Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-07-15

Edith HOpk1rk. Illustrated IhlAS
delphia: J. B. Lippincott Company.
- NE taking up these reminis
cences in the hope Of gatherinl
from them some measure o
courtly or royal SAVIOR meet
disappointment only. recor'
WAR. ran,ote from any form Of pride .
life than these recollections OF GARNER
SYLVIA, Queen of RouInania, does not OK
lat As one reads, he gets the sense o
standing by at the opening OF long
closed door behind which lie fnviolate Il
the varying years. the fresh and simple
happenfngs Of an interesting Childhood
and youth. Faint fragrances OF lavender
and rose surround these memories Herr
are stories innumerable Of Carmen Syl
vas mother, such as all children treasure
Of her well guarded home. where rars
people-scholars. poets musicians among
them the poet Arndt. the scholar Bernays
Madame Schumann-came In the frequenc,
and intimacy Of friendship Other stories
too held in equal affection. OF govern
esses tutors, servitors. lowly 1r1enos
The notable quality here Is an astonish'
ing simplicity. These are the reminis'
cences of a fine and cultured woman, who
50 far as here appears, has leo an ever
and calm pursuits. So very few. In the
course OF time, have a chance to recoliect
through the medium of Queensn1p tna'
not to embrace this opportunity comes as
a regret to the average reader. P1c.ures
Of the royal palace at Bucharest, OF KING
Charles, and three exquisitely beautl1u
portraits of Queen Elizabeth Of Roumania
add materially to this deeply spiritual
almost sublimate essence OF lie.
TOM L. JOHNSON. Mayor Of Cleveland.
BY Carl Lorenz. New York: The A.
S. Barnes Company.
Exactly three months ago Tom L. john
son died News dispatches Of his reluc-
tant passing are fresh in mind. pathetic
as at first. Clear also are the press high
lights on the career OF this unusual
American. Therefore the immediacy Of
the biography in hand Is its first mark.
In a rapid. journalistic manner. suited
to the we'll known character OF the facts,
Mr.. Lorenz reviews the public life of this
eminent Ohioan. reserving the best OF his
geographic effort for an examination of
the roots of this uncommon personality
for an estimate of the sources Of it's ac-
lions. Here in single individual philan-
thropist, politician, reformer and f1nancier
meet, often as antagonists expires sing
themselves In widely different ways-this
a weapon to enemies and puzzle to
friends. as no doubt 1t was to the man
himself The author makes no attempt to
reconcile the oppositions of this complex
nature He instead portrays the man in
a BACKGROUND of birth and early stress
that moves steadily and influentially
close to subsequent attitudes and actions
\ force in matters of wide moment. Mr.
Johnson's personality was such as to call
out in no half-hearted way either full
blame or unstinted praise. Neither
partisan nor a detractor but rather a
fair and comprehending student Of the
luman. Mr.. Lorenz In this interesting and
hr fiant record makes a valuable addi-
ten TO American biography.
HALF a NAN. The Status Of the Negro
In New York. BY Mary White Ov-
ington. New York: Longmans.
Green Co.
New York. OF all quarters Of the Union.
arpfars to he a most hopeful field for the
study of progress applied to the colored
race in america. With slavery abolished
throughout the state since 1927, with its
metropolis one Of the worlds great in
dustrial centers-a democracy of labor,
so to speak-opportunity for all, the ne
gro included. seems here to be at its
he ght. Miss Ovington fellow Of Green
wich house committee of social investiga-
ton. devotes this interesting and sugges-
tive volume to description of the status
of the negro in New York. This Is, in
substance. the report of laborious
and economic condition Of the colored
race In Manhattan. A census Of num-
bers. distribution and occupations. with
a special comparative study of the col
and the professions. covers the bulk Of
this inquiry. Significant are the con-
trasts between the status Of the negro
and that Of other races representing the
comparison the author lays aside the
dispassion of scientific investigation to
take on the ardor Of the advocate the
vehemence of the champion. The old alb
clifton fire flames here. curiously set OF
against the earlier calm OF pure re-
search. This later spirit names, and to
a slight degree mars, this useful and
readable report.
THREE PLAYS BY BRIEUX. MEN,
Der OF THE FRENCH ACADEMY.
Preface by Bernard Shaw. English
versions by Mrs. Bernard Shaw. St
John Hankin and John Pollock. New
York: Brentano's
Through the transiative work OF Mrs
Bernard Shaw. st. John Hankin and
John Pollock, English readers come into
touch with three Of the plays Of Brieux
In one of the most searching and brilliant
of his Characteristic prefaces, Mr. Ber-
nard Shaw brings the reader Outstanding
before not only the fitness but the ne
cessity Of plays OF the Brieux cast. The
rise and development of the scientific
spirit. the high mission of art as an in
depreciation of life, the office Of the the
alter as a means Of objectifying significant
aspects OF life through this art, are the
substantial reasons for setting aside
classic models on the one hand, and the
great god. Taboo. on the other. in the
pursuit OF dramatic creation. Shaw
traces the course of the drama from Mol
iere TO Brieux, drawing out the logical
and inevitable difference between the
two. as he does also between Shakespeare
and Brieux. Their quarrel THAT Of
Moliere and Shakespeare Is really a
quarrel with God for not making men
better His fsticuffs chose of Brieux)
are not aimed heavenward; they fall on
human noses for the good of huma \
souls When he sees human nature IN
conniet with an abuse he does not blame
human nature He does not even blame
the abuse: he exposes ii, and then leaves
human nature to tackle 1t with eyes
open Shaw makes record Of the troubles
or Brfeux with both the public and the
censors. gloating meanwhile over the
french dramatist's conquest of London
through The Faith" q play showing
how truth is terrible to men, and how
raise religions are necessity. The plays
or TINS volume. grouped. deal with mar
rage as a frequent mask for the vices
OF coarse lIbertinage on one side and a
species of slavery on the other; with
marriage as a medium of the; vicious no.
ton mat II may become a voluntary
CONDITION of childlessness: with marriage
as Iolstoy depicts it In the Kreutzer
Sonata-as a means of int fsify1ng not