Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-10-26
BOOK REVIEWS.

The LAST RESORT. BY III. r. PreVost
Battersby. author of False Dawn. y
etc New York: John Lane Company
n ~LEAN-CUT and pointed story,
~ whose freshest and most absorb
"a ing parts have to do with the
career of Maj. Mark Sarrol
resident in East Africa. and
Iepresenting British power in that dis
tant protectorate. Mark Sarrol. filled
With the simple notion that a protecto-
ate is made to protect. and having full
faith in England's promise TO stand be-
-veen the tribes of her adoption and the
;crocious enmty of the natives surround
ing them. appealed for four thousand
men from the home government in view
Of an impending uprising. The story
crows through England's delay and bad
faith in this situation. London politics
md British foreign affairs by way of
drawing room and boudoir make clever
Contributory interludes here to the sterner
'rhiles of the main adventure. Two love
stories. both of fine texture and quite
unusual pattern. tighten and enrich it.
The heart of the real emprise. the rash
md quixotic plan of compelling Eng
land TO keep faith with her subjects. In
80 far as a handful of soldieTy could
represent England, makes a fine act on,
heroic and dramatic. The author. with
rare skill passes the strange un-western
'iuality of this African region straight
JcroSS to the reader making its effect all
me more impressive by the tiny alien
military establishment patched upon its
border. Pictures scenes. bits of life.
cal people of both west and east. AMI a
splendid stir of things combine here in
a tale of charm and distinction.
W CAESARS WIFE; a Novel. BY Mar
garita Spalding Gerry, author of
The Toy Shop" etc. Illustrated by
James Mon gomery FlaSg. New
York: Harper & Bros.
Taking suspicion and jealousy as the
oivot of invention. Mrs. Gerry weaves
coil of unbelieva ble misadventure about
me fami lar group OF three-a man. his
wife his friend. From almost any point
of view along the way one looks out
Upon what seems to be immediate and
comp etc disaster. But novelists know
how to nanase these things better than
jfe does So the impending wreck OF
family, friendship. career and the good
csr2te of honor and ambition turns into
new Jrderstandin and to what one
hopes is a sincere and practical remorse
pa III. part of the eXacting and posses
sive male. As a story-theme jealousy APP
Ears 10 ne about the hardest of the
pas ions 20 manage. 1t is SO riot
oUsly prolific OF mag nation and inven-
Iion, 80 steaithy and many sided of APP
! roach and SO importunate withal, that
'nly the disciplined and discrim mating
writer can choose from its opulence of
misery and hold to c.ean line of focus
I'd nd convincing action This tempered
use of material. with painstaking exam
nation of character in botir its direct
and indirect reactions under jealousy,
and certain buoyancy of attitude toward
romance are the interesting features of
Mrs Gerry's new novel.
HOME PLACE, q story Of the People.
BY G. w. Ogden. New York: Harper
& Bros.
Mr. Ogden has the facile hand of the
popular magazine writer. In it's most
characteristic performances 1t goes Ii le
this: Hiram Jackson Thornwood was
owned by considerable money. 1t had
come into possession of him through fool
ish people. who did the worlds heavy
work. and won for themselves only CAL
Iopsed hands; through widows and or
pfans. who generously allowed him the
Use OF their earnings at per centum
without security. which he set to work
for himself at d;gnifed interest. Hiram
Jackson Thornwood considered that a
dollar which did not come back to him
at the end Of a twelvemonth with IS cents
cIinging to its back. like the young upon
"a garden spider. was lazy and profit
less CON-.
. With decided leanings toward the reo-
PIE and as positive ones away from the
few who by their worldly successes have
forfeited any claim TO this broad human
title. the author adds another volume to
the endless but fast-fl,ing book shelf de-
voted to the exa tation of the poor SIM
lly-it would appear because they are
moor and to putting down the rich
solely because they are such. This is
2 fruitful and easy theme 1t fits
nu"ly nto our native personal en-
~.es and resen. ents, TO say nothing of
wa ng all tours w tn our notions
r soc al reform Mr.. ogden pursues he
a--cr with jealous capabil,y. The rich
ar' assiduo sly piline up riches out of
r3a~ : 4 80. all unknown to himself
p the lady. Nemesis, whom e
releases at the exact mome nj
can do herself the proud st IN
a ina mess of Hiram JACK on
DOL The re=pec bile poor sing loud
tout tbs tale Mr.. William Burd,
ca! no. ses no r., ably ass.stei by
n. Bo.ona and Bolena Burd and
I'D by their neghbors. talks straight
20 gh this story n a - ady flow of good
ense and equallyS God nonsense, the who G
being done in an atrocious vernacUlar
Harrinc Hiram Jackson Thornwood and
h.s family, the commUn " sums to fine
Door set OF worthy folks. When one stops
.Ory clarifying 1.-The people" is, he is
bound TO give this author credit and graf
ude for many long. galiopinS stretches
fresh landscape and spirited action.
HARACTER BUILDING IN SCHOOL.
BY Jane Brow nlee, author OF "A
Plan for Child Training" Boston:
lioughton Mifflin Company.
Tho majority of teachers-especia' ly
Dung teachers-will. it is easy to be ieve,
IKE hold OF this study in education with
athusiasm. No craft is more avid
oward every means of self-improvement
han that of teaching. What to do in
he schooIroom-this consumes the teach
- days and nights. How to do il, eats
y the rest OF her existence. Within S
cope Miss Brownies book tot Is not