Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-10-10
BOOK REVIEWS.


THE MONEYCHANGERS. By Upton
Sinclair. author of The Jungle
New York: B. W. Dodge & Co.
ut is said of Mr.. Sinclairs first sue
cessful novel. 1.-The Jungle that he
aimed in writing it to arouse the po-
litical conscience of the people by ex-
plotting the socialistic cult and was
greatly disguised when later he found
that he had appealed solely to the ma
tional stomach by revealing the abomina-
tons of the Chicago stockyards. Posi-
bly, something of the same failure of aim
may result from his latest work, THE
Moneychangers. which is evidently writ
ten for the purpose of facilitating the po-
litcal revolution of which he is becoming
pronounced advocate. 1t is to be feared
that the book will cause no changes in
our economic political systems. but
will serve chiefly as an entertaining but
somewhat journalistic assemblage of
truths and half truths regarding the sins
of the money makers. If MIR. Sinclair had
a greater sense of humor. he would doubt
less see the inadequacy of his work as
propaganda measure. Practically all
the specifications of his indictment against
the system have been exposed to public
view and understanding long ago. There
are no surprises in the book and it will
fan short of converting any hitherto I'M
settled mind to the point of antagonlSm
10 the dominant financial influences. All
the radicals that are to be made by dis
closures regarding the "malefactors of
great wealth have been already produced
and Mr. Sinclair'S contribution will not
swell their number. however it may in
crease their bitterness of spirit.
PORFIRIO DIAZ. BY Rafael De Zayas
AnDlptOn X
Co.
1t is unusual to read a biographical
sketch of Porfirio Diaz which sees the
man not merely in the light of what he
has done. but in the light of what he is
to do. This is the task which Senior de
Zayas has undertaken and he has ac-
complished it admirably. He is a pro-
found admirer of the President of Mexico.
having for many years enjoyed his close
personal acquaintance and his confidence.
but he recognizes that the Mexico of to-
day is a land of stress and strain, and
that the need of the hour is for a man to
cope adequately with the forces that
make for revolution He believes that in
DiaZ the elements of q great re-
juvenator and constructor and he eX-
presses the hope in language that is ex-
ceptionally expressive and appealing that
the longtime president will rise to his OPP
portunity and become in truth 1.-The
these times Of economic distress.
THE HOUSEKEEPER'S WEEK. BY
Marion Harland, author of Com
plete Cook Book and Everyday Eli
quette" Illustrated from Photo
graphs by Mary Taylor Indianapo-
lis: The Bobbs-MerriI Company.
Marion Harland has written so many
books devoted to the science of house
keeping that another volume from her
pen would seem an impossibilty without
covering much of her old ground. But
it is true of this science. as of others.
that it is advancing and broadening. and
the housekeeper of today is a different
parsonage from her prototype of a quar-
ter of a century ago. Thus Marion Har-
lands successive works are calculated to
keep the progressive houSekeeper on the
march. andin this volume she offers what
is virtually a cyclopedia of domestic in
formation. 1t relates not simply to the
cooking of foods. but to the whole house
hold economy and offers many valuable
suggestions about the care of the house
and its equipment in the smallest detail.
1t is work to be valued by every con-
scientious, systematic housekeerer.
AN INCARNATION OF THE SNOW.
Translated from the Original Manu-
script. By F. w. Balm. New York:
G. T. Putnam's Sons. Washington:
Woodward & LOthrop.
Mr.. Balm has drawn from the literature
of the orient the elements of a style of
prose composition which partakes of the
vividness of English and the imagery
and glamour of the sanskrit and its de-
scendant tongues. AS in "A Digit of the
Moon and his other sketches of the same
type. he presents in this work a bit of
NEUROLOGICAL poeSy in charming taste
and with a subtle suggestiveness and
truly educational invitation to study more
deeply among the writer's of the east.
LETTERS FROM COLONIAL HILL
DREN. BY Eva March Tappan. EOS
ton: Houghton 4 Miff1in Company.
The children of the colonial days were
quite different from their modern pro-
totypes They had no such means of
entertainment and diversion as the little
folks have today, and they were sur
rounded by facts of stern rugged
existence. In the volume just issued Miss
Tappan offers evidence to this effect. The
letters she has prepared for this purpose
designed to show how life in some
of the colonies appeared to the little folks
of those days. She represents New Eng
land by children of Plymouth. Salem.
Newbury and Providence; the central
settlements by New York. Philadelphia
and Elizabeth: Canada by Quebec and
the southern colonies by jamestown. st.
Marys and Savannah. The letters are
written in the familiar style. but in the
language of today without any effort to
give it air of antiquity by the use of
archaic phrases and words. 1t is his
torical in its foundations and educational.
POLLY OF THE CIRCUS. BY Margaret
Mayo. illustrated by Harry NJ.
Bunker. New York: Dodd Mead &
Co. Washington: Brentanos.
Miss Mayo has rewritten her play.
which had its first production in this city
some months ago. to give it book form,
and although it lacks the color and ac-
ton Of the stage rendering. it remains
still vivid human story of primal emo
tons. 1t is a beautiful, stirring story of
a young circus girl who has been thrown
by an accident into entirely foreign sur
roundings and there learns the great les
son of life.
ART AND ECONOMY IN HOME DECO
RATION. BY Mabel luke PrieStman.
New York: John Lane COMPANY
Americans of today are passing through
an evolutionary process in the matter
of their home surroundings. The day of
the hideous furnishings which once upon
time were thought the acme of beauty