Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-12-16
BOOK REVIEWS.

LIKELY STORY. BY William De
Morgan. author of Joseph Vance,
etc New York: Henry Holt Co
N d meandering ripple of invention,
Mr. De Morgan here follows a
triple current of adventure. Two
of these are modern stories-One q
trivial affair involving, however.
the estrangement of a foolish artist and
his commonplace wife. The second is 2
delightful romance wherein a nice girl
and fine fellow carry off separation
fidelity and ultimate reunion. with more
than common consideration for the read
er'S enjoyment of the matter. The third
is "A brilliant Italian love story of 400
years agone. Here beautiful lady,
her old and tyrannous lord and a young
and splendid painter triangulate in love.
jealousy and hatred. with dungeons and
daggers and the remaining mechanics
of medieval intrigue in prompt and
thorough requisition. These three. loose
" bound together. take on the unity
gain is the we'll known inseeing.
Shrewd and kindly. companied by an
alert and ineludible unlocking. Here
are the playful dalliance. the indulgent
laughter, the whimsical turns of phrase
all soaking deep into the wells of
ones delight. Mr.. De Morgan. like an
adroit juggler. with just the impulse of
muscle and mind that the measure of
each requires. keeps these three diverse
tales simultaneously in midair. The
three might so we'll have remained
apart that a small wonder lies in their
coming together at all 1t is as II the
author. under the spell of the De Morgan
Jong-story habit, bundled the three into
a single Enclosure for the prime purpose
of maintaining the De Morgan tradition.
THE FEAST OF ST. FR!END' A
Christ mas Rock. BY Arnold Bennett.
author of Buried Alive" etc. New
York: George H. Doran Company.
We stand now at the threshold of one
Of the years half dozen clearing houses.
with the hustle of exchange and settle
ment already in full career. Sentiments
and feelings are the currency of this
clearance. The agents are. in the main,
the needle and the pen Women. for the
time being, have pretty we'll forsaken the
pen to ply the needle, fashioning millions
of beribboned nothings that are fitted to
enfold stuff more substantial than low
ing thoughts and secret hopes. Mean
while. every mans pen, seemingly of its
own volition, oozes a Christmas carol.
Even S'm''l O. Bl"ths last Sunday piped
a lyric Who's Who to Santa Claus.
From the welter of literary Yuletide feel
ing the author of THE Old Wives Tale
energies with distinction in a poetic
apotheosis of St Friend the only true
saint of the season. Granting that the
Christmas joy wanes with waxing years.
this author sets himself the pleasant task
of rehabilitating the day for men and
women through the simple plan of a ro-
bust exercise of faith and love. both
winged with imagination In this au-
thOrs plan the seasons gift is to be moth
ing less than that of ones self Since
everybody is nobody. wide circles of al
truism support only thin feelings and lean
actions So this giving ones self away
must begin at home, or near by, where
one may know, past peradventure, the
exact part and measure of himself that
should go into each gift. The author is
plain and specific in the details of his
good plan. This is a clear message. and
a Christly one. capable of recasting the
present unorganized. silly. hurIy-burly
Christmas into its first pattern of COM
plete self-giying-a pattern set about 1908
years. ago.
AN OPEN LETTER TO SOCIETY FROM
CONVICT 1776. With an introduce
ton by Maud darlington Booth
New York: Fleming ii. Reven Com
pany-
Rights. repeated Tapley quickly;
pray, what rights have criminals and
drunkards?
The right to protest against the sys-
tenn which makes them criminals and
drunkards.'
Convict I116.' makes his nrotest