The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-04-02
.IOHN ROGARDUS"

By George. Agnew Chamberlain. Fou,
 pctures by W. J. Bonda. The Century
 Co.,, publishers, New York.
 One of the most unusual and enter taining of this springs crop of fictional characters is James Bogardus, who ap- pears in George Agnew Chamberlain new novel "John Bogardus." James Bogardus, the father of the hero of the book, is an extremely dignifed univer- sity professor. His second love-his first being his boy-is poker; and he and four other professors meet once week at his house to try out their theories. For these scholars do not merely play the game; they study it. The following quo tation shows James Bogardus speaking tc his son, who has only recently dis covered the five club:
 Draw poker is at once the most in- dividual of all sciences and the epitome of American character. I say science advertently, for the ingenuity of man has invented no game more delib erately based on a knowledge of mathematical and human values combined. The man that calls 1t a gamble speaks from the derths of ignorance, and adds his voice tc the persecution that has lowered the maximum test of intelligence to the level os the stock exchange in the mind of an uLdiscriminating public"
 John chuckled aloud, but the pro- lessor, unmoved, continued. "It is true that poker attains flatulence only on a diet of suckers and lambs but I contend that the elimination, or rather the evo- lution of what is commonly termed the easy mark is of distinct benefit to the state and venture to affirm that if the mere rudiments of the game were taught in our primary schools, New York would have a shorter bread line on winter even- ings. don't mean by that that the un- fortunates would rather play poker than eat but that they would never have reached the bread line at all.''
 "'How do you justify it? asked John.
 {" By this assertion replied the professor, promptly. Poker Is to the in- tellect what the toughest kind of foot ball is to the body. You will find tho man who knows poker, silent in adver. sity, calm under responsibility, quick in emergency, and slow to purchase a gold brick. Such an equipment whatever his walk of life isn't apt to lead him to the bi cad line !"
 IVORY, APES AND PEACOCKS." By James Huneker. Charles Scribner' s
 Sons, publishers. New York.
 Again the redoubtable MT. Nuneker comes to us with one of his most al- turing and seductive books, Ivory, Apes and Peacocks'
 The name alone foreshadows it's charm which Is MT. Huneker at his best. What more need be said?
 m this new book MT. Huneker, after his excursion to the New Cosmopolis and various European cities, returns to the literary and art topics which he al. ways discusses in such brilliant, lincisive, and entertaining fashion. Under his ale turing titles (borrowed from the manifest of Solomon's ship trading with Tarshish) rich and varied cargo of merchandise is collected. There is critical article on Joseph Conrad, cordial to enthusiasm; a piquant paper on Whitman character izing the poet as well as describing a visit to him; thoroughgoihg Illuminating discussions of Dostoievsl{y, Tolstoy and the younger Russians; articles on the musical anarchist Schoenberg, on Rich- ard Strauss, on the Italian futurists, on Maupa ssant, on Three Disagreeable Girls Gin novels), and aA number of ; other topics of absolutely actual inter- est treated in the authors characteristic vein of wonderful tolerance and open mndedness combined with the shrewdest penetrat tion.