6 JULY 1929, Page 26

Mrs. Eleanor Elsner loves the sun, and she contrives to

bring a sunny quality into all her pleasant books of travel: Far and Near (Jenkins, 7s. 6d.) is a sweep-up of some of her travel reminiscences in the colourful countries that edge the Mediterranean. It is a book which abounds in delightful touches, such as when in Pamplona (is there any warrant for her spelling Pampaluna ?) she was pricing a Pyrenean shawl off an old Basque market-woman. The shawl waitoo dear and

had to be refused. "What a pity," she said, "it's a good shawl ! But it is God's will that another shall have it ! " * *