Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-11-11

IIItu WOHcH vi hopinty
but a whole society. al
epoch of which he himself was a part
and this gives an element of distinction
even of immortality. to his stories. TINT
time will come when California, nov
strangely unappreciative of its own pas
and OF the writer who preserved IL, VII
look back upon the pioneers as the mod
ern Greek looks back upon Sparta aho
Athens This is the whole spirit II
which Mr.. Merwin projects the life o.
Bret Harte. Comprehension. sympathy
scholarship and writing experience-the
usual equipment of the biographer-entei
into this work. But, added to these guam
ties, and above them, is suotle klhsHhp
that serves wonderfully to precipitate tne
essential qualities of Bret Harte, 10 SCI
Them clear from the superficial Judgments
that have SO far followed the author ano
the man. The history bulks. properly IN
California at the pioneer stage. Ihere
o. however very much OF interest con-
cernins the life of this author in Europe
much TO lead to a revision OF opinion CON
corning the man who. as an autnor. IL
destined to rov.n large. and larger III
American literature.
PETER AND WENDY. BY J. NJ. Bar
RE author Of Peter Pan, etc. IL
Illustrated by f. D. Bedford New
York: Charles Scribners SONS
Washington: Brentano's.
Peter Pan again. In at the nursery
sindow. to teach Wendy and Michael
md John to fly. Then. SO soon as these
ran skim the nursery sky, and poise on
he bedpost tree. and glide to the nursery
rround-ofY and away, out of the window,
nto the Neverland where fairies. mer-
maids pirates and redskins make one
lnbroken ecstacy. Odd chickering's or an
lid. old memory must have lighted the
,earts of the father and mother or these
,dventurers. For, instead OF notifying
he police and offering princely ransom
or the return of their own, they went
dreamed Of three rosy children, named
Wendy and Michael and John. safe In
heir own little cots. When the great
.mprise was over these artful three sailed
n at the window from which they had
snce winged out. and crept softly into
morning there was great rejoicing. tinged
With regrets, for Wendy and Michael and
Tohn were missing Peter Pan Then
tine leapt, as II has the terrible habit
Sf doing. and Wendy was under the
snted sheet with her own little daugf-
.sr. Jane. In the awful darkness OF II
fame whispered What do you see? :!
lon't think I see anything tonight, said
Wendy, old now-near twenty-and nc
bn4er "young and innocent and gay. as
tou do: you see when you were little
rrr'-and they were of on the story OF
Peter Pan. with Jane a rigid taskmaster
oward lapses. and forgettings. and sleepy
" time. with Margaret for a daughter
,he, too. questing the young god Pan
And SO il will go on forever: If YOU
re old you will go through this delecta-
de thing with two smiles on. One. the
mter. just draws your mouth bit into
look of apology. in the face OF the
Gute across who growls something about
nonsense The real smile. the inner
ne, spreads and gurgies and laughs
light out over this whole delightful busi-
sess. Get this book for some little girl.
&c little girl yourself. and read It,
H0NEY-BEE. BY Anatole France. au-
thor OF "Thais," etc. A translation
by Mrs John Lane. Illustrated by
Florence Lundborg. New York:
John Lane Company.
The lovely princess, Honey-Bee. raped
o the under world. there to be the
,ueen OF the gnomes, and the beautiful
routh, George of Blanchelande. seduced
o the water-world by the spell-webbing
,ixies, move this enchanted tale through
ables of meaningful adventure, embrac-
ng escape and rescue. These pass IN
GOOD time on up to the supreme liable
he one for which the grown-up human
:ries-the happy ever after fable. inns
s a fairy story, filled with the essential
ruth Of all such. In its secret places are
tucked nuggets of world wisdom. Across
Is current shuttle soft patterns OF poetic
ruth and beauty. One follows the Iimpid
movement, charmed. Along with one 5
description in the story itself there goes
trail of half-sensed feeling, thank
Ill feeling, that this fairy story was lift
ID so completely as whole-the Anatole
rance all In tout from another tongue
md into our own.
TODDIE, The Romance Of = Woman
Halter. BY Gilbert Watson, author
Of Forbidden Ground" etc. New
York: The Century Company.
The austere ladys maid said TO Toddie,
Trying at the fire. What's your name p
1t the answer she actually laughed. 1t
vas wonderful how a laugh became her.
Toddie?' she repeated. That's a drink.
Ye may say that. Devina. he guffawed.
1nder the influence OF this stimulating
dea Swiftly her face darkened. Who
ave you permission to call me Devina!
Ma names Miss Greig. as | would have
e know: and l allow no man To miscal
ne The awkward silence that followed
vas broken only by the fire. 1t was mar
.elous how IL managed to retain its heat.
/ scant hero for any ambitious man
-omance-this scrubby. dirty. drink-lean.
ng To-day Just caddy at St Andrews
golf links But, Toddie is a Joy. a steady
oy TO the unregenerate. un-Caivinizec
eader The hardihood. the honesty. tho
Try humor, the tenderness in prickiy
,oat-the whole of Scotland lies IN th'
elbow lie is wonder and a delight
vhe story, as such, deals with a double
.ourtship and a double marriage. Tod
lie, the woman hater, is one or the prin
ipaIs. 1t Is only the old story or tht
Established woman hater. These matters
are but incidents for the unfolding oi
roddie. One pqrrs like satisfied ca
throughout this reading. In well meant
praise one hkens this author To Barrie
another 10 Ian Maclaren. with only a steI
eft before Stevenson. Nonsense. He II
aot bit like any OF them. None OF Bar
les fairy fancy. None of Maclaren'
lumor, sometimes dour and always minor
Not . bit like stevenson. grown cosmo
)oiite. lie Is better than these, in thai
re Ia completely himself. Our only con
.ern In the matter is that soon hear
again from the author of Toddie.
COUNTRY LAWYER. BY Henry A.
Shute. author of The Real Diary OF
Real Boy. etc. Illustrated Bos-
ton: Houghton Mifiin Company.
All in itself. this is a most ENJOYABLE
story IL Is made in the sunshine by a
man who works and cats and sleeps and
laughs and makes friends. Tho plot l.
firm, ambitious. too. The incidents crisr
and crackle. Good humor and good sens,
keep steady company with IT, one. nov
and then, gets bit mystifed abou, il.
iocale-but, no matter. This il sauce I,
what might have been monotony. II
sets off with tang OF the far west