Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-12-23

upOn the question Of Hhether Shaw ID 81
s Mr. Mencksn ofrers fi r .by way Of in-
PRODUCTION" commentary on Shaw's place
in literature, his purposes and his policies:
The briefO6t expression OF the trend OF
Shaw's dramatic works occurs In this sem
tence: "In all Of the Shaw plays the neces-
sary conflict Is essentially one between old
notions Of conduct and new ones The
body OF the book consists of brief synop-
tical essays-more descriptive than critical
Upon the fifteen plays by Shaw, beginning
appropriately with Mrs. Warren.s Profes-
sion. which has been tabooed IN New 10TH
and Is now the subject Of q sharp contro-
versy. Al chapter on tho novels ana other
writings - interesting as completine the
record A Biographical and statistical CHAP
ter furnishes diverting personal informai hoa
and betrays Shaw az q socialist VINO mas
had good fortune thrust upon him by the
public and by the death Of relatives and sun
holds to the personal eccentricitdes WHOM
cart-tail oratory. Finally. an explanation
Is given of Shaw's view gof Shakespeare.
concerning which q violent dispute has been
raging In England for some months. 40. 9.
tually reaching the point last spring OF
provoking the successful production OF
one,act farce entitled Shakespeare VS..
Shaw
despite-or perhaps because of-the authors
evident approval OF Shaw and all hts works.
JOHN FLETCHER HURST, a Biography.
By Albert Osborn. Illustrated. New
York: Eaton & Mains.
The life OF Bishop Hurst which has just
come from the press will prove to be a sat
isfactory piece Of work to the numerous
friends and admirers OF that eminent
churchman and writer. It was prepared by
Rev. Albert Osborn, who became associated
with the bishop when the latter took up
what proved to be an important feature Of
his life work. the promotion Of the idea OF
establishing in this city a university under
the auspices Of the Methodist Church. The
author OF this life soon fell under the In
fuence of the gentle and kindly nature of
the bishop and II evidence Of this devotion
appears now and then in the course Of his
work. the reader will find 1t to be entirely
natural With fidelity and affection ad-
mirable in biographer but which does not
impair the integrity Of the narrative. Rev.
Mr.. Osborn has traced with care and pa.
thence the course of busy life. for with
the versatile talents of Bishop Hurst no
other career was possible for him. He was
churchman writer. linguist, travel
er and an eager and successful collector of
books AS an author, he began when he
was twenty-five years of age and his pro-
ductiyeness continued with little abatement
down to the end of his career, when he was
just past the SEVENTEEN milestone.
All these varied interests and the earn
estness and the vital force put into them
of the biography AS an explanation of the
/. bishops somewhat remarkable fertility as
an author is given his own recipe, or rule
for work, which was line every day. But
the glfnpses which are given of Bishop
Hurst as man and a friend constitute
what will, no doubt, be read with the deep
est interest by those who came in close
personal contact with him and especially
by the hundreds of men and women whom
he met in the course of his duties as pas
tor and as bishop.
SWORD OF THE OLD FRONTIER;
Tale of Fort Charities and Detroit BY
Randall Parrish, author of When
Wilderness Was King &c. Illus
trated by F. C. Yohn. Chicago A. c.
McClurg & Co.
Mr.. Parrish grows more attractive as an
author of fiction with each book he offers.
- Sword of the Old Frontier is decidedly
the strongest he has written, absorbing In
every chapter. stirring In its episodes Of
action and charming in its love passages.
It tells the story of Chevalier Raoul de
Coubert, once captain of hussars now
broken in fortunes. and selected by the
governor at Fort Chartres for desperately
dangerous mission to the Chief Pontiac
Despite the signing of peace between the
French and the English. the spring of 1903
found the French willing to incite Pontiac
and his braves to continued assaults upon
the British garrison at Detroit and all the
other settlements of the English in the dis
puted territory. De Coubert was commits
stoned to bear the secret word to the great
chief of the Ottowas. But Cupid played a
part in the game and complications arose
to check his progress. He Is an engaging
character. this Raoul de Coubert, reckless
and yet cunning, brave to the point of
folly. scrupulously conscientious lover, re-
speeting the rights of others. When his
fortunes brighten he chances by accident
upon the fact that enables him to claim
with confidence the sentimental reward
which his heart has earned. Meanwhile he
faces death frequently, and endures In
tense agonies Of mind and body for the
sake of the woman he loves.
Newfoundland. BY Theodore Roberts
author of "Hemming the Adventurer"
Illustrated by H. c. Edwards. Boston:
L. G. Page & Co.
The Boethics were once numerous and
powerful tribe Of Indians inhabiting New
foundland. They alternately welcomed and
fought the white men who reached those
shores in search of fish and occasionally
journeyed into the interior looking for gold
Internecine strife. however, did more than
warfare with the whites to lessen their
numbers and about century ago there
were not more than 100 Of them remaining
The last sign of them was when party
Of Beothics visited one Of the coast set
Elements. A hunting party of Micmacs
tried to track them into the wilderness. but
all trace of them was lost. Mr. Roberts
has told stirring tale of the early days
Of Newfoundland settlement in this novel;
involving account of one Of the fractional
struggles of the Beothics He presents an
engaging character in young KingsWeu
owner Of a fishing and trading ship. to
whom Beothic lad, grandson of the great
chief Soft Hand, applied for passage to the
old world. Before Ouenwa cast eyes upon
the shores of England he and KingswelI
and their companions were often In peril
and romance had been born and tragedies
had been enacted. The story Is viyidly de-
seriptive Of the rough life on the coast In
the early times Of white exploration, and
casts an interesting light upon the history
of the Newfoundland settlement
THE COUNSELS OF WORLDLY GOD
MOTHER. By Persis Mather. Boston,
Houghton, Mifflin & Co. Washington:
Woodward & Lothrop.
The godmother writes to the society
bud" in a spirit of gay admonition and
with wealth of aIlusion greatly to be en-
joyed by any person who has ever gained
the least glimpse behind the scenes of So
ciety. This godmother Is shrewd obser-
yer and her pen is at times very sharply