New-York tribune., 1909-12-04
IruE BROWN COMPANY Publishers,

Grassy. and when a properly oeautru'
young heroine appears upon the seems
IL does not occur 10 him that her III
terests will presently take him 10 scenes
of peril in one OF those principallties
which novelists are perpetually addlns
70 the map OF Europe. Even when TINS
fair princess has been Identified as one
known to Danilo. the true character OF
the latter Is still left unknown 10 the
man who tells the story. The reader
too. for that matter, IS kept IN ignorance
Rut he does not care. He willingly
trusts himself 10 Mr.. Holland. who car
ries on with clever sprightliness one
more narrative Of Zenda-like adventure
and excitement. Gallatin and Andrassy
get into appalling scrapes. but natural
". they are adrOit in getting out OF
them. and we are prepared FOR anythins
save the distinctly picturesque climax al
which the little comedy arrives. An
amusing book. with a very pretty at
mosphere.
Mr.. Phillips is a plausible writer. he
can make his readers believe that ne
has profound thoughts on social prob
lens. no doubt because he himself SIN
cerely believes in their profundity. Un-
fortunately. the illustrations with which
he undertakes TO elucidate them are not
only a shade too frank, but decidedly
confusing when submitted 10 the test OF
analysis The heroine Of The Hungry
Heart" so far as one can disengage her
character from her contugal and extra
coniueal adventures, is a woman VINO
will not face life as IL Is. but, instead
demands a whole existence spent on tne
mountain tops Of exaltation which IL Is
given US 10 scale but rarely and al long
intervals. She demands human perfec-
ton. a man who shall fulfil her IDEAL
and what that ideal is she does not seem
10 know. describing II only IN the
vaguest and most general terms-tnougn
that is. perhaps. the most truly feminine
touch In the book She is certain, how
ever that she will recognize II when she
meets n. and that also is human touch,
raeardIess Of sex AS a matter OF fact.
this modern woman drifts into marriage
and is disappointed. drifts from mere
unrehecting reaction into an entangle-
ment whose details are certainly uh-
pIeasant TO read about. is disappointed
even more in the second gentleman, ana
ultimately drifts back TO her husband
convinced now that she has found her
ideal hut sure also. one feels. OF future
disappointment, possibly accompanied by
a gradual adjustment 10 the reahties OF
existence and the limitations OF the IN
dividuaL MIR. Phillips evidently means
his readers 10 perceive that his nero
ines degrading experience has hfted her
10 a higher plane. wherein, however ne
Is sadly. II honestly. mistaken.
The lower East Side Of New York is
the Passage OF the Nations into the New
World. Thirty years ago il was Ger
man and prosperous: twenty years ago II
was Yiddish and poor; to-day II Is sun
Yiddish. but has begun 10 grow prosper
Gus again. Tomorrow the race VIII
have passed out, on and up in Its chill
dren, following Irishmen and German 10
make room for later corners. And even
the child OF the imigrart takes with him
the hope OF his parents realized. but
leaves behind him. for his successors, the
hope realizable. The struggle upward is
bitter and hard; many II crushes and
some il kills. 1t is with this grinding
struggle, with the failures and tragedies.
but also with the hope and the love and
the sacrifices made for their sake, that
Mr.. Oppenheim deals in his stories of the
New York Ghetto, which appear 10 be
fact transformed into fiction Doctor
Rast" is the central figure in them all. a
poor physician. whose idealism and hu-
man love keep him amongst the sub
merged. giving Of his services without
heed of his fees, encouraging, interpret
ifg, and occasiOnally-well. yes. preach