Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-12-05

ty trifles. Because of his greed for re-
liable information and his fair dealing
with 1t when found. Mr. Dobson may al
ways be relied on to pay tribute to honest
effort, and to shoot fol y as 1t flies. His
dart. however. bears no malice-poisoned
tip; he does not aim to kill. ms fling is hui
morous: his generosity is of broad and
fine quality. and. when occasion offers. he
can be as tender in sentiment as any ten
derby sentimental woman who fingers
faded letters or me-yellowed lace.
IN VIKING LAND - NORWAY: It's
People. Its Fjords and Its Fields. BY
w S. Monroe. author of Turkey
and the Turks" etc. With many IL
Illustrations from special photo
graphs. Boston: l.. c. Page & Co.
There are writer's who contend that
Lief Ericsson was born of prejudice and
exists only in tradition, to rob Columbus
of fame. Mr.. Monroe makes the son or
Red Eric very real sea king of the
Viking age, VINO discovered America nVe
centuries before the Pinto was keeleu. To
add the strength OF detali a landino place
is gwen, the crew numbered and refer
ence made to the Iceiander VINO told tne
navigator OF the strange shore he had
sighted; nameleSS sailor, who, then ana
there, stepped out OF history INTO the
rank and HE of obScurltyS grand army
OF unknown heroeS-AmerIca first dis
ava
Lief. To those planning trip to the
land OF the Viking une author gives the
result OF his two visits to Norway ana
an earnest study of the Literature OF that
country. Both text and PICTURES snow
realistic glimpSeS of fJordS, fields, cllIS
and waterfalls; abyssmal gorges ana
mountains capped with never-meltlnS
SHOWS. There is a peep at Staithelm, the
finest view in Norway, and another at
Trondhjem, the site of the first CHRIS
rh1 narn
crowned Their kings. There is glance
or two at the mountain dairy Whlcn
means so much to domestic Norway anu
a really good look at the agricultural
area, necessarily Scant in land thdl
seems to be mpartially divided between
rocks and water, but SO satisfactory III
crop returns that farming is a leading m
dustry. To these descriptions are addeo
the impressions of Bayard Iaylor, MISS
Hervey and other American travellers
who have written of Norway, notably OIL
it's aurora-borealis and its midnight SUM-
The writer. however, does not limit NM
self to the scenic beauties of Norselanu'
but harks back to it's Viking age, which,
according to the sagaS of its mlnStreis'
was the beginning of recorded history.
There is a hint of the first king, whose
ancestor was a god. and other hlnts Oh
other kings who left epoch marks, gooo or
bad, on the annals of the country. Pause
is made at the treaty of keil that gave
Sweden the right to seize Norway 10
make good her loss of Finland TO RUSSIA
and there is happy climax of freedom
with photograph Of the present klns
Haakon, once Denmark's handsome Prince
Karl. Among other interesting pits OF
information the reader learns that no
Norwegian who has not been to America
ever takes the name Of God In vain, ana
that nowhere outside of Mohammedan
countries does one see horses so kindly
treated as in Norway. The sep!a-tlhteu
illustration portray many customs, scenes
and types. and the cover is illuminated
with the coat of arms Of Norway on
background of cobalt blue.
THE WOUNDED EROS. Sonnets by
Charles Gibson. author of The
Spirit of Love. and Other Poems"
With an introduction by William
Stanley Braithwaite. Boston; Pub
lished by the author.
In this book of sonnets the author has
love is unrequted. The story of the
wounded Eros" is, as the reader will
discover, the story of an obation full OF
inexplicable shadows. Certainly. as the
lover relates the progress of his suit
against the obstinacy and contradiction
in the woman-so vague in all her 1nfiu-
ences-there is considerably less OF tnat
heroic attitude in a love passion Whlcn
we would be inclined to associate with
one who is SO unrea sonably i'll used. This
man is ever the optimistic lover in MS
despair; constant, even una,teraoiy per
sistent, in the hope of ultimately toucH-
ing and winning the sympathy or her
nobler self in the woman. True, at times
because Of that un mpeachable sef-re-
spect which is the toIchStone OF all MS
dealings with life, he cannot keep silent
about her faults of temperament. But
the spirit in which he sings OF these Oh,
yious shortcomings is one to chasten and
correct that which does not so much OF
fend his own sensib Titles as it blem shes
and affects the character and oisposition
of her womanhood. Mr. BralthWalte
introductory is a carefully considered
paper in which he embodies In prose the
spirit of the poets theme.
THE KNACK OF 1T; Some Essays in
Optimism; BY Su ch E'r,e,i 1 81 pa
veil Company.
Mr.. LOOMS idea of life is that we can
all be popular and happy and handsome
and happy If we will only learn the
krack of it." The secret of the whole
business is to be optimistic. to look on
life humorously and philosophically, to
repress anger and make friends by being
svmpathetic Mr.. Loomis does not pre-
tend to preach to his readers. but never
theIess, with his quaint drollery. he does
manage to drive home some wholesome
truths This might be called DOCK LOT
a rainy day, for there is not dry page
In it,
ALL IN THE SAME BOAT. Text and
Illustrations by James Montgomery
Fiaeg New York: Life Publishing
Company.
Mr.. F'lagg collaborates with himself
again to produce another of his deliShtful
little books of fun in verse and pictures.
These illustrated quatrains are related to
life on shipboard and present the famil-
lar types of ocean travel in all phases of
their midocean careers With such per-
feet sympathy between author and illus
traitor the result Is certain to be a strong
appeal to everybody with a sense of
hUmor.
THE AMERICAN COLLEGES; a Critic
ism. By Abraham FleXner. New
York: The Century Company.
Mr. Flexner has been for three years
engaged in a study of the educational
systems, methods and results of the
United States. England and Germany.
This book is based upon his educational
experience of almost twenty years. Mr..
Flexner finds many things to criticise
in the collegiate system of the United
states. and offers his criticism with the
force of authority. His work should have
a good influence in curing tie American
college of some of its basic defects.
FRANCE AND THE ALLIANCES; The
Struggle For the Balance of Power.
Ry Andre Tardieu. honorary iirst
secretary in the French diplomatic