The Washington times., 1915-06-14
Book Reviews

BIB BALLADS. Ring w. Lardner. illus
trated by Fontaine Fox. P. " Volland
4 Co. N.25 net.
The thousands Of admirers Of the
learn that these charming child verses
of Mr. Lardner's have as their illus
traitor the author of that kid" whose
pranks are a toy and a delight 90
Whether the verses were written from
the pictures or the pictures drawn for
the verses Is immaterial They fit like
the paper on a wall. Into each poem
that will make them welcome in every
home where there Is or ever has been u
baby.
So much Of the so-called poetry for or
about ai3S, children is 50 hopeless.either
Lardner's work is all the more appre-
ciated. His publishers have dressed his
book in serviceable brown denim which
Is artistic as well. The pictures are
Mr.. Fox In his most delightful mood.
LOVERS TALE BY Maurice Hewlett.
New York: Charles Scrtbner's Sons
We are often told of the beauties OF
! ancient poetry. of the folklore of past
ages. upon which time has hung the
romance OF perspective. but until some
one comes and builds a whole tale
from the broken bit which has been left,
the world in the main is ignorant OF
the vast romance OF the lives which
have gone before.
Maurice Hewlett has taken a Saga
! Of Iceland. of which there are two Eng.
!ish versions and building upon mere
| fragments of verse. a tale of a self.
made tragedy has made 1t possible 70,
readers of today to hear the story OF
Cormac. the poet. and his strange love.
making.
But If there arc any who think in this
Morse tale there will be aught that is
| new except perhaps the setting itself
they had best not read, since 1t con-
| Germs the story of the struggle of Cor,
love; his poets appreciation overmas
| tering his personal interest. And that
after ALL Is a sort of deified Sentimental
Tommy idea with which we are al
more or less familiar.
The author says himself that "mer
of his sort. who Joy in the thought
rather than the deed. and see beaut,
| the better the less they handle It, hav,
flourtshed In this world at all ages o.
it"
The only difference between Corma,
and the modern Cormacs is perhaps the
| the modern ones are unfortunate IL
having less delightful and understand
ing biographers. Incidentally. most O
1t would never have done to have Cor
mac woman, for the poesy of women
their very common characteristic O
wishing to see beauty rather thar
| handle n-who JOY In the though
rather than the deed" Is a human qual
ity craftily disarmed of its force by at
tributing 1t to sex alone.
THE LITTLE MAN AND OTHER SATIREs
By John Gaisworthy. New York: Charle
Scribner's Sons.
In these satires John Galsworthy
with a quality of humor not SO swee
as to be insipid. nor 80 sour as to b
bitter. but tempered with a delicat
/ Galsworthy flavor that Is as ounce L
apple jelly, has written down truth
about our neighbors.b
| Now. almost any OF the thoughts hay
been thought before. and every one ca,
ind cleverly depicted cartoon of
friend somewhere within the covers n
this volume. but the charm comes rror
the fact that Galsworthy has set dow
his Impressions. and the great readin
public has not!
The Writer. the Critic. the Plain Mar
the Housewife, and other friends ar
put under his all-seeing but Kind,
glass, and dissected with a modicur
or satire and a wealth of Intelligence
Inc Flain Man and his montrous i'm
portance at the present time. togeth
er with his lavish comments upon pub
tic events. seeing there are So man
pubic events, makes a particularly IN
'eresuns and enliglltening study.