Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-09-03

in a Judgment controlled by the plainest
of sterling sense. Miss Hall gives to this
task O fair promise to deliver this SYM
bolic story over into the English with the
full flavor of its native intent Here in
prose dialogue. with playful toss of wit.
with lightning fash of illumination and
lance-ike thrust of dissection, is worked
out a human tragedy through this me-
tophanes. Aesop. Fontaine and "a host
of others. with Rostand. have used with
keen effect this uncomplicated analogue
Of the human for definite and useful
dramatic purposes.
THE WILD OLIVES A Novel BY the
Author of The Inner Shrine" IL
Illustrated by Lucius Hitchcock New
York: Harper Brothers.
Unfortunately the name of the writer
of this striking story. whose former work
was recognized as the product. OF a gifted
pen, remains undisclosed. The anonymous
novel Is sufficiently rare nowadays TO be
a literary curiosity, though sometimes the
chief merit of such book lies in the
mystery regarding its creator. Whatever
may be this man or this woman's reason
for remaining unidentified, II surely does
not lie within the work itself For this is
good work, finished. artistic work II
presents a vital story of modern affairs
Of quickly appealing interest and lasting
power. A young man who has been con-
victed OF numbering a relative and just
sentenced to death escapes from his
guards and makes his way into the wilds
OF the Adirondack mountains. where he is
hidden by sympathetic girl who has re-
nounced allegiance to the law because OF
society's treatment of her mother, whom
she does not remember. In consequence OF
her ministrations Norrie Ford reaches
South America, where she gains a new
position In society and start toward
great success in business. Despite a pledge
to his rescuer which might be regarded a
tantamount to an engagement, he engages
himself to charming young butterfly
girl who has visited Buenos Aires. 1t is
altogether within the range of probable
coincidence that the author of "The Wild
Olive" contrives to draw this plot together
in a manner to send the fugitive from JUS
tice back to New York under a new name
and in new guise, there to meet the
woman to whom he owes his life and to
be commanded by her TO give up his con-
templated marriage for the sake of her
whom he would make his wife under false
pretenses. A fierce struggle Of Wills is
sues. a conflict of principles In which
avows his identity in order to face an
other trial for the crime of which he has
always declared himself innocent. With
dramatic force rarely eQualed in late flc-
ton this author concentrates the issues to
an intense final point with solution in
literally the last page Of the narrative.
There is no profound social problem In
THE Wild Olive" but ii stands as more
than an interesting tale Of real humanity.
TRANSPORTATION IN EUROPE. BY
Logan G. Mcpherson. Lecturer on
Transportation at Johns Hopkins
University, With Map. New York:
Henry Holt G. Company.
Mr.. Mcpherson devoted three years to
first-hand study of the traffic conditions
of the United States. and then. being rec
ognized as an authority on the economics
OF transportation. accompanied the ma
tional waterways commission to Europe
for q similar investigation on the CONT
nent and in England The nresenf volume