(Cape: 12s. 6d.)
Mr. Festing Jones revisits old friends and familiar places in this volume. He goes to Varallo, made famous by Butler's Ex Vote, to deliver his friend's manuscript into the keeping of the town. He goes to Naples and Palermo and Trapani, and to Mount Eryx. He is friendly, and makes acquaintances; he is observant, and tells us of things curious and beautiful; he is meditative, and speculates on life after death, quoting Butler—alas! for the rebel—as if he were gospel. He is at his best when he tells of Italian peasants or Sicilian peasants; he has his friend's power of getting quickly on good terms with simple people, and he has something of Butler's irenic humour in describing their superstitions. He is, however, a far less crotchety and cantankerous person than was the author of "Erewhon."' Butler was always, it would seem, in a temper. Mr. Jones is always amiable. His wistfulness provokes sympathy, and we do not suspect him of blurting out unpopular opinions merely because he knows they would offend. One of his most delightful chapters tells us some ing of the lost songs of Mr. Jones's youth, those dear, almost devotional ballads, the kind that used to be advertised as sung with great applause by Madame Lemmens-Sherrington. We returned and paid for "I cannot sing the old song" and "Strangers yet!" both by Claribel.
There was a fal song called "Cleansing Fires," words by Lord Houghton, music by Virginia Gabriel.
And there were quantities by Miss M.
Lindsay (Mrs. J. Worthington Bliss),
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.