Milne Pot-Pourri
Year in, Year out. By A. A. Milne. (Methuen. 15s.) MR. MILNE has herded together in the fold of stiff covers a flock of thoughts which, during his many years as a writer, have been straying widdershins in his mind without, as it were, corning in to} settle. The months of the year form the headings, enchantingly decorated by Mr. E. H. Shepard, for his musings, interspersed with which are some selected contributions to various journals and a peppering of verse ; but in point of fact the days of the week or the hours of the day would have been just as relevant. For Mr. Milne, whatever the weather, roams where his fancy takes him, now grave, now gay, browsing on Shakespeare or social equality, on gardening or letter-writing, on pacifism or the slaughtering of wasps. The beauty of the English language, justice, Oscar Wilde, crooning, the shortage of what he calls the better sort of caterpillar " and the art of dealing with bindweed are but a very few of the subjects upon which he exercises his charm.
For it is this, Mr. Milne's perennial charm, which brushes his pages with magic and makes blossom the roses we thought we had picked years ago. Many of his thoughts have been our thoughts too, but he hands them to us like a freshly-cut bouquet, and. they smell amazingly sweet. A little too sweet perhaps for concentrated sniffing, for Mr. Milne is a tolerant man, and his rebukes are delivered more in sorrow than in anger. Some unqualified acidity would not come amiss now and then, a straight-from-the-shoulder dig with a poisoned thorn. It is impossible to argue with him, for, however sternly he states his case, as for instance concerning the atom bomb—he cannot see why its explosion should be more displeasing to God than thousands of smaller ones—one feels he would be delightfully., sympathetic to his antagonist's point of view, or any rate madden- ingly courteous.
But his sweetness, though sweet, is not saccharine, and those who have persuaded themselves that in every word of A. A. Milne's there lurks a Pooh bear—and the more discerning among us would not mind if there did—need not fear. Whimsicality is on hand perhaps, but heavily gloved. Written in immaculate style, amusing and as fragrant as an old-fashioned potpourri warming in the sun, Year In Year Out is a pleasant, soothing boOk. VIRGINIA GRAHAM.
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