Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-05-13

placing the burden of exposition upon
Poliziano's "Orfeo'' as the foundation
whose subsequent notifications led step
by step toward modern opera. Along
with the historic development of the
musical drama the author defines the
artistic impulse controlling it and ana
lyzes the music of the lyric play in its
bearing on the spectacle of the drama
itself. The work ends with the begin
ming Of opera itself in the seventeenth
century.
rHE COUNTRY-LIFE MOVEMENT IN
THE UNITED STATES. BY l.. III.
Bailey. author of The Outlook to
Nature" etc. New York: The Mac
milan Company. Washington: Bren-
tano'S
From many original sources Of research
and from many points Of observation Mr..
Bailey presents the case of the country
in its power to make rural civilization
Goth effective and satisfying. In terms.
THE Countrywide Movement describes
he ensemble Of activities underlying this
subject. The author broadly defines its
limits, setting 1t Off sharply from the
popular ''back-to-the-land' agitation, as
thing OF wholly different origin and
purpose. involving. in consequence, diff
'erent methods OF accomplishment. 1t Is
described In its source and intent as
world movement designed to even up the
nterdependent town and country inter-
ssts In an industrial civilization. The
fundamental question in this type of
.ttution to be shaped entirely in har-
mony with the era Of which it Is part
and for whose progress 1t Is a prepara-
ion. At this point the author discusses
fundamentals of American education,
bringing out the needs of the institutions
81 present shaping toward this work, and
he further need Of a completely organ
va10 of >1rp ffVyA
measures. Conservation in relation to
The Countrywide movement, the problems
Of labor brought to bear upon 1t and
xomans contribution to 1t are among
question to which the author gives full
attention. This Is simple, practical,
land-to-hand offering-though COM
1letely authoritative one-to the thou
sands who are rousing to the possibili-
les Of the country as a means of full
and effective living.
cHINA's STORY, In Myth, Legend, Art
Grtfis. formerly of the Imperial
University Of Toxic: author Of ia
pan In History, Folk Lore and Art"
etc. Boston: Houghton Mifnin Com
pany.
In tho procession Of the nations China
Just now fronts full upon general atten-
ton simultaneously with this interest
the press places China, from every con-
ceivable angle Of consideration. at the
readers hand. In the multitude Of pub
locations upon this subject the special
author throws the burden of historic evil
1ence upon the Chinese themselves. max
ing them eelf-explanatory through what,
by slow processes. they have crystallized
into religion. social custom. political In
roots Of myth and legend they here prove
their subsequent growth to have been
shaped by the same logic Of natural en-
vironment and economic stress as has
set limits to the material and spiritual
development Of every other nation. Only
= full equipment makes this use Of ma
tive. first-hand material possible. To the
Students grasp Of historic matter and the
assimilative advantages OF long residence
in the east, this author adds the zest Of
an interest inherited from merchant an
cestors trading in the east. Moreover, an
lneratiating literary manner. simple and
easy. places the reader intimately close
to the essential features Of Chinese life
and outlook.
L YEAR IN A COAL MINE. BY Joseph
Husband. Boston: Houghton Mif1in
Company.
Full appreciation. tinged with apology,
follows the reading Of this straight ac-
count. Joseph Husbands experiment of
working a year In an Illinois coal mine
looks upon its face like nothing more
nor less than another OF the innumerable
haphazard schemes OF social service by
which a helpless proletariat is ridden
through the unorganized and often ig
norant zeal OF the leisured we'll to do. In
order to learn the business from the
ground up, that young Harvard grad
uate makes such plain way as this for
its accomplishment breeds suspicion
against him and hints OF some device for
sleeve. But from start to finish no
propaganda appears Hence. the apology.
Yet. one wonders IL this straightforward
record, 50 unsOlicitous Of effect. is not.
after ALL the most artful Of advocates for
every kind of reasonable amelioration
In situation where tragedy walks day
by day with toll Here are plain stories
Of sooty labor and of strange companion
ships below ground, Of notions and points
of view-if such they may be called
bred of this weird plutonian workshop.
One notes the terms of perfect equality
on which this young student takes work
shift and risk with Greek. Croat, Bull
gar. Italian. negro-what not. He might
SO easily played at mining. as many stu
dents play at investigating. However.
the full meaning Of this experiment lies
In the fact that he earned his wage along
with the others. Training In observation
and the habit OF exact speech. added to
the authors personal and equal share in
the full detail OF the miners life. lift this
Interesting account into the permanent
value Of an important record Of fact.
THE NEW ART OF FLYING. BY Wal
demar Kaempfert. Illustrated. New
York: Dodd. Mead Co.
waldemar Kaempfert has written
enough occasional and magazine mate
rial about airships and flying machines
to give any statement from him on
that subject the weight Of authority.
He has gathered what he has already
written and added to II new matter in
a volume. THE New Art Of Flying"
This does not pretend to be a technical
treatise. 1t Is just statement. largely
historical. and partly mechanical, as to
what has been done in the new art up
to date. how 1t is done and why. There
are chapters on why a flying machine
flies. This il a subject that many Of
the people who have accepted the flying
machine as an accomplished fact do not
understand. There are added to this de-
tails of the standard machines and mo-
tors, thorough enough to be Ineligible
and not long enough to be wearisome
One of the most interesting features Of
the book Is the chapter on the new
science of meterology, the exploration Of
the upper air that is now being carried
on by the foremost scientists of various
countries, and that promises to have a
material effect on the future Of mechan-
zeal flight. Some Of the authors specu-