Evening star., 1914-08-01

AvING read this remarkable
book, one Is Immediately
possessed of the desire to know
woman OF such complete
common sense as this one is,
of such sturdy personality, such modest
aims, such capacity for labor, such genius
for happiness. She refuses to yield her
name, however, so one must find her as
he is able. In attempting to sum the
power and charm of this story the reader
finds that it is after all, only pure and
unalloyed gospel of work, and that its
tonic and wholesome character springs
straight from this potential fact To
preach this gospel in the name OF hap
piness is the single aim of this SELF
revelation. When the book has gone by.
but not in the reading OF it. one realizes
that there is nothing said about love in
this woman's story. except about pretty
general love for men, women, children.
dogs, horses. the face of the land. the
march OF the seasons. But the universal
story OF man and woman love does not
appear here. Nor is there any attitude
against it. 1t is much as il the woman
were too busy for this particular quest
And here. too, there are no pensive remi-
cept many allusions to a truly blessed
mother. There are no expressions OF
yearning for a career. no voicing OF
dreams for the future. In place of these
usual things, there is most exhilarating
record of daily work-here and there.
in this occupation and that-accompanied
with an absolutely frank avowal Of the
ups and downs of various source and
size that stood. often like lions. in the
way. This woman would treat lion
so much as If it were n lamb that it
would more than likely be ashamed to
ha apvfbipp a larnh in heh ytOr One
has the very exciting experience Of see
ing this woman grow day by day into
efficiency and a happy independence
through the rigid training of herself to
the top notch of the demands upon her.
This ought to be a widespread gospel
The great and crying need of women
today is to get to work in the spartan
spirit of this happy woman" And the
corollary of this need Is an equally urgent
one-that they run around less. and talk
less, and aspire less, in vague incoherent
ways; that they curb their social con-
sciences more until efficiency and useful
ness have time to catch up with these
scattered and effervescing social aims.
One of the immediate needs of theirs Is
to study this gospel of happiness through
real work.
THE THINGS HE WROTE TO HER.
By Richard wightman. New York:
The Century Company.
Like children. we are always calling for
lightly in "The Things He Wrote to Her"
that one is able to gather only and that
vaguely that this is an Indian summer
romance as well as the passion Of tive
that are sephrated by the most st,bstan-
tisl and insurmountahie of barriers And
In face Of the rrre beauty ana aeAca y
Of these letters one feels ike an intrusive
boor to seek even this frai1 support for
them The fact is they seem So genuine
that one has at the best a feeling OF
doing something he ought not to DO to
read them at all. They are of course,
and to be sure. clear inventions. It must
be very good art to make them appear
SO exactly like the outpourings of real
lovers heart And there is something IN
their beauty that recalls both the spirit
and the body of Mrs Brownfns's son.
nets from the Portuguese-the sonnet
that begins How do 1 love thee? Let
me count the ways" and then foiows
that incompatible counting. And mere:
at the last. this lover says. Il love " TN tne
heart of YOU, so tender: the mind OF you.
so broad and strong; the soul Of you. tne
whitest gem in any feshly setting Iano
so on in a winged procession OF ~auoaa ~
tions. And once in whiie .ne exm,isits
gleam with the grace OF tnat eNauisi'e
love poem, "Marpessa.
LOUIS NORBERT: a Two-foid fold ho- Q,
nance, BY vernon Lee, autnor OF
..Va Vanitas" etc New York: John
Lane Company.
II takes a very alert and adroit per-
son. as we'll as a good story teller, 10
keen two stories going at the same time,
and particularly two that are separated
from each other in character ana ac-
ton by the barrier of more than tnree
hundred years. The older story here IS
the main one. Over 1t the lighter one
grass. Louis Norbert de Caritan. soldier
of fortune, Is the hero OF TINS seven
teenth century tale. His chivalrous ae-
votion to a lovely lady. the opstaefeS o.shf,S
church and a jealous father. lay the
pattern of this romance Of ancient Pisa;
History touches it lightly here .hat and
period give reality and circumstance to
its movement. The old story is brought
to light in the present by the Lazy
yenetia and young archeol"gist- IL
Is the searching out and piecing to-
gether the romantic love story OF Louis
Norbert de Caritan and Artemisia Del
valore. Abbess Of st: Ver1d1ana, tnat
makes the second and later adventure
the twentieth century story that Just
barely misses being true romance
THE CHARM OF THE Antique. BY
Robert and Elizabeth Shackleton
authors of THE Quest of the Co
lonial." etc. Illustrated New
brary Company.
This is the very Dook TOT one "
search and ponder IL he finds special
pleasure in old things-old furniture.
old houses. old pewter and brasses, old
silver and glasses. For there Is no
doubt that the Shackletons. Robert and
Elizabeth. having gone through the
Joys Of studying the antique, have put
the most and the best Of their expert
ence into this volume. The practical
character of this book is its first at
traction. The writer's instruct readers
TO know these old ob1ects-to know
the good ones from those that are less
good and not good at ALTO know the
real from the imitation. the original
from the restored. They make clear
the standards by which proficiency in
this pursuit may be achieved. They
give common sense advice and direc-
tion about collecting, in great good ma
ture submitting their own experiences
and adventures, sometimes as warning.
but oftener aa example And II one