The Washington herald., 1912-12-22

It is q picture of the romance tnaf II
was. and Of the TRAGEDY. The story 10
SO connected. 80 realistic. 50 enhancing
in dramatic effect that II will never be
laid aside until one has read to the end.
It is free from the fog Of tradition or
creed. .a
The major has been soldier. trav-
eler an observer, and he knows Palestine
at first sight. He tells the story with
unaffected reverence. It is the book for
people Of any age. .
TIRE CALL OF BROTHERHOOD AND OTHER
POEMS" By CoErinne Roosevelt Robinson
New York: Charles saibn1's Sons.
The art Of Mrs Robinson's slender vol
ume is full of the austerities Of life. Full
OF a conscience that broods over the need
Of a brotherhood among men. Il is also
rich In moods Of subjective experiences.
Mrs. RobInson's art in itself appears to
have little need Of verbal elaboration to
convey adequately her strong feeling and
idealistic thought. Its simplicity is in
stinctfve because It's sincerity Is full Of a
kind Of passionate pIacidity. The social
note in the titulsT poem. with its protest
and affirmation. Is expressed with the
same calm incisiveness as the touching
resignation Of the eiegiac group Of poems
in the section called Grief" Under all
poems is a foundation of spirit of char
acter, OF sympathy, that manifests itself
In a quiet but none the less impressive
artistic language.
Life "HeroIsm.'' Love- and
Grief are the groupings into which
Mrs Robinson has gathered her verses.
The verses In the secopd and fourth
constitute distinct poems: ''Heroism'
copmemorating the loss Of the Titanic
and Grief being an eulogy on the
poets son. the young Harvard student.
CURED at Cambridge a few years ago. In
both groups there is impressive singing.
POEMS FROM BOOKS" Collected By RiDIiBs
hiukelf from his Vorks and Ezthered into one
volume. New Yort: DOubiedAy Page L Co
In the course OF his prose writings.
which are numerous and eminently read
able, by the way. Rudyard Kipling has
way like Silas wegg OF dropping into
poetry" He embeIlIshes. embroiders. and
enriches his books with rorewords. dedi-
cations, chapter heading in verse. Every
where he can sandwich in a poem he
does so.
This kind Of verse occasional in char
scter and separated from It's original
context, loses something by the disloca-
ton. But a series Of admirable cross
references indexes give the context a
sign post. and the interested reader can
himself. For it Is really only fair TO
judge verse Of this kind in this way and
not as detached pieces. Some Of IL Is
good and some Is Indifferent. Among the
most likely to be remembered are such
as Mother O. Mine and The Prodigal
son-Western Version The first is
haunting little heart throb: the second
is an exceeding clever modern version Of
the well-known parable.
THE MAN WHO CAME RACK By J. Fleming
Wilson. sturEis 4 walton. New TOrt.
The measure OF a mans reformation is
his ability to live in the old environment
with a new spirit: to render himself inn
mune while exposed to old contagious
Judged by these tests Henry Potters
reformation was complete. He was Of
this name be an alias for a real mani
like Arthur Howard. a New York sill;
stocking with more money than brains,
and. though not east Of the Suez. he
knew no Ten Commandments, but he
certainly knew how to raise and quench
a thirst. He started on the Broadway
On. " that leadeth to destruction pitts
burg) At the rate OF fifty miles an hour,
and 500 a day. He then extended his
trip 10 Fairfield. Iowa: TO San Francisco.
to Honolulu. to Yokohama. to Shanghai
TO Sam-Chewings This last distance was
only one-quarter Of a mile out of the TO-
l29L from Shanghai to New York. but II
vas the longest and the hardest for
Henry Potter. because 1t included start
on the upgrade. Thanks to a woman. he
made the grade" and kept at il until
he got to the top. He Travelled back the
whole distance. made good at every place
where he had got in bad before. and
reached the parental home with his debts
paid, money in his pocket. a clean bill of
health. and good wife to keep him
where he really belonged. Into this
this amazing chronicle Mr.. Wilson has
put romance and color. humOr and praise.
1t is a little epic OF reality.
CARMEN SYLVIA AND SKETCHES FROM THE
ORIENT" By Pierre Lott. The Macmillan
Co. New York. Price N-p.
Pierre Lott has hunted the world over
for material on which to practice his
delicate art. but he has never chanced
upon a happier subject than the famous
Queen OF Roumania, to whom nearly half
Sketches from the Orient" is devoted.
Widely known as a poet. Carmen Sylvia
has lived a life that is itself the finest
romance. Pierre Lott, a fellow-artist
after her own heart, has known her
well. has visited her at her castle in
Sinala- has had many letters from her.
In telling the story Of this friendship
and OF the Queens life, he has no need
to romance. The facts are enough-the
womans lonely days in the
great castle which is her home. her
work for her people. her long residence.
an exile in Venice. Through
this most sympathetic recital one learns !
to know Carmen sylvia as a real woman. |
but with all the charm OF personality |
possessed by Mime. Chrysantheme. or the |
delightful ladies OF the Turkish harem |
pictured in ''Dissenchanted."
For the rest the volume contains a |
number OF vivid. impressionistic sketches |
OF Oriental life and scenes In which the /!
French author has won MS widest fame. |
Lott is once more fortunate, as he has !
been before. in his translator. Mr.. Fred !
who has put the new book into |
English. has managed by some art. not |
OF Lott himself to keep the |
subtle charm OF the original, so that the /
book reads more like an English work |
OF Lott than a translation.
A LITTLE BoOK OF CHRISTMAS: BY John
Kendrick Bsnes. BoSton-LittIe. Brown 90.
John Rendrlck Bangs has long w1 n |
the cap and beHs with becoming merrI-
ment. He is one OF the laureates OF
laughter. Hitherto he has specialized in
verse. and his jlngles in many keys have
rung In many ears. In this volume he
turns to prose, and we like him i'm
in his new guise as a sort of
santa Claus, unwilling and unwilling.
but none the less engaging and
amusing.
These four stories Of Christmas are ex-
ceIIent. mirth-provoking. and withal
breathe a contagion OF cheer not un-
worthy Of Dickens example. The stories
are about children, but are for grown