "The
New Ear East" to gain some knowledge of Ja
pancsc life. This book is by Arthur Diosy,
who not only lived many yearn in Japan, but also

studied the people of whom he wrote. It is
principally of this nation he writes, although
Eome space is devoted to Corea and China. It
is noticeable how, in the year 1804, when Japan
went to war against China, all European na
tions, excepting Russia, predicted the annihila
tion of the Japanese Army; but to their conster
nation Japan won easily. Russia, then, was the
only nation that had an adequate conception of
Japan's fighting forces and her superiority to
China. The war lias proved that Russia had not
fully conceived the strength of the nation that
is now her opponent. Showing how the abbre
viation of their name is a sensitive point with
them, a Japanese once said to tlie author, "If
your people call us Japs we shall have to call
you Rrits!" The Japanese are an extremely
clean race, bathing themselves every day, in wa
ter at a temperature of 110 Fahrenheit. An
idea seems -Ut prevail that the Japanese have
adopted the European dress, hut this is not so,
although it is worn at court, nnd the uniforms
of naval nnd military men arc of European pat
tern, possibly to facilitate their movements. The
craze for liuropeln dress was general some years
ago, but it was soon dropped, and they resumed
their national dress; but having their hair cut
i:i Occidental fashion. There are two classes who
write of the Japanese, and they take widely di
vergent views—travellers through Japan and
people having business relationship with them.
The former remember their universal kindness,
their cheerfulness whilst discharging their duties,
and the courteousness so common among them—
so lie presents that picture. "If you want to be
come aware or a man's defects, even the smal
lest, you have only to let people know tiiat he
is, in your opinion, very near perfection" is still
n truth. Foreign merchants in Japan, reading
the traveller's eulogy, write of Japanese fail
ings. Certain classes of the Japanese have a
saying, somwhat similar to ours in Australia—
"Japan for the Japanese"—therefore foreign mer
chants do not receive a cordial welcome. Their
best statesmen and leading merchants are endea
vouring (o eradicate this idea, knowing that the
expansion of trade is conducive to the build
ing up of a nation. This appreciation of them
by the author will end mv letter;—"The groat
mass of the Japanese nation go through life
with a smile 011 their lips, a courteous word 011
their tongues, and in their hearts that kindness
towards their fellow-creatures, that tender love
01" children, and that absence of selfishness that
amply compensate for their 'impersonality of
mind,' their inability to grasp 'abstract ideas'
and similar sad shortcomings of which tliev have
been .convicted by learned investigators."—Sin
cerely yours, M. L. CAMERON. 495 words.

You see this is not lest. j

297 Albert terrace, Carrie street west, October 2.

bear Magpie—To be remembered as a gentle
man, in tbe truest sense cf .the word, and by
one's literary work, is a distinction tiiat. cannot
be claimed for all past writers, yet Longfellow,
tbe American poet, left behind him that reputa
tion. As a man he was the embodiment of all
that was good and noble, finding time even in
bis busy life to think of others, to help and bo
helped in return; until his glorious life wor'.c
over lie passed into the great beyond, to the
sorrow of thousands who lgjew him only through
his works. A pure, good life, rich in noble
deeds, and kindly actions, is perhaps the best
legacy one can leave to mankind, since a life*
well lived must surely influence for good fuiure
genera t ions. The very best monument that could
be,, erected to one's memory is to he nohlv re
membered. As a poet Longfellow does not, per
haps rank among the very highest of the muses;
indeed he did not consider himself one of

The hards sublime,

IVhose distant footsteps echo
In the corridors of lime,

hut he gave io ilie world's poetry much that en
riched it. His simplicity of phrase was such that
all could understand his verse—the gold is on the
mi-face. I like the optimistic ring of all iris
poems, his implicit faith in his Creator and all
mankind, and his tender leve for little children,
of whose sweet pure lives he wrote so much. Of
the shorter poems, "A jiealm of life" and "Re
signation" are among my favourites, and at least
one verse of the former might have been wt it
ten about the great poet himself, so applicable
it is to his own life—

"Lives of great men all remind us,

AYc can make our lives sublime,
And, departing, leave behind us,

Footprints on tbe sands of time."

"The ladder of St. Augustine" is a message to
scale and climb, and goes to prove that any ef
fort to reach a high pinnacle, oven though block
ed by failure, is not without its good results—

"Nor deem ihe irrevocable past

As wholly wasted, wholly vain,
If, rising on its wrecks at last

To something nobler we attain."

1 always tbink of the following lines as success
in a nutshell: —

"The heights by great mc-n reached and kept

Wore net attained by sudden flight,

Rut they, while their companions slept,

Were toiling' upward in the night,"
Of "Children" X like:—

"For what are all our coulrivings,

And the wisdom of our hooks,

.Allien compared with your caresses.

And the gladness of your looks?

Ye are better than all the ballads

That ever were sung or said;
Fir vo aie living poems,

And all the rest are dead."

Those beautiful lines "The Footsteps of Angels"
were written in memory of Longfellow's first
wife, who died young. Jn 1842 his poems on
"Slavery" were printed, but they wore not well
received, for to denounce the wicked system was
at that tima considered a crime in America.—
Yours sincerely, HENRY S. GOLDING. 509
words.

Your other letter, with its charming de
scription, is held over for the present.

Letters from "Jean," Ethohvyn Badgv,
and Henry Ctolding held over.

MAGPIE.

TTvro is some placing held over by mis

take:— i

—Birthday.—

Best song sent by "Au1d Lang Syne." !
Commended—ilia Mosely, Dorothy Beevor, j
11. Holding, and Trixie Bennett. Best anec

dote, Henry Golding. Commended—Trix '
Miles. Best contribution to picnic—"He- I
lena." Commended—Mary Mills and Trixie '
Bennett.

—Discussion.—

Placing:—August—1, May Dawson; 2,
Trixie Bennett; 3, Belie Mosely; 4,
"Nemo;" 5, "Ida;" 6, "Pendennis."

September—1, "Ida;" 2, "Mabel Morri
son;'"' 3, Bel Sunman; 4. "Nemo;" 5, Trixie
Bennett; 8. "Thelma."

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