Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-11-05


novel, its author chose to draw from
that layer of life where human nature
walks through the broad daylight In
an unapologetic nakedness. There the
folks sre too busy about the where
withal of bodily existence to worry
over motives or to pretty up behaviors
Two OF the lower London working
clase. Minnie and Hannibal Gooderich,
sizter and brother. are the "casuals
whose separate and drifting courses
Mr. McFee follows here in so great an
exactitude of observation. divination
and report. Minnie Gooderich is as
instructive and immoral as a cat The
cat,-devoted to it's well licked and
glossy fur. to frequent saucers of 100
percent milk, to a warm corner in
some genial freglow: that pattern Of
concentration upon bodily well being,
troubled by no weak distractions OF
generous and unselfsh impulse-this,
too. is Minnie Gooderich. So, eventu-
ally. the silent. handsome, keenly pur-
possful girl passes from one mans
Preside to another's, moving on when
one fire goes out, SO to speak. to a
~. demurs the average reader, one
leaves this girl in the odor of respect
ability. home. a husband and a
baby. these are the charge over which
she, at last account. is maintaining a
competent. dignified and benevolent
sway. Before entering a demurrer one
must remind himself that this is not a
story Of morals. 1t goes behind morals
and seizes life. In its manner the
story of Minnie Gooderich brings
sharply before one Samuel Butler-thc
new Samuel Butler whose THE Way Of
All Flesh" SO recently stirred up both
readers and critics. to say nothing Of
0ooderich. the boy who came into the
world with long-reaching thoughts and
the glamour OF the poets vision. he
runs away TO sea. And his is another
story. Here the writer more than mere
~ suggests Joseph Conrad in his sea-
farings. Here is Conrad's OWE dealing
with the literalness Of the sea and with
Its poetry. Here are the mystery and
power of the waters translated into
The terms Of the seaman's life. Finely
exhtiarating and curiously pathetic is
the story Of Hannibal Gooderich. As
q matter Of fact. to go back to the
thsme Of this novel. everybody is a
casual" every soul of US is on an un-
enough for a Balzac. And IL William
McFee can do twice. or more. what he
has already done once. he will add APP
prectably to a general comprehension
OF the human comedy. as he will con-
tribute also TO the substantial literary
fiction OF the day.
PEACE AND QUIET A Novel. BY Ed
win Milton Royle. author Of THE
Souaw Man" New York: Harper
& Bros.
Happily for the wide-awake lover OF
adventure this title In completely mis-
leading one. To be sure, at some
moment OF particular stress in a crowd
cd round Of hazardous situation OF
hair.breadth escape. the incorrigible
sdventurer. standing as hero here
makes solemn avowai that, as for him
peace and quiet" are all that he wants
This he never nnds. nor does he really
want II. Mexico IL the fertile soil OF
this strenuous TODD. The period Is
the present shifting time. when yester.
day IL WAS lawful commerce to trans
port arms into Mexico. while today IL
u lawless and punishable act. Any
real adventure In such a situation con-
sists In hittipg exactly the unstable