Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-02-15
BOOK REVIEWS.
THE MOTHER OF THE MAN. BY Et

PhilipottS. author of Children OF the
Mist" etc New York: Dodd. Mead
& Co. Washington: Brentano.
The sincerity and humanity of Mr.,
Phillpotts' method at its best are found
In his new Dartmoor romance. AS
study Of ideal motherhood the book
breaches sermon to all mothers. while
1t does not make at all too apparent a
didactic purpose. The mother. Avisa
Pomeroy. seeing in the stormy nature OF
her son a reproduction of never-forgotten
phases of her own youth. never relaxes
her hold upon Ives Pomeroy. Even when
he seemed deaf to her message she be-
Neved in it's final success. And when to
the rest of the small world that knew
him. he was utterly lost. she saw, in his
hot rebellion against established things,
only the natural fermentation of fine but
ill-adjusted elements. But it was to the
after the mothers death, the new dis
covery of her old faith in him brought
strength for resistance.
From its purely artistic side THE
Mother of the Man is an admirable
genre picture of the locality which Mr.
Phillpotts has made peculiarly his own
1t is free from the Obscurity sometimes
wrought into the authors earlier stories
by the dominance of the poetic and sub
jective qualities that are native to his
scenery to make clear the place of the
men and women of the story in the green
pageant of nature. and their dependence
on its moods there Is not. as has former
" been the complaint. enough to retard
the action. The story is directly and
dramatically told. with all the realism
and vigor of which the author is master.
Jill Wicket is as distinctive bit of por-
traiture as Ives and his mother. and the
comedy element is sustained by group
of mirth-compelling rustics. In general
the atmosphere is less somber than of
other tales which the public has grown
to consider distinctive of the author. The
story Is pervaded by mellow sympathy
which softens sorrow into calmness. A
prevailing belief in the essential beauty
of living transmutes grotesqueness, sor-
didness, sin even, into dignity.
When all is said. however. the story is
merely adequate frame for the por-
trait of Avisa Pomeroy, the characters
chorus to emphasize the principles of her
homely wisdom. The spectacle of knowl-
edge of middle age without its alOofness
from young folly. of keenness without
bitterness, of foresight which yet has the
strength to refrain from interference. of
sympathy without weakness. and self-ig-
noring love which can yet be sternly
just-it is possible to affirm all these
qualities in the gracious Dartmoor farm
erS wife, and yet give no idea of the
charm of her personality. No one who
desires to become optimistic as to the
pOSSlDlIltleS or human nature Can dIiOTu
to miss her acquaintanceShip.
EXTON MANOR. BY Archibald Mar
shall. author of Richard paddock.
etc. New York: Rodd, Mead & Co.
Washington: Brentano.
When the publishers advertise the au-
thor's kinship to Anthony Trollope, and
the author prcclaims his Indebtedness.
the mere reviewer cannot fail to recog
Of foo
the quiet history of the woman's war
which rent the community of country
gentry at Exton Manor is in the style.
not only of Trollope. but of many fine
and leisurely old English novel, where
the reader may make the acquaintance of
thoroughly nice people. concerned, not
with any of the problems or questions OF
the day. but with the very human and
personal matters which always have oc-
cupied-and possibly always will occupy
the attention of just such English viii
lagos.
That the cataclysm which rent friends
from friend in Exton was the marriage in
Australia. before such marriages were
legalized in England. of a de ceased wife s
sister with a former brother-in-law adds
humor to the situation. 1t affords excuse
for the perncious activity of an ultra-rig-
orous rector's wife and ends in a general
exodus of the once peaceful inhabitants
from the scene of battle. The characters
are undoubtedly true TO county" types.
Even were this not true it would be evil
dent that they are convincing human be-
tngs. They are well-mannered. well-born,
generally well-intentioned gentlefolk. To
read of their fortunes in Mr.. Marshalrs
pages is to feel that the reader is in the
society Of friends. Such piece Of quiet.
good workmanship is pleasure In the
days of up-to-date bad writing.
THE AMERICAN INDIAN As A PROD
UCT OF ENVIRONMENT. With
Special Reference to the Pueblos BY
A. j. Flynn. Ph.D.. principal of
L.ongfellow School and Instructor in
ethnology in Saturday classes, Den
YER University. With Illustrations.
Boston: Little, Brown & Co.
A book which summarizes and, to some
extent. popularizes the researches of the,
eminent group of American ethnologists
is an interesting contribution to current
information. DR.. Flynns volume does
more than this. 1t contains the result.
of independent research among the In
dians o. the southwest extending. at in
tervals. over six years. The chapters on
the Pueblos are full of interesting in
formation, accurately observed and told in
a graphic and easy style. The final
chapter. in which a-e found Dr. Flynns
conclusions as to the facts he has OBJ
served and assimilated. is convincing in
its breadth of view and calmness of judg-
ment.
No one who reads the book can doubt
that the authors thesis-the character
Industries. manner of life, of the Ameri-
can Indian are the product of environ
ment-is sustained. The fundamental
thoughts in the volume were offered
some time ago a thesis for a degree
from the University of Colorado. The
original thesis has been changed as to
ARRANGEMENT and Increased to several
times Its length to make the present VOL
ume. DR.. Flynn's book will no doubt
prove an important part of the literature
growing up around the history of fast
vanishing race.
STAINED GLASS TOURS IN FRANCE.
BY Charles Hitchcock Sheriff.. New
York: John Lane Company.
The old traveller who wishes a new
pretext to take him over paths and by
paths in France will find it in this very
charming book The art-lover Will be
delighted by the clear and sympathetic
treatment of a comparatively unhack-
neyed subject. And the usual reader will
find an attractive central theme around
which to group information concerning
some o. the most delightful localities in
France.
Mr. Sheriff. has divided his subject into
three epochs: The glass of the thirteenth
century and earlier, of the fourteenth
and fifteenth centuries and OF the six
teenth century. For the study of each
OF these periods he has outlined tours
which will include the finest examples in