Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-09-27

stories is their perfect good nature. their
friendly feeling. For the moment here
the Joke is on the husbands. But in a
fresh and entertaining book is likely to
spring out from this source and to turn
the tables completely by holding up one,
or another. or all, of the common frail-
ties of the wifely side Of the domestic
establishment.
DOC WILLIAMS, A Tale of the Middle
West. By Charles II. Lerrigo. New
York: Fleming H. Revell Company.
A difference Of vocation is about all
that separates Doc williams from David
Harum. Let the latter give up swap
ping horses. and take up the practice of
healing. Then the Identification Of one
with the other would be complete. AS 1t
is, they are as like as two peas, in plain
hard sense. in shrewd way Of looking
around on things. and in a straight bare
handed hold on few very important
facts.
Out back of Doc Williams house was
a spring OF oil. miracle oil 1t appeared to
good old doctors mind proof OF it's
heavenly design Of healing. even as the
giving and Withholding of mama, ac-
cording to need, in Hebraic days. was
specific intent. The doctor himself was
a well, unintermittent in it's flow of
kindness sympathy, love and an abld-
ing faith Whatever doubt developed
about the magic oil. no shadow Of doubt
1ecked the sincere goodness of Doc Will
liams Around this novel and appealing
character the author builds story OF
fresh movement and interesting issue.
If. standing away from the immediate
effect of this romance, one meets the
thought that it's plot is rather more com
modous than the concerns of Doc VIII
liams require, he is able to turn square
" upon the more pleasing one that,
even in this case, the author has filled
IT with interests of sufficiently close kin
to sustain ones unbroken attention 10
the whole.
MARK TWAIN AND THE HAPPY IS
LAND. By Elizabeth wallace
author of "a Garden of Paris" Chi
cago: A. c. McClurg & Co.
The closing chapters Of Mark Twain $
life are pleasantly described by one of the
young friends who made UP his social
circle during his last visits to the Happy
Island" It's coral and cedar; with an
ever-summer sky and always rainbow
waters, make fairylike background for
Miss Wallace's record of golden days in
Bermuda with a personal and deeply
appreciative account Of Americas best
loved author"
Mr.. Clemens, rather than Mark Twain,
is the hero of the spontaneously ar
ranged festivities Of the Angel Fish Club,
an organization founded by the humorist
and limited to the gay and clever young
people who were his devoted companions.
There is one merry occasion when Henry
H. Rogers joins in the fun. and many
others when Mark Twain tells whimsical
stories to the little people, illustrates i'm
possible history lessons" with sketches
from the gallery of his imagination:
takes them on sightseeing trips behind
temperamental donkey, and even tries
cake-walk when no grown-ups are
around. 1t is all as buoyantly bright as
the. sunshine of Happy Island" itself,
but the reader-somehow-get a deeper
glimpse into brave mans determination
not to let a coming event cast it's shadow
before. Miss Wallace has dedicated her
tribute to all who knew and loved Mark
Twain. and Albert Bigelow Paine. his
official biographer, in a note of introduce
ton, says of it: This little story has a
place Of its own in Mark Twain literature.
in that it presents an idyllic picture of
our philosopher-h in the serener
days Of his latter life-a picture of which
the author herself was part"
THE HOUSE WITH THE SILVER
DOOR. BY Eva March Tappan.
With Illustrations Boston: Hough-
ton Mifflin Company.
Just why a poor woodsman and his
wife should want a silver door to their
cottage, or why their two little children
should steal out into the world to seek
1t for them, might somewhat puzzle the