The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1916-05-31

SEVENTEEN" by Booth TarkIno.
ton; In which the throes Of first
love, with all their alarming and
upsettIns symptoms, are told In
graphic chapters In Mr.. Tarkins-
toms inimItable style.
When Miss Pratt steps her dainty
foot on the platform at the station
Of the town name unknown) In
, which William Butler with his par.
ents and sister. Jane. reside, the
most interested observer would not
be prepared to foresee the awful
havoc that will be wrought In that
otherwise peaceful place. The afore-
said interested observer would prob
ably have passed the interesting age
OF II or else be in that unsettled
period when he would not be able
to foresee anything. William Butler
took Miss Pratt at more than face
value, and proceeded to act accord
ing to the way he thought dlvini-
ties In beliotrope muslins. carrying
poodle dogs under their arms should
be worshiped. His peculiar frame
OF mind did not stop at mere acts
OF devotion at the shrine OF beauty
but had a tendency to interfere with
the entire working OF his mothers
household. the affairs Of the IRE
pressible Jane. aged 10, the servants
in the kitchen. the darby who cut
the grass and even the pictures on
the wall-all. all must be changed
and reorganized to meet what Will
liam considered the requirements OF
the glorious being who had come to
shed radiance upon the common
place people In his family and town.
The inability OF the same common
place people TO realize the efful-
gence OF the radiance cast, constL
tutes the tragedy" OF the story.
Williams state Of mind in regard
to the "noblest woman" and what
real love really is" is Of kind to
melt a heart OF stone. and Is not
lost upon Miss Pratt herself. who
Is the vampire type, In embryo. and
plays upon the budding susceptible
ity Of the youths OF the town with
an instructive, II not practiced hand.
When big, fat Charles comes over
from the city. and carries on the
prise at the picnic. we have qualms
OF feeling while almost bursting
with laughter. We can only call
this a tragohumanistic-comedy OF
real life which goes on about US
every day. only we are too stupid
TO know II. Harper Bros. New
York; S1.25.
THE CENTENNIAL HISTORY OF
THE AMERICAN BIBLE So
GETTY, by Henry Otis Dwight In.
stead Of q dry recital Of statlstles
and facts, this 10 Q book Full o.
romance and vital with life.
Few readers would have expect.
ed so much charm and pleasure a.
are TO be found In the reading OF
"The Centennial History OF the Amer.
lean Bible Society" and few writer's
could have extracted so much that
IL readable from the history OF an
organization. This seems more the
warm and glowing story Of ono Of
the most picturesque Of the worlds
events--"the towering OF the word
of God into many languages and Its
distribution to the uttermost parts
OF the earth" The author In en-.
dowed with a simple and easy style
which lacks neither sympathy nor
humor, and seizes the dramatic
events which give II the character
OF a romance. The story OF Samuel
Mills. knight and missionary. who
sailed down the Mississippi In Gen.
Jackson's own boat In 1912, and
made his way back through 500
miles OF canebrakes and jungles. Is
full Of the widest adventures, and
only differs from the adventures OF
fiction in the trail Of little Bible
societies which this indomitable
young man left In his wake. His
deeds we're as daring as any In his
tory and his motive as high. The