"The Old Clay Patch"

"The Old Clay Patch": A collection of verses written in and around Victoria University College, Wellington, N.Z. Edited by F. A. de la Mare and S. Eichelbaum. Whitcombe & Tombs, Limited.

In this collection of verse, we, the students of Victoria College, may be expected to take more than a passing interest. Messrs. de la Mare and Eichelbaum, the editors of the volume, have here collected the best verse of the early days of the College.

Whatever, therefore, the literary merit of the book, we shall regard it with a loving eye, and treasure it with our household gods.

Apart, however, from this sentimental consideration, the verse does here and there, at least, exhibit gleams and flashes of the true literary spirit.

Seaforth Mackenzie's

"The King's road is a troublous summons calling day and day,

But my feet take the cocksfoot track, the easy, vagrant way;

Beside the restless acres and the gold of noisy gorse,

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The ripple lures its lover down the dazzle of its course,"

has a sentiment and music which linger in the memory "like a wine of slow content."

The bulk of the serious poetry contained in the collection consists of work from the pen of either Seaforth Mackenzie or of Hubert Church. Very little of this is weak, and much of it is of real value.

For those to whom the lighter side of life appeals, there have been included selections from the work of "The Wicked Eichelbaum." He is clever, d—clever, and if he would only write love poetry, even greater things than he has already performed might be expected of him.

On the whole, we think we are justified in saying that the verse contained in "The Old Clay Patch" is distinctly above the average University poetry. To the editors are due our praise and thanks for venturing on the risky and arduous task of publishing the volume. We trust that every student of Victoria College will show his appreciation of their labour, and his literary taste, by purchasing, reading, and enjoying a copy of this book.