MR. BURGIN'S MEMOIRS.
Mn. G. B. Br:morn, the veteran journalist and novelist, has written a second book of reminiscences, under the title of More _Memoirs (and Some Travels) (Hutchinson, 16s. net), which
is pleasant reading. The chapters of travel relate to Canada, which the author knows well, and to Turkey, where he spent some time years ago as secretary to the late General Valentine Baker. . But Mr. Burgin is chiefly concerned with the literary
life—with the many editors and authors that he has known, with the vagaries of publishers and the whimsicalities of would-be
contributors and amateur critics, and with the clubs that journalists and actors frequent. Mr. Burgin does not draw rose-coloured pictures of his profession. He devotes a whole chapter to the early struggles and disappointments of authors who are now well known. But he confesses himself an optimist
and denounces the fashionable pessimism which, he humorously suggests, Mr. Archer introduced by translating Ibsen. He
observes that :-
" There are many definitions of optimists and pessimists. Hamilton Fyfe declared at a dinner to Dr. Orchard that a pessimist is a man who wears braces as well as a belt ; someone else said that an optimist is a man who buys an article from a Jew in the hope of selling it at a profit to a Scotchman."
His cheerful narrative and amusing anecdotes are in welcome contrast to much that is written on similar topics. Here are three out of Mr. Burgin's many stories :- " A wandering American pedlar, with a sackful of clocks, went into a Friends' meeting-house, where they were all assembled
in the beauty and spiritual absorption of Friends' worship, and dropped his sack of clocks on the floor with a bang. The clocks immediately began to strike, and, between them, got up to one hundred and forty. An old minister rose and, solemnly addressing the pedlar, said, ' Friend, since it is so late, and thee art interrupting our meditations, thee had better continue thy journey.' "
" The late Sir Frank Lockwood defended a man accused of swindling, and, in an eloquent peroration, drew a picture of his client as an angel of light. The client insisted on shaking hands with him. ' When, he said, my solicitor told me what he was paying you I grumbled, but as soon as I heard your speech I knew that the money was well spent, and I apologize. Your talk about me has done me good. I haven't experienced such self-respect for many years, and it's worth the money.' Oh, that's all right,' said Sir Frank genially ; but you take my advice and go out of court. Sir Edward Clarke, on the other side, is just getting up.' "
" The pious gamekeeper watched a Bishop knock out the tail feathers of a magnificent cock pheasant. 'Did I miss him ? ' anxiously inquired the Bishop. ' Oh, no. You only reminded him of his latter end, your 'Oliness,' replied the gamekeeper."
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