Evening star., 1914-07-25

super IMAM, ETC. New ork. bfen-
tano's.
THE most important part of this
volume of plays is. by all odds,
i not a play at all, but. instead.
= the authors treatise on parents
and children. Here, with Gus
tomary disregard as to where the blows
fall, Mr.. Shaw strikes out at the ignorance
and stupidity of the elders-parents.
teachers and any other overlord of child
hood-in relation to children. To his
thinking. the most needed of all forward
movements in any field whatsoever is a
child magma charta, declaration of the
rights of children. What is a child?"
asks Mr. Shaw. AN experiment A
fresh attempt to produce the just man
made perfect; that is. to make humanity
divine" He then discusses the attitude
Of the home and the world toward chill
dren. giving along the way a very i'm
portant analysis of the various devices
and makeshifts now used to train and
educate children. Having scored merci-
lessly, but quite fairly. conditions as
they now stand in relation to the chill
dren of the earth, Mr.. Shaw fares daunt-
lessly forth into a plan for childs
world. and. taken all in all. it is the most
considerable scheme of education that
one will find in many a day. To be sure.
, 1t. so to speak. knocks both parents and
echoolmasters into cooked hats as be-
ginning. but this. upon the whole, does
not seem so much of a disaster as bare
and unexplained statement of the fact
would make it appear. And to be sure.
Mr.. Shaw is utterly shocking at times
here But If what he says is true-and
it is true-it is high time for the RESPONSE
BILE but incapable superiors to be shocked.
Full of insight and feeling. full of most
yi<rbf ;DIi boz do
about the needs of this case of the chill
dren. Mr.. Shaw offers in this treatise an
unsurpassed treatment of education as
an outcome of this discussion of the re-
lation of parents and children.
LETTERS OF WOMAN HOME
STEADER. By Fillmore Pruitt Stew
art. Illustrated by n. c. Wyeth. Bos-
ton. Houghton AIifiiin Company.
These are free and intimate letters
This woman homesteader is overfowing
. with things to write and. what is quite
as much to the point, she knows how to
write them with vividness and charm
Elated by the free and Independent life
OF the frontier, all of it looks glorious
and momentous to her. So. every part of
It, little and big things alike, goes into
these letters TO the friend back east"
In Denver. Taken together these bright
and busy letters make remarkable pic
ture of the hard life, but the full life. of
this woman pioneer. And ones enjoy
ment of this graphic record is no greater
than Is his pride in this dauntIess and
uncomfortable woman. The story is
splendid contribution to the already large
account of the best achievements Of
women in the present.
mrs Stewart some years ago was left
q widow with little daughter to sunport
davlng tried one thing and another. she
nnally hit upon the plan of taking up
homestead About the rewards of this
venture Mrs. Stewart says: ITO me
nomesteadins is the solution of all pow
ertys problems, but l realize that tenn
perament has much to do with success
In any undertaking. At the same time.
any woman who can stand her own COM
pany. can see the beauty of the sunset
loves growing things and is willing to
she does over the washtub will certainly
succeed. will have independence. plenty
To eat all the time and home of her
own In the end
JUVENILE COURTS AND PRORaT1ox
By Bernard Flexner and Roger n.
Baldwin. New York: The Century
Company.
Ihis volume is, in part, a summary of
the work Of the Juvenile court in the
onited states since the establishment of
the nrst Of these courts at Chicago in
ios@. In other part. it is constructive
program for the future expansion of this
institution as one of the most important
OF social agencies. The study defines
very clearly the aims of the court and
snalyzes the principle involved in its
oeveiopment and from which il takes
both its general character and its method
OF procedure. This principle is merely an
extension Of the common law rule that a
chho under seven could not be held re-
nv O-t,-
venile court legislation carries this ;de.
forward. raising the age limit to sixteen.
or even more. as the age under which a
Vioiator OF the law shall not be consid-
tons surrounding delinquent children. to
remove the causes of delinquency, is the
immediate end of the court and not
merely to pass sentence upon particular
acts OF laWiessness Upon this founda-
ton the authors describe the work of the
various courts in the United States with
the express desire of reaching some COM
mon ground of aim and understanding
that shall result in somewhat uniform
management. The thorough and specific
character Of this study. its source in
practical experience and its clear per
spective Of future efficiency make this
very important contribution to the SUBJ
1ect of juvenile courts. and make it at
the time when the public stands in need
of this generally informed and construc-
tive view.
THE SOUL OF AMERICA: A COnstruc-
tive Essay in the Sociology of Re-
1iGiOn. By Stanton Colt, author of
Social Worship" New York: The
Macmillan Company.
In this volume DIR. Colt makes a study
Of our spiritual resources. for the pur-
pose. in the first place. of pointing out
the present waste of these resources. and,
In the second place. to show how these
may be reorganized and co-ordinated into
a means of spiritual unification of the
people, irrespective of race or creed or
sect This unifcation complete, the au-
thor shows. definitely and conclusively
\ how il would act as an invincible cham
pion Of national and social righteousness.
eliminating. as a healthy body throws off
impurities. the ills that beset our social
Industrial and political systems. In this
constructive program DIR. Colt has much
TO say to the churches, much about the
need of fronting Christianity and the
church upon the present. of using its
tremendous power for the good of the
present and the future. pointing out
along the way some of the specific causes
of the inefficiency of the church. and set
ting In their places foundations that will
work for greater unity and usefulness.
A LAD OF KENT. BY Herbert Harrison.
| New York: The Macmillan Company.
This is iusty and robust story. Going