Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-10-24


7HE story of Julia Page is far
and away the best of the
fine novels achieved by kath-
Leen Norris. 1t happens about
once in half a thousand years
or so that, stirred by some secret IN
ner force, a girl is able to rise out or
utterly squalid circumstances of birth
and early years into rich and beauti-
full womanhood. Such girl is julia
Page Mrs Norris develops this story
in a manner of complete realism. And
its first half dozen chapters are so de-
pressing in their explicit portrayal Oh
the tawdry. vulgar. slatternly sur
roundings of the little Julia that one
can hardly resist setting the book
aside for something of more hope1oi
promise. But at about this point one
begins to feel the dawning quality OIL
the girl herself, and from there on, in
place of the reluctant reader. one De
comes the eager champion and Will
ing follower. At the close of this story
he himself loves Julia Page. and what
is more, he has felt the fine and Whole-
some thrill of witnessing human trl-
umph over mere circumstance IN lhe
course of this development MIS- NOR
ris sets herself a hard task, the same
in substance as that assumed by Thorn
as Hardy in Tess of the Durbervllles.
And rich young DR.. Studdiford VINO
marries Julia Page, acquits hlmsell
with as little credit as did the husband
of Tess when confronted with the con-
fession of girls unforglvable SIN
AS restrained in treatment as IL is
finely comprehending and sympathetic
in feeling, this story is not only an
sorbing in interest 1T IS important III
it's significance also.
THE LITTLE ILIAD. By Maurice
Hewlett. author of THE Queens
QUAR-" etc. Frontispiece by Philip
Burne-Jones Philadelphia: j. b.
Lippincott Company.
Given wives who are willing and ap-
parently waiting to be seized and car
ried away; given. too. sentimental and
chivalrous youths keen to succor beau
ty in either real or imaginary distress;
given husbands, besides, of rather more
than average good sense and force,
and there is no reason why the siege
of Troy should not repeat itself in
definitely. as it has no doubt already
done many thousands of times. Mr.
Hewlett's Little Had" is the old story
brought up to date and trimmed of
much of it's classic pageant and tur-
mol. Troy figures here as 1nveroran,
a corner of Scotland. And Helen is the
wife of an Austrian baron, whose
Achaian ships-rides the roadstead
leading to Inveroran. while this modern
Menelaus goes ashore to make the not
unreasonable request for the further
= company of his lawful spouse. 1t must
be admitted that Castle Inveroran has
charms that are calculated to make an
open-hearted lady resist return TO her
less resourceful Austrian domain. There
are four lusty sons Of Inveroran, all
of them quite past help in the matter
of the lovely lady. And the old chief
is the best man of them all SO this
deliciously whimsical and gently sa-
tirical story goes on its devious and
picturesque way for the unravelinG of
this tangled domestic web. Certainly
not lately has Mr.. Hewlett approached
the captivating qualities that shine out
so radiantly here. And never has he
surpassed in subtlety and delicacy of
drawing the characters that so delight
fully sustain this tale.
ACROSS THE BORDER; A Play of the
Present. BY Beulah Marie Dix.
author of "Allison's Lad etc. New
York: Henry Holt & Co.
A person is able to read this little
one-act play in half an hour, but it's
- effect of capture and appeal Will long
outlast this transient period. To see
1t acted must be thrilling expert
ence, for it is conspicuousiy actable
play. This is a war drama, cast in
single act of four scenes. AS a ORA
matte structure it is something of a
marvel of economy in phrase and con-
crete embodiment of scene and sltua-
ton. The first and last scenes are
those of starkest realism The first
one shows the Junior lieutenant leav-
ing the hut where he and a handful
of comrades are shut off by the enemy
from relief. His errand is REINFORCE
ments. The last scene covers his death
in the rudely improvised field hospital
,.IIy t..,ra q n
beginning of the play The two scenes
in the middle are triumphs of dramatic
ina gination, triumphs of Impressive
invention, that lead the stricken SOL
he meets strange. kindly folks and a
heavenly peace and the dream girl"
From here he is taken to the place
of Winds, where he comes to see and
realize the monstrous wickedness and
cruelty of war. When he dies in the
rude hospital he is trying with all his
waning might to deliver the message
sathei ed by him in this adventure
work of genius. 1t is a haunting won
der of dramatic vision and poignant
appeal
Deg World: By Mrs. T. +. O'Con-
nor, author of My Beloved South. -
etc Illustrated b. VIII Rannells.
New York: George II. Doran Com
pany.
These three stars are Beau, d
noble cur; 'Coaxey, gay dog" and
Max Gladstone OConnor, gentleman"
But the bright particular star in this
galaxy is Max Gladstone O'Connor. Be
ing obviously faiT-Ininded woman
Mrs O'Connor deals out ample justice
TO tie virtues of the other two. but it
is upon Max that she lavishes her best
powers of Renaissance and interpreta-
ton 4 hundred anecdotes stand here
in testimony of the intelligence, cour-
age. fidelity and trustfulness of this
beloved friend and companion. Many
glimpses of London life and scenes
flash out in these stories of Max, and
many well known figure becomes part
OF the picture in which Max fills the
foreground, for the dog was evidently
a parsonage of distinction in the circle
of statesmen. artists and writer's of
which Mrs. OConnor formed i part.
This is very communica bic writer
upon any subject with which SIZE deals.
Here, being particularly interested. she
becomes even slore communica BILE. One
likes her way of talking about these
friends of hers much she would tall