Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-11-05
BOOK REVIEWS.

UVUl MUJIvvVs
HOW TO JUDGE A BOOK. A Handy
MethOd Of Criticlsa for the General
Reader. BY Edwin L. Shuman. lit
erary editor or the Chicago Record
Herald: author of Practical Jour
naiism," etc. Boston: Houghton Milf
fin Company.
n CLEAR case of insurgency this,
~ operating in literature. A revolt
~ against the barnacled methods
of clustered schoolmen in APP
praising literary values. With
militant purpose. therefore, this study
faces sauarely upon the present-upon its
point of view, upon it's way OF doing
things. 1t addresses itself to the aver
age. serious minded reader, with the plain
intent of teaching him to fashion Tor
himself effective tools for gauging the
qualities Of books" The authors own
method of developing this subject Is most
interesting-a business method purely,
such a one as plain common sense applies
to business affairs. To illustrate: The
bulk of the average mans reading Is
fiction. So eleven of the fourteen chap
tiers Of this book discuss fiction. Again:
Keen to the clear fact that one is vastly
more interested In his own day and its
near approaches than he possibly can be
in antiquity, however classic it may be.
the author valiantly stands up for the
present and the close past as times of
true literary possibility anG achievement.
All through this study. so rich in ex-
employing features. he culls from the
book at hand-tOdays book and yester-
daV'S-in this meeting the reader
at the very point of his interest and COM
prehension. Yet again: The conclusions
of this study. those that make the frame
work OF this critical instrument. are
phrased in simple speech, the current
medium of common exchange. Specifical-
ly, the study creates a clear standard,
whose foundations are interest, SUBJ
stance. scholarly authority. 1t lays down,
illustratively and effectively. the steps
of critical analysis. In the same free,
exampled manner II discusses the COM
mon form of fiction, the novel, in it's
essentials-plot. character, setting. There
follows the simplest technic OF structure
And then, an easy talk on style, that
elusive compound of personality and
spirit. Along the common drift of liter
airy study. there comes, too. a discussion
of morality in art. followed by an exposi-
ton OF realism and romanticism-all
attitude. from the rule of such discus
sion. Now. IL school men will join the
class of average readers in a study of
this volume. there will follow. at once. on
the part Of students an electrified 'front.'.
ing toward literature. producing. later, a
breed of average readers already possessed
of the joys Of reading and already equip
ped with standards for its appraisement.
THE TARIFF HISTORY OF THE
UNITED STATES. BY F. w. Taussig,
III. B., Ph.D., Henry Lee professor
of economics in Harvard University.
New York: G. p. Putnam's Sons
Politics: a campaign just now. whitfield
10 the slogan point OF "whas about the
high cost of living?" the present: childish
't':s-and-'faint' stage of tariff discus
sion as applied to food and clothing; the
common billboard exposure Of that
Machiavelian b end Of tariff makers
Payne-Aldrich - all these circumstances
impel one. keen on finding his true bear
of this excellent tariff history with Chap
ter VIII, the last chapter. Here Is what
one wants to know at this instant. Here
Is complete account of the last tariff
act accompanied by an exposition Of the
new doctrine upon which II is based, and
followed by description OF the nature
and functions of the recently created tar
In board. Going back. now.~to the root
Of the matter, one finds a third of this
volume given over to general discussion
VI lht tHcVIy VI piotcNIOk &RRlCQ " tItc
industrial development of the United
States up to the year 1850. A compre-
hensive and deeply interesting logical
foundation Cor the subsequent specific
views. The remaining two-thrds of the
volume considers the details of tariff
legislation. Beginning here with the war
tariff. each succeeding act on this subject
IS described In its intent-now industrial,
aow political-its features. it's effects. The
present edition Of this history the fifth
cf1SSfon into INN
late usefulness. Taking into account
The technical nature of this subject. this
s a singularly clear, unincumbered treat
ment. straight line Of development. ad-
dressed to the understanding and interest
IF the general reader. Perhaps it's finest
point. however. is the spirit of scholarly,
Gnpolitical calm In which the discussion
moves to rational conclusion gathered out
rom an exclusive application of tariff
theory to authentic economic fact.
THE SWORD IN THE MOUNTAINS. BY
Alice MACEDONIAN, author of THE
Wiving of Lance Cleaverase." etc.
New York: G. p. Putnam's Sons.
Out from the Cumberland mountains
comes another fine story by Alice Mac
liowan. this her finest one and most am
bilious. The romance itself. spirited
and beautiful one. is carried along-al-
most carried away at times-by the civil
war action. which is the pre-eminent mo-
tive power of the story. Chattanooga
centers the field. Cnionist mountaineers
and Confederate lowianders complicate
the plain face-to-face battle issues with
the personal tragic drama of families
divided and set opposite each other In
conflict. with the individual heroism of
secret exploits and daring reprisals.
Whatever historian boards of techni-
cal appraisement might decide about the
definite accuracy OF this war picture, the
mere reader follows the author undoubt-
lugly from the moment of secession and
the unsheathed sword to its final sheath
Ing at the cause lost. This vivid ro-
nance Is worked out iI finely detailed
units OF realism, each a live thing with
a veritabIe human being at It's heart, and
ell OF these are flung wide over this
warm. absorbing canvas.
THE OLD VIRGINIA GENTLEMAN
And Other Sketches. By George w.
Bagby. New York: Charles Scrtb-
ner's Sons. Washington: Bren-
tano's.
This genial, winning volume OF essays,
suggesting the personality OF Charles
Lamb. brings a relatively unknown man
into admiring notice. All sorts Of way
side subjects are gathered here. as fact
and fun. as humor and wit and pathos
4 preface by Thomas Nelson Page pays
tribute TO this authors gentle art, and a
life sketch by Edward g. Gregory settles
him to a time and place of distinct liter