Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-10-19
BOOK REVIEWS.

FRIAR TUCk, Being the Chronicles of
the Reverend John Carmichael OF
Wyoming, U.S.A.. as Set Forth and
EmbelIished by His Friend and Adj
mirer, Happy Hawkins, and Here
Recorded by Robert Alexander
WasOn. Author of ..Happy Hayvkins,''
etc. New York: Small, Maynard &
Y mental makeup and unhappy
experience averse to dialect"
talk of any sort whatever, and
by not having met Happy
Hawkins in his earlier appear
ance. we took up Friar Tuck with
somewhat negligent hand. At about
the second page. however. little hard
chunks of thought commenced to clatter
around the spot where we were sit
ting. These were of a quality to make
us brace up and look around, for they
were coming right. our way. and. what
was more to the point. they seemed to
be aimed that way. From that second
page on We never once slumped down
in the place where we were sitting.
Such good, plain thinking. such fun
sharpened off here TO the fine. keen
edge of wit. rounded off there to the
mellow turn of humor-such big
human hold on common matters and
things seldom tumble about ones I'M
expectant ears. Happy Hawkins, Friar
Tuck and Horace Walpole Bradford
"Dinky Bradford"-here furnish a
page by page joy to the surprised
reader. And the adventure of the
book, 1t is amazing what consistent
piracy and maraudinS cattle ranch in
Wyoming can honestly support. And
the rOmance,-charged, this time, to
the good friar, and. it must be admitted,
oreditably sustained by him-that is,
for friar. But, you see, before he
was preacher he was Il man, and,
curiously, he never forgot what he was
first while being what he was after
ward. AS for the full philosophy of
the book that daily wide coming of
meanings and hints for conduct-why!
Friar Tuck is as good as Marcus Au-
relius. And Friar Tuck is on the list
for many more printingS than this, its
second one.
THE NEW HUMPTY-DUMPTY. By
Daniel Chaucer, author of THE Sim
pie Life Limited" etc. New York:
John Lane Company.
In London, nest of conspirators. In
a vague, oid-Spanish somewhere, tup-
penny kingdom growing only rank crops
of revolution and counter-revolution. The
immediate business in hand, to wipe from
the map of this realm its present play
republic and to re-establish its erstwhile
toy king. Out of this comic opera situa-
ton energies as clever a political car
toon and as dramatic a picture of the
riddle of every mans soul to every other
man as you will have a chance at in
many long reading day.
Into the hazard of restoring this little
king-who, incidentally, not to say CO.
temporaneousiy. would much rather con-
tinue in London. paying around with the
girls and boys than to be the subject OF
any royal re-seatment-is thrown about
every political ism that so far. has been
invented for the specific purpose in each
case of giving one set OF men adVan-
tage over all other sets. Monarchism.
rcpublicanism. socialism, industrialism,
dealism-all in open bond but secret iso-
,;,tion of intent-take part in this pollti-
cal adventure SergiuS MihailOvitch,
idealist. dreamer. seer and lovable man.
is the heart OF this emprise. CuriouSly,
TOO, Sergius Mihailovitch, idealist is the
only one to overcome finally in this
motley of intent and action. Here one
scents the parable, if not the prophecy
However whether this story have three
faces or two, or one, it rounds to a most
picturesque extravaganza built upon
body of shrewd knowledge of men and
affairs. The raw colOrs or caricature, It's
ough surface, its ragged edges are soft
he human comedy.
4 WRESTLING WOMAN. BY Robert
Halifax author of Low Society,""
etc New York: Frederick A. stokes
Company
The formula for realism in novel writ
ing is pretty we'll set. 1t appears that
any theme will do. so long as it is
dreary Any outlook is allowable, SO
long as it is hopeless. 1t is the treat
nent. however, that gives realism it's
sterling mark To win this. one sur
rounds himself. neck deep. with an in
unity of minute nothings. These he
Scrutinizes. one by one, measuring each.
Weighing il, setting down in fine hand
It's size and shape, describing carefully
any movement it's slight character may
.ossess- Out of it's general grayness he
5 keen TO it's particular tint of drab.
TO his ear it gives up its own monot-
JnouS tone of misery, to his nose 1t
fields its peculiar malodorous smell.
Gpon his tongue its gall and wormwood
eXude- The realistic novel may end in
one OF two ways 1t may close in a
open, a slough of despond. for the
readers excited imagination to drag
through in the name OF things as they
are. Young male writer's incline amaZ-
ingly to this form of novel making,
appearing To positively revel in it's null
titudinous miseries and showing an
enormous patience in the exact portrayal
of them.
a Whistling Woman" is the full
realism of the courtship and belated
marriage of a pair of London factory
workers Dirty doorsteps. foul-smelling
rooms, saloons and moving picture
SHOWS encompass the pair y beer
hloated man takes a mild part as viii
lain, and a couple of slum workers show
the present twist OF social service. 1t
undoubtedly purports TO hold message
The of the realistic novel is
- slow of delivery, and so accidental
that its part in social reform must be
incon siderable Yes. one does remember
at this point the traditioned power Of
Uncle Toms Cabin" in the matter of
slavery, but Uncle Toms Cabin is
not realism. 1t is rather highly
dramatic misrepresentation of the gen
eral features of slavery, and an elo-
e;uent appeal to common humanity. The
title OF Mr.. Halifax's story goes into