poems oj a lover of life

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"THE RUNNING TIDE." By Marjorie Doris Peachey. the Mitre Press, London, at 9s. 6d. Published by
one or it is possible for a "picture" of a person to emerge. I think this has happened in the case of Mrs. Marjor ie Doris Peachey, of Il, Bentley Close, Wolds, Matlock, Derbyshire, who early in the year wrote to the "Norwich Mercury" about the forthcoming publication, of her first book-a collection of poems, called "The Running Tide." )!rs. _Peachey-74 this month-has written us three .letters. From these. we have learned that in 191418 she was in Xorwich as a member of the Women's Legion, attached to the then Army Service Corps. She' drove ambulances for the Xorfolk War Hospital and the Military Isolation Hospital, and had billets at Thorpa St. Andrew and -In Trafford Road. Norwich. This was her "war work"-really a man's job, especially for those days. But by profession Mrs. Peachev was a singer. The war interrupted her career-but did not stop her singing. She used to help entertain wounded soldiers at concerts in :"(orwich and around. Before the 1914 war she had spent many holidays at North Walsham. staying with a Dr. Page, who was married to her cousin. And she grew to love Norwich, where she still has friends, including the married children of her "billet mother" of 50 years ago, \\'e thought we should like "before and after': pictures of Mrs. Peachey to accompany anything that might be written .about her book, so she sent us thf two which are repro<

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from S0:.\IETIMES, just letters, two simple

duced here. One is a studio por trai t from her early years as a professional singer, She thinks that probably she appeared in this same dress when she sang to wounded soldiers in Norwich. The other picture is from a recent snapshot. Referring to this in one of her letters, Mrs. Peachev wrote: "I doubt if a studio portrait would be a wise move now. anyway;" 1111'S. Peachey's latest letter to us just about coincided with the arrival of her book from her publishers, "If the poems are a success," she wrote, " I have a book of a different kind ready to try my luck with. You see. I haye-alas~-all the time in the world now to write," Well, whether or no she sees another book into print, Mrs. Peachey has "The Running Tide" to her credit -any many would wish to leave to the world something equally personal and polished. This is a delightful collection of poems. The "picture" of 1I1rs. Peachey which has already emerged from her

letlC'n., and which is helped alone by her photographs, is rounded off and brought more warmly to life through her book, Many of the nearly 50 poems look back on past joys-to YOUU1 which has gone, The longing is not for the "might have been"-for life. i anyway, has been filled with great J delights-but for the lost. Lilac. surely, used to smell far sweeter than ever it does now? And ! wasn't it something to have beI lieved. as a child, that fairies really i lived? Life has included birds and , pets, trees and flowers, music and companionship. seaside holidays. the changing seasons of the year, the open sky at night and summer breezes, Life also has included sadnesses and partings-but serving, perhaps. only to highlight life's

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Mrs. Peachey-cnow
joys, In 'the latter end of life-at 74, say-it is life itself. mingled of laughter and tears. which has been precious, I hope I have managed to give an idea of Mrs. Peachey's poems. I see them as a sort of statement of a personal creed, illuminating the character of this particular lady, but probably expressing some of the inner thoughts of many of us in' their reflective appreciation of the life which is always fleeting, The poems are written in simple and traditional forms; they are well written-and sensitively, with proper regard for metre and rhyme, I think they are excellent of their kind, and that many people would enjoy them "cry much, C,A,B.

Mrs. Peachev-rhen
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