Evening star., 1912-11-16
BOOK REVIEWS.


WOMAN IN MODERy SOCIETY. BY
Earl Barnes author of studies in
Education," etc. New York: b. w
Huebsch.
rN Love and Ethics Ellen Key says
in Substance, that any attempt to
prove one sex superior to tho other
is ,Nccllcd in point of futility only
hS tho attempt to prove them the
same Rather are the two pure compile
nucnfs forever seeking oneness, Wilderness,
by an Unccasing give and take Of count
less supplementary instincts and activities.
Exactly such, too. is this authors atti-
1uidc in his study Of woman as a social
and economic factor in modern life. Mr..
Barnes here examines the case of modern
woman through the media of her oppor-
tHnities. her achievements and effects in
education. religion. politics, government.
industry and in the home raised to the
power OF vocation. The inherent sex
qualities make the basis of this scrutiny.
lis objective vision. rising out of the
present economic revolution, is a new
adjustment of social forces, an ADJUST
3nent fitted for the largest possible full
1tlmcnt by its recognition and use OF
lnalterabe sex differences of body,
mind and spirit. Certain chapters stand
ont here as particularly opposite, even
above the vigorous average of the whole.
one of these is The FeminizinS of Cul-
lure The question rising out of this Is
not DO We like il -" but instead rs it
Iruc?'' and next What are we going to
da about it," THE Meaning of Political
Life is also an astonishingly straight
and concrete statement of what is com
1nonly put into rounda bout phrase OF elu-
SiVt: content. The whole Is admirable
both as a study made at the right time
and as a significant body of fact calcu-
lated To give pause to the current Thought
along this line with a possible recasting
of its direction. Mr.. Barnes. a scholar,
once "A teacher. an expert investigator in
the field of education. impresSes one firSt
al all "A man n his right nlnd. clear
seeing. plain-speaking man. convincing
y free from the common cloistral llmlta-
tionS of the pure student.
WHY WOMEN ARE so. BY Mary
Roberts Coolidge. PHI d. author of
Chinese immigration etc. New
York: Henry Holt * Co.
Are so what? Are SO sedulous in the
quest of personal beauty and arduous in
the pursuit of its enhaneements and trap
pings Are so vain. So narrow of out
look. So intolerant and fearful of change.
Md above all, are so ignorant about
woman biological excuse for being at
III. and so reluctant to accept her single
exclusive mission in life. With manner
convincing that one mods an asserting
way through these pages. Mrs. Coolidge
makes plain that not sex inherency lies
at the root of this matter. but mere at
titude of mind instead. That is to say,
women have been made what they are
by sex tradition-by what the mothers.
and grandmotherS, and the great-great-
greats among these have been expected
10 think. and feel, and do. by what they.
IN response to this expectation, really did
think. and feel, and do. And who. pray,
aka4, h
by their persistence and force were actu-
ally able to create a sex of special char
acter and bent? Man, to be sure, was
this agent. In an even mind Mrs. Cool
ldgc gathers up the causes and effects
of this situation simply as facts. never
as accusations. Moreover, by an inter
esting study OF special cases, a study OF
certain rebels in this female camp,
together with that of the tremendous
march of material events, the author
goes on to show the processes by which
tho feminine is bursting the shell of
tradition and coming into the larger
region of womanhood. capable, and self
assured. The volume stands as an au-
thoritative survey of a century, one of
whose essential marks is the changing
status OF women.
AMERICANS AND OTHERS. BY Agnes
Repplier, Lift. D., author of Essays
III Idleness.' etc. Boston: Houghton
Miftlin Company
TX is told of Button that before seating
himself to write upon his monumental
history il was his habit to garb himself
IN his stateliest apparel, so impressed was
he with the splendor and majesty of let
ters. In some such attitude does one
nowadays approach the volume of pure
ESSAYS. dressing up his mind. so to say.
in the leisure OF "A vanishing day and
opening il to the melloWinG warmth OF
genial or witty or wise reflections on all
manner of subjects. After the crowded
budgets of instruction and information
nat current literature presses upon one
JAe pure essay of nigh type is a fine re-
freah;nent. And such Is the kind that
Miss -RcppiieT offers readers. Almost any
theme viii do to set a-going that sineX-
haIstib.c fund of reading, the usefui
memory. the associative power. the store
81 Illustrative aHecdote, the quick turn
of thought. the ready company OF other
yr.terS-tne Iuli equipment of this bril-
liant essayist. About this particular vol
ame one cannot say that il is better than
hose that have preceded ii. 1t is merely
another volume of delightfully."- stimulating
and scholarly stuff.
MRS. LANCELOT; a Comedy of As
sumptionS. BY Maurice Hewlett.
author OF The Forest Lovers" etc.
Illustrated by K. F. Scha belitz. New
York: The Century Company.
Mr. Hewlett plays deiciously in this in
yeution. As story il is a perfectly
impossible thing. In line or two. it is
this The husband of Mrs. Lancelot and
the husbands patron. a very great man
are both deeply in love with the lady
Nevertheless, upon the last page of this
story. and after a whole book fan Of
exciting to-do. they come together &c
deliver her over into the arms of a mad
and pcnniless poet who appears to have
I.ail more. successful in his Wooing than
either husband or benefactor. Despite
this fragrant nonsense of invention one
reads il for its charming page by page
grace, and Wit. and flashing insight, and
ingenious comment.
HELEN ORNESBl. BY Belle Moses
author OF Louisa N. Alcott," etc
New York: L.. Appleton II Co.
Mss Moses new story is no less than
rou3plete orgy Of happy usefulness or