Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-02-15


them, the character and intent of the
audiences attending them and the art or
both PLAYS and players in its color and
Tissue and consistency. After TINS, one
comes upon the full body of this absorb
ing study 1t depicts group OF men
and women. inspired by a passionate pa,
triotisnl mindless of themselves. mlnd1ul
only of re-embodying the forgotten spirit
OF ancient ireland. These ungrudgingiy
throw their gifts of high talent or ciesf
genius into common cruclble, expert
menting testing proving, in boundless
patience and selfess ardor. BY nara
tive and ANALYSIS Mr. Weygandt lays out
the complete movement in special stuoies
of its leaders-Synge. Yeats, Lady
Gregory George Moore, "A. L. ana
others-among them William Sharp.
whose story is deeply interesting, not
only in itself. but also in view of the cur
rent excitement over the case OF F1ona
Macleod" The finest point in this who'll
IL fine work is the authors own feeling
for the subject which with genuine
comradeship of knowledge and insight he
offers to readers of the Irish literary
movement.
LUCKY PEHR; a Drama in Five Acts
From the Swedish of August Strind-
berg. author of Easter, etc
Translated by Nelma SWANSON
Howard Cincinnati: Stewart & Kidd
Company.
from the common Strindberg play. First
il laughs here and there. Next. wom-
an turns out to be its saving grace. Either,
an establishment. Together, a stupefac-
ton. The drama is an allegory picturing
the emptiness of mere wealth. or power.
or pleasure. 1t satirizes the human-lay-
ing bare his foolishness. exploiting his g-
norance, discounting his good intent. But,
withal. it is more impersonal, less biting,
less sardonic. less given to mounting a
personal grievance than are the other
plays by Strindberg. The story, in one
or anotGer of many guises is old. Pehr,
clustered by world-hating father. looks
out from his high church tower. and
away, over forests and fields and towns,
seeing visions and dreaming dreams of the
glorious happiness lying within them. An
eff and the fairy godmother release him,
masically. from his prison and send him
Guesting after life. y wonderful wish
ing ring for adventure and a friend, Lisa,
the forest girl, for suecor make up his
staff and scrip Having tried all-wealth.
power, pleasure-Pehr returns to the old
church tower. bringing with him the girl,
Lisa. Reading this play, one envisages
a good spectacle and draws off a genuine
entertainment, almost a genial one, from
this pleasing variant of the Strindberg
drama.
CANADA. BY \. CT Bradley. author of
The Fight With France for North
america" etc. The Home University
Library of Modern knowledge. New
York: Henry Holt IL Co.
The story of Canada from its begin
ming, when il was merely a new battle
ground for the old quarrel of France
and England, TO now, when it shines
1.-The greatest star in the imperial con-
stellation" little volume on "a big
subject. so an outline only. But it is a
~ att OH nj
muscle and blood are added to bone to
give life and direction to the large
movement of the story. AT the outset,
by swift survey of physical geosra-
ply. the reader is placed in the midst
OF potent Influences in the development
of Canada. Then. in seven-league steps,
the narrative takes up the conquest or
this region. it's settlement by American
loyaIists emigrating here from the
colonies at the close of the revolution
airy war. the rise of the provinces ana
their final federation. y more special
study of these proVlnces-the mari
time the prairie and British Columbia
gives the essential features of local
character and growth. y brilliant
chapter on the French in Canada sug
gests that the voluminous splendor OF
Parkman should follow close upon TINS
bird's-eye view of dramatic theme;
The whole is written in an alliance OF
full scholarship and d Keen sense OF
the meaning Of history. IL is written.
ZOO. III "A spirit OF PdNIiVlif NtNoliOi "
Canada and England. spirit so in
tense as 10 lean irresistibly toward all
English sources OF Canadian progress
and by this token. to lean as repelIant-
" away from all other influences. Tue
author reminds one of the small boy
jnfuriatc, throwing stones over into the
yard Of the neighbor boy with whom
he is, for the moment. on the outs. Inc
United States is this neighbor over
whose fence he hurls every kind of
contumeIious stick and stone. We like
it, II may not be of the dispassion OF
scientific investigation. But it is de-
liciously human, so like the way people
and nations behave. out of books. The
SNUG platitudes of history are not only
wearisome. they are vicious. So, when
"a neighbor leans over the fence ana
tells us plain truths about ourselves
we ought To be genuinely glad of il.
JIM DAVIS. BY John Masefeld, author
Of Captain Margaret etc. New
York. Frederick y. Stokes Com
pany.
Jim Davis is SO sober lad and so
straight-speaking that it does not occur
TO one TO look askance at any part of
his story. The boys astonishing adj
venture came off hundred years ago
or more. when smugglers. plying a
regular trade. eeled into innumerable
secret sea coves and night riders
trailed every byway of the countryside
The Devonshire coast made express
~. IL would appear. for devious doings.
is the place of this particular happen
ing. Jim Davis, mostly boy, but some
thing of ferret for nosing about, and
something of puppy for tagging at heel,
becomes. out of certain discoveries made
all in the days play, unconscious
menace to the treebooterS. Lest he
burst with the big news so visibly
swelling him. the smugglers kidnap Jim
and take him on a cruise TO the French
coast. with chase and battle, and the
sea behaving tremendous-like. piling ex-
citement Shy-high y stunning story
John Masefield. having envisioned a fine
and robust adventure has manifestly
slipped back into Jim Davis. from whose
starting point he has approached this
adventure in the very essence and
feature of boyhood. The story steps
clearly out from the crowd of books
for boys. and moves into the select
class of boys books. The author is we'll
or his way toward the two or three who
can really write from the place where
the boys are.
THE PORT Or DREAMS. BY Miriam
Alexander. author OF Beyond the
Law" etc. New York: q. l.. Put
MANS Sons.
4 novel based on the facts and implca
tions and atmosphere of history. rather
than a historical novel The Jacobit,
cause the movement to restore the Stu
arts 10 England, Is as hard to resist il
literature as it proved through man,
profitIess years of recurrent endeavor il