Los Angeles herald., 1907-09-10

who had been a captain under Cen
Wayne in the French and Indian wars
on the western frontiers, -delighting her
eager Imagination with his "reminiscences
of the skirmishes and camp life which
made up those border campaigns. Out
of the Impressions gathered from these
paternar recitals Miss Barton concludes
that when later l. like all the rest of
our country people, suddenly thrust into
the mysteries of war, and had to take my
place and part in 1t, | found myself far
less stranger to the conditions than
most women, or even ordinary men, for
that matter" Hence 1t happened that, as
she says, II never addressed colonel as
captain, got my cavalry on foot, or
mounted my infantry" Another bit of
semi-military education was given to this
future heroine of the army camps of two
continents by her brother David. who
taught her horseback riding when she
was a = girl of 5. As result of these
lessons Miss Barton, who has now reached
the age of SO, declares that ito this day
my seat on a saddle or ON the back of
horse is as secure and tireless as in a
rocking chair, and far more pleasurable.
Sometimes in later years, when | found
myself suddenly on a strange horse In a
troopers saddle, flying for life and lib
erty in front of pursuit, blessed the baby
beautiful colts"
The Story of MY Childhood. BY Clara
Barton. New York: The Baker e. Taylor
company.
The story of "Clem" narrates the adj
ventures of a handsome girl with plenty
of money and dearth of culture" who
essays to enter the "high society" of the
exclusive best" She has no particular
social ambition herself, but is impelled
to break in by a male friend who be-
lieves that she will shine. The male
acquaintance was mistaken. Glenn does
not shine, but she insists upon being
herself-a merely normal human being
not starched and trimmed and shackled
and smothered In the mold OF artificial
conventionality.
The author Edna Kenton, has under
taken pleasant task. She tries to show
how different mere naturalness-sweet
and lovable naturaness-is from the
standards of those whose sole aim In
life Is "social distinction" Clem makes
no bad breaks" she is never vulgar,
she does not spill the soup nor slip ON
the rugs nor upset the statuettes nor
chew gum Yet she has not been half
an hour among the "elite' before she
has set the nerves % one and all on
edge, has wrought up the female "elite"
to the verge of hysterical frenzy, has
sent cold shudders of anticipation cours-
ing up and down the spinal marrow of
the male .'elite.'' All of which Glenn,
being no fool. notes with panied sur
prise. She has no great desire for the
appreciation of these nice nonentities, but
she endeavors from natural delicacy, to
conform as far as possible to their STAN
dards. 1t is all in vain. Clem cannot
but be natural. and being natural is a
cardinal sin. And the people whom she
shocks are not bad people of their kind.
Robert w. Chambers could take any one
of Edna Kenton's drawing room women
and transform her into heroine with
out altering a line. 1t is all merely the
difference in training and environment,
the contrast between the artificial ye-
neer of social polish and the Ingenious
ness of an unspoiled girl. OF course,
Glenn comes out triumphant No other
outcome would be permissible.
The story is decidedly entertaining,
with plenty of mild and pleasant satire
and no implied tragedy.
| Glen. By Edna Kenton. New York:
The Century cOmpany. 2