Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-12-14
BOOK REVIEWS.
THE TRACKS WE TREAD. Rv q

Lancaster. author of The spur
etc. New York: Doubleday. Page &
Co.
Up the New Zealand mid -line-sheer
into her vivid young heart-lie the town
ships where draw together the men she
breeds and holds From first to last it is
manhood that fills with life the pages of
G. b. Lancaster's latest story. Life among
these men is stripped of its conventions
and its safeguards: every man must stand
the test alone. And there are tests enough
on the great cattle ranges where. every
day, lives are staked against the success
ful rounding up of herds.
In the rough but fundamentally true
code of ethics evolved by the men of
Scanncls lot" il came to be decreed that
Ted Douglas and Steve Murray and Or
mond were found not wanting Randall
though he had bssn dragged by the mire
could drag himself out again and into the
life where he belonged. Even Lon evil
though H. WAS. could he respected because
he was u man. But Jimmie was differe mt
Is ther" notllin' won't bile the funk out
OF you Ted. his stanch young cham
plon demands. And the story proves that
With this inherently base soul there was
from the beginning no hope of redemp-
ton. Cattle work puts grit into a man:
nut II puts the devil into him. too" 1t is
the devil that conducts the final ruund-un
in Jlmmie'S case
There are women in the story. and wom-
an love 1t is love for a woman that
proves the uplifting power in Randars
life. But the reader sees women az they
appeal to strong mel: there is no hint of
feminine psychology" Efia and Maiden
are primitive, tender beings. the creatures
or young mans hidden dreams. In this
again The Tracks We Tread" is a mans
book.
Beg oND GOOD AND EVIL: Prelude to
a philosophy of the Future. By
t, r'edrich Nietzsche. Authorized
translation by Helen Zimmern New
lork: The Macmillan COMPANY
Washington: Woodward & Lothrop
Most OF the familiar features of the phi
Iosophy of the sreat German thinker are
present IN this volume. He has chosen
the title to express his fundamental point
OF divergence from the usually accepted
systems OF philosophy. He wishes to
make clear that his position is beyond the
conVentlonaLy accepted standards of
good and evil prevalent today. Metz
sche makes the highest excellence of So
clety. the ethical end. His philosophy is
founded upon the tenet that self-interest
mas been leading factor in the evolution
or morals and religion. He feels that it
Is necessary to recognize that many peo-
PIE lnStnctively choose the bad when il
rs most profitable to themselves What
eVer may be the attitude of the thinker
Sward the Nietzschian phi.osophy-and
II is probable that there are few who sub
scribe to more than to partial phasas of
lit is undoubtedly true that he offers a
starting series of questions for discus
sion. and that it is impossible to be thor
ouhgly intelligent toward latter-day think
ing without some knowledge of the the
cries he puts forward. If for nothing
else, he is valuable as Il provoker of SOUL
stirring discussion.
GALLANTRY: An Eighteenth century
Dizain in Ten Comedies. With an
sAterpiece. BY James Branch Ca
oell illustrated in color by Howard
Pyle. New York: Harper IL Broth
ers.
This is one Of the most charming of the
holiday books. The ten stories. drawn
loosely together by the fact that some Of
the same personages occur in them ALL
are compete, each one in itself The
authors definition of "gallantry': The
secret of gallantry. take it, was to ac-
cept the pleasure of life leisurely, and its
Inconvenience with a shrug" is we'll
borne out by the adventures of the eight
zenith century behux and swordsmen who
ruHie their way Through the pages Mr.
Cabel has given an admirable analysis
of the spirit of eighteenth century ro-
nance although the happy reader who de-
yours his pages will have 10 stop before
he realizes that the author has had any
purpose more weigIhty than to tell charm
ing stories admirably. The illustrations
ASSSould pc expected of Mr.. Howard Pyle.
aHNlAl of color and spirit. and the book
is NndAomely bofnd and decorated.
THEXRoMANCE OF AN OID-FAsH-
1oNED GENTLEMAN. BY r. Hop
kiryon SMITH, dIlustrated by A; I.
ueCS Sons Washington. WonGxrard
& LothroB.
The effect on the world today of the
. old-fashioIed- standards of honor makes
. an et~>Tive situation in The Romance
sSf an Old-Fashioned Gentleman" The
Earlier love story with which the book
etens is given with an idylic sweetness
aul purity of switch this author is capa-
bic. The fact that it is a young artist
with whom the romance has to deal en-
ahles f. Hopkinson Smith to interpret his
moods with special sympathy. The de-
Eelopment of the plot, which enables the
-old-fashioned gentleman to apply the
Wisdom he had gained from his own hard
experiences "a help d younger man hold
true 70 tne highest standards of honor. is
happy conception. The story is told
with hnlsh and an easy charm.
THE FREE LANCEs. BY Capt. Jack
Brand. late U.S.N. Illustrated with
'4d ~ iHtS ana reproductions CT mod
ern paintings. New York: he Nc
tlure Company. Washington: Wood
ward IL Lothrop.
These are stories of the sea fighters of
all nations in their long cruising and des-
psrate battling for honor and treasure
In reading of the desperate exploits Of
SIR Francis Drake, Don John of Austria
Sir Richard Grenville. Du Guay-Trouin
and their ConfrcTeS. exploits which diff
Tered but little from the fierce adventures
OF plraticai leaders. II must be remem-
bcTed that the standards of all nations at
the time in which these men fiourished
acmltted prlYateering an honorable
pursuit. This fact explains that ferocity
existed side by side with religious devo-
uon and Chivalry. Capt. Brand has gath
cred together all that is of interest in the
careers OF his heroes, and has told ii with
NlNldncss. II Is an interesting compila-
tlon OF t1S most significant features of this
particular phase of naval warfare
FROM SAIL TO STEAM: RecolIections of
Naval Life. BY Capt. A. I Mahan.
.S-N, rctiredD: author of The In
huenCe Of Sea Power Upon r,:story"
etc New York: Harper IL Bros
The son of eminent professor at
West Point. an officer in the United
States Navy from 1886 to his retirement
Capt. Mahan. by tradition and associa-
ton. is qualified TO offer expert testimony
upon the history of the navy. The change