Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-02-24

critic must come together in unity-a
hopelessly befuzzIed situation if, any
where along the line, conceptions are
| vague or words and manners cryptic and
mysterious. Mr.. Hale is simple, direct,
clear. He assumes at the outset here
that the three in question have come
| together because they wished to. because
OF affinitieS of thought and feeling. This
foundation of congeniality is used as the
central point of illumination. one that
takes much for granted at once. and inn
mediately secures the reader against the
too common danger Of being talked to
death by some bombas site pedagogue of
literary criticism. Charming between the
two-reader on the one hand. and on the
other. Maeterlinck, Rostand or another
OF this group of modern dramatists-Mr.
Hale moves like a good host, in easy
talk of revelation. wherein droll turns
of speech and individual manners accent
the impression that this is a face to face
a hand to hand, meeting. Big views or
the modern drama and it's dramatists
unfold as the fruit of long study and
reflection. High standards are defined,
not only for the play. but for it's rules
of measurement we'll. 1t is all so
sound, so sane and withal so unpreten-
tious and genial, that the study, now In
its sixth encore. may be expected to re-
peat itself Indefinitely as a model of criti-
cism upon some Of the vital aspects OF
modern drama.
THE LIFE STORY OF J. PIERPONT
MOHNSAN: N typography. by Sdll
Hovey New York: Sturgis & Wal
ton Company.
This authors attitude, in itself, brings
refreshment to wearied readers. To de-
spise. or to affect to despise and to re-
pudiate the rich man, as such, has spread
from a political method to a vogue in
writing. Demagogue and muckraker have
Joined beaks and claws in unison of at
foTt- hat
SO reviled and spat upon as the one OF
fortune and power. Therefore comes the
establishment. therefore the refreshment'
that Mr.. Hovey takes up the study of the
life of J. Pierpont Morgan in the attitude
of the scientist before the objects Of his
Investigations. An attitude stripped OF
either the bias of sycophancy or that OF
denunciation: His the good fortune to
find within reach a mass of authentic
record concerning the prime transactions
of Mr.. Morgan's life. His the sole pur-
pose of presenting these in due plainness
and proportion TO be sure. this Is an
amazing story and an inspiring one. but
these qualities accrue from the PERSONAL
ity and power of the subject himself, set
out in a muscular we'll proportioned body
of exposition and analysis. One comes
to the end of this dramatic account with
the knowledge that he has been in the
company of one order Of genius. and that
is a worth while and exciting experience
in itself. He fully agrees with the au- |
thor. moreover, as mere matter of fair |
Judgment drawn from undistorted facts. |
that this commanding figure is a general |
ly beneticent one, constructive force, |
whose tremendous power has been wise |
~ expended in the industrial and finan- |
cial expansion of the United States.
AN ARTILLERY OFFICER IN THE
MEXICAN WAR: 1S4G-1S47. Let |
tiers of Robert Anderson, captain Sd |
Artillery L. s A. New York: G. z. |
Putnam'S Sons.
The Mexican war. dimmed by time |
and overshadowed by the great civil |
war, becomes vivid and eventful by |