Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-06-11
BOOK REVIEWS.
THE RIGHT HONORABLE CECIL
John RHODES: 4 MONOGRAPH anu

of Good Hope With portraits and
other illustrations. New forN'
Iongmans, Green 4 GO.
-T is the personal note that makes not
only the charm. but also much VI 'i'e
value of this reminiscence OF Irleifo
shin for the great pioneer ana na'io"
nroiector. Cecil Rhodes. through
rho Incidents of its makeup. warm i'''-
mate. revealing incidents. the man 'i'i
self CLOVIS out from behind ms ac'e'
rIsininc away much of the blame eNd'
ing much out of the levels OF per s'i''i
ambition and mere material eHpe"ieheS
into fine craftsmanship and unselnsh am
Nevertheless. this Renaissance Is III no
sense a panegyric. Where censufe Is JUS
tied. il remains censure: warmed, nov"
ever. hv friendly insight and comprehen-
sion of pure human nature. Eplsoues o1
public and private life light up the con-
tinental and national vision OF TINS man.
a vision objectifed in an open road from
Cane Town to caro-, lined with homes
farms, industry. trade. civilization. Here
are glmpses of original and daring ac-
i,Istmeut of means to this heroic hnallty'
Here at friendly range are SHOWN the
genius and temper of the man. the per-
sonal charm. the romantic and poetic
strain. the free mind, the open mana
Groote Schuur. the uniquely beauti1ui
home. itself curiously instinct with the
personality of its owner, is pictured from
many noints These with two photo
graphs of Cecil Rhodes. a memorial a!oof
on the mountain side out from Cape
Town, and a grave in the weird Matopp"
hills. sum the markedly fit illustrations
of this recollection Himself dramatic
by nature. the mere recital of many of
his acts here turns to drama of no mean
order. The last great pageant of his
funeral in the African desert is a gloomy
tragedy, the thronSing multitude, the SOL
emn service. the thousands of natives
grooming My father is dead, and then
the lonely grave on the frontiers OF an
alien world with only the desert sands
and the titan rocks for watch and ward
Ii is humanity desolate and lonesome
that one. despite himself, weeps at the
funeral of Cecil Rhodes-a funeral now
eight years past and gone.
THE LOST ART OF CONVERSATION:
Selected Essays. Edited with an
Introduction by Horatio S. Krans.
illustrated. New York: SturGis &
Walton Company. Washington:
Woodward & Lothrop.
Conversation. its charm and utility. its
sources and cultivation its decadence as
an art and the need for its recrudescence
as such, is here elaborated by means of
essays on this subject, gathered out OF
the writings Of Bacon. DeQuincy, Swift
Hazlitt, Stevenson and Mahaffy. engaging
writer's all. each in his own stra n and
vein. Whatever may he the effect f this
volume sDerific instrument in the re-
viVal Of this lest art its general interest
is secure. To learn TIE att tude of mind
assumed by distinguished essayists. rep
TeseniinC wide range Of time and c!I-
Cumstarce. toward anv singl" subject X
in Itself a matter Ct literary moment.
Therefore. fer this reason. If T no NOE
pcnted one. the present volume of eS-
saws has a definite substantial literary
value.
PLsyS: Hamjif"1's Second Marriage;
Tbom,- and the Princess: The Mod
ern Way. Rv Mrs. w. X. Clifford.
author of THE Likeness of the
Night" etc. New York: Mitchell
Kennerley.
Three plays here bid for the readers at
tention. One bears the distinction of
London stage pc ertatior. another that
20 short-s'ory extraction. TIE third
has no extraneous advantage of any sort
All represent the present. or the imnedi-
ate vast all are confined in ~ctinn 70
the limit cf a few dnvs at most. all ore.
IN the main. Of English cast. thus FUR
nishin" flexible crurt for the nrities Of
time. duration and nla"n In subject they
are ha sed on the frailt'es If h"n"n NJ
tyre iivcrce c,ste'cf the English brand
nlatcnics in friendship. mercanar'es IN
= marriage and so o.. with types ex"eed-
inrly VIII drawn and situations raturrllv
set They constitute on tn" whole,
group Of we'll butt gra eful plays OF
light touch and gentle mod.
oLIvu. l.. cAREw. BY Meta syrett.
author of 'irne Page" etc. New
York: John Lane Company.
II is coed story. on the word Of both
critic man and mere reading man. Ac-
cord'nr to the latter. ii might be true
story Such peonle as these really DO liv.
and. under like set of conditions. might
reasonably compogt themselves in some
thing of like fashion. Then. too. II is
about love-love faithful under faith.ess-
ness. Again. the woman has beauty. the
man. sense ard self-holding. And all
said and done. it ends tolerably WELL o..
at least; not quite hopeiessly. The critic
corceding this. adds that it possesses sin
gleress in purpose and theme. That ii
moves coherently and dramatically from
high point of interest to high point an
ascending scale of SUBMITS. topping eft at
the last in one of volcanic height and
disturbance, followed by subsistence TO
a region of human endurance, even con-
troll. Concretely il is the story OF the
development of New England girl whose
sole nucleus of growth is an avid reach
for learning and self-improvement.
familiar type. this. usually placed in New
England, but existing everywhere. This
particular girl has great beauty, else she
would have remained school teacher,
satisfying her lon2inss by summer trips
TO Europe where, nose-in- Baedeker, she
would have gathered her annual toll of
lore. Instead. and by this same gift OF
beauty, she through marriage enters a
leisured release. with travel and the ar
tistic atmosphere Of Italy for opportu
nifty. Here in Sienna. with her and her
husband is an interesting group Of people.
artists. readers. idlers. poets. those envia-
HE people in whom accumulated expe
riences have soaked to the consistency Of
culture people of grace and gayety and
suavity In idle hour graceless artist
undertakes the awakening Of the dull lit
tie provincial. This ultimates In revolt
against the marriage tie. in flight. terror.
counter-fight and imminent suicide. Inc
story settles again to passaole regularity
through the sturdness OF the husband.
curiously in love with this wooden girl
who had not even the plea OF her own
self for eXtenuation Of her error From
him comes rescue, protection and posi-
bic future. II the story has serious haw
il lies in the characterization OF type,
but this is so smoothed by consistency to
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