Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-11-14

y snort time ago educators Throughout
the country were agitated in consequence
of the action of the wealthy patroness of
far western university in demanding the
dismissal of certain instructors who preach
ed antitrust and public-ownership doc
trines to their classes. The echoes of the
battle which ragged over this question Of
the influence of the founders or supporters
of institutions of learning upon the policy
Of those schools have only recently died
away. and they are sure to be revived
by this novel. which deals directly and
strongly with the problem. The author
has located the scene of the story In an I'M
named western state, taking pains by a
side reference to indicate that it is not
California. He is even so discreet as to
refer always to the capital of the state
thus. instead of by name Furthermore,
he has differentiated the plot somewhat
from the central circumstances of the
actual occurrence. Thus his story can not
he regarded a yelled record of that af-
fair. 1t is powerful Indictment of the In
reference of money-givers with the man.
agement of such seats of learning. 1t tells
in manner to hold the readers interest
throughout the story of the engagement,
as president of the university in question,
of man who secretly deSpiSeS scholarship.
who loves applause hates the earnest, sue
cessful men of the faculty, betrays and
abandonS his best friends and cozenS
wealthy woman out of large requests. and
finally falls heir personally to her enormous
fortune. interviewer in the story is a some
what complex romance, and incidentally a
vivid picture of university life is drawn.
The student body is treated almost exclu-
svely a mass. The individual actors
are practically all members of the faculty.
The inner workings of the political ma
chinery of a great university are shown.
1t is book to arrest attention and to
cause discussion. 1t is we'll written through
out. and whether regarded as story or as
a commentary on the course of events it is
notable addition to the books of the
son.
CHILDREN OF MEN, BY Bruno LEASING. New
York; Mcclure, Phillips Co. Washington:
Woodward LotErnP.
There is a terrible power in these stories
of New York ghetto life. the power of in
tense suffering, unquenchable religious fer
vOr patient martyrdom. fierce love and UNI
relieved tragedy. They are not pleasant
stories. in that they do not make the reader
feel satisfied with life. They are indeed de-
Cidedly unpleasant. for they show that there
are grievous wrongs in the dark places,
wrongs inflicted by society and by preju-
dice and by greed upon the children
of men" Viewed as a whole the stories
preach the doctrine of atonement, of relent-
less laws working out the destiny of
people. Here ana lnere are nSnter
to relieve the somberness of the theme.
Such is the second story, THE Sader
Guest" a true comedy. yet indicative of the
intensity of the Hebraic faith. The initial
story is one of the strongest which has been
printed for long time. telling of the sacri-
fetal devotion of young man to his love,
dying girl whose last hours are made
bearable by her enjoyment of a beautiful
picture he has stolen from an art gallery.
The Saddest part of il all Is the feeling that
nothing can well be done to relieve this
great sorrow which broods over so large
part of the race. The story teller, who oc-
CasionalIy appears in the first person. does
not attempt to play the part of the Samari-
tan. He recognizes that individual efforts
are relatively futile. The law is working.
II must take its course. Society may
awaken some day and adjust the burdens
more eQuitably. Such presentations of the
woes of Israel as this fiction may hasten the
day.
THE AND OF LITTLE RAIS by M M9Tyy ASst tn
Washington: VIII Ballantyne & Sons.
The great American desert is a thing to
I've slowly appreciated. measured, under
stood Its vastness. its silence. Its dry
ness its grim records of tragedies enacted
on It's burning wastes, its unspeakable ter
rors all these cannot be Singly described,
or easily grasped through the medium of
the notes of casual traveller. The best
stories and descriptions of the region are
from the pens of those who have lived in
the heat and dust of the alkali plains. Mrs.
Austin, whose husband is government
land agent at Independence. Cal, has
watched the desert In all its moods. has
met the people who frequent its borders
and has studied the effects of the waste
space upon them. 1t Is noted that She
wrote this large and exceptionally enter
tanning book about the region in two
months. but that she was twelve years ac-
quiring point of view and preparing, half
consciously for the effort. Her work is well
done. 1t impartS a volume of knowledge
concerning the flora and fauna of the dry
land about the traces of aboriginal super
Etition to be found among the people. about
the trade courses which cross Death Val
ley" and the picturesque features of the
landscape. The spirit of the plains is in
every page, and IT has been accurately
caught by the illustrator. Mr. Boyd Smith,
whose line and wash drawings effectively
supplement the text.
YaaRs IN the w Woods By Mason Wafen
(The Hermit OF Gloucester). nlus trated. Bos-
tom Dana Estes & Co.
For years Mr.. Walton's cabin at Bonds
Hill near Gloucester, Mass, has been
famous spot among naturalists. and from
1t have come many interesting magazine
articles descriptive of woods life. Some of
these and additional new matter have now
been printed in one volume which Is a well
come contribution to the nature books so
popular nowadays. Mr.. Walton studies
woods life at close range, and by patient
methods He claims to have made through
these means the following discoveries:
THAT the cow-bunting watches over it's
young. assists the foster parents In provid-
Ing food. and gradually assumes full care
of the young bird and takes 1t to pasture to
associate with Its kind: that the white foot
ed mouse is dumb and communicates with
Its species by drumming with its toes; that
the wood-thrush conducts singing school
for the purpose of teaching its young how
20 sing: that the chickadee can count; that
the red squirrel owns a farm or fruit gar
den, and locates his male children on ter
ritory which he pre-empts for the pur-
pose"
These are not vitality important dIscov-
cries They do not rank with the X-ray or
radium, but they are none the less COM
mendable. They evidence true scientific
epirit and they indicate the wealth of
knowledge which is for him who will have
the patience to sit and watch and watch
again and wait and anaiyze and interpret
Che multitude of minute signs In nature.
The book in which these facts are set forth.
with a great multitude of others, Is as en-
PERTAINING as romance.