Evening star., 1916-05-14

with a softly humorous picture "i the
gay makeShift days Of the 'ooothliGS
in their tumble-dow cottage. 1he
story closes also. in ZenaSVille ONO.
But between these two points there is
the family fight TO Italy. through the
kindly accident of Slooooo Wlnhlaii
In Florence aud roundabout. the story
spreads to its widest. in an enSnarinE
web of personal incident. set III the
mellow richness of Italian surround
inss and centered in the guileleSs
croup that has come to hing itself IN
a characteristic abandon of trust upon
this broad breasted mother of the arts.
The GoodchildS are piGeons-Aurelius
the most incorrigible pigeon of them
aIl-fated to he plucked. And so they
would have been had it not been for
John Holland, American and chance
acquaintance. who lowered defenSlVeiN
around this cote of fedglings. 1t was
John Holland who rescued Aurelius
from the most bare-faced and outra-
geous of his seducers. 1t was he. too.
who saved the girls from many logi-
cal outcome of their own social un-
Sophistication-
The main business of this story is
to paint the illusions of hope, to dis
close the deceit that turks in dreams
of genius. in equal part, too, its bust
ness is. in lieu of fame. to offer the
Conversations of love and courtship
and marriage. AS a rule. one heroine
is enough to engage the fun powers
of the novelist. But here Mr. Whit
man carries three abreast in equal
movement of interesting event, and an
aniable rivalry Of diverse charms. One
likes this novel for so many reasons
First there is the good workmanship.
Only the best of skill could produce
such unity of effect out of so wide a
range. out of large variety of
elements. Again, the people are not
only human beings, they are interest
ing human beings. Aurelius is an
abiding JOY. And still again. the back
ground. made of the intimacies of Ital-
ian streets and studios. of cafes and
pensions set in everyday fashion in
the midst Of Italian celebrities of art
Is. perhaps, the most satisfying of all
the sources of pleasure that this ad
mirable novel offers TO the reader.
THE RlDDER: 4. Novel with Several
Heroes. BY Mary :. Watts. author
of Nathan Burke etc. New York:
The Macmillan Company.
The Rudder" is a piece of American
Hfe. cut oat without particular care
about it's name, or location. or boun-
diaries. The point is that il is Ameri-
can. Within this representative area
Mrs Watts has gathered up and
wrought into q social drama certain
striking and suggestive features of
modern life. The drama sums to both
realistic picture and implied commen-
tsry- Family groups aud the common
stock of American everyday interests
FORM the source as well as the back
ground of this novel An engaging.
doWerlcss Young woman is the center
of interest Around her is her family,
deserving mention for the reason that
her uncle. Marshall cook. man of let
tors. is the readers hero here. what
ever his rating by the other char
acters Of the story Itself may he. IN
the street IS the family of the ice
hing. father and son. Down town is
good Mike Dewitt with his kindly wife
and their prodigy Of a son. Tim Dewitt.
later social agitator. plausible
fraud Mr.. T. fhaunreX Dewitt. From
these elcneits Mrs Watts develops AN
American marriage between delightful
Eleanor Miranda aud III" hncrish son
"F Nn1Zi L"ring, ice king. An AIneri-
can divorce comes along iu regular
order then social settlement expert
reutz on the part Of Eleanor, a mar
escape with T Chauucey Dewitt.
and al! manner 0f labor troubles aud
other American institutions to carry
the story along IN an atmosphere "f
native variety and qua iity. Mrs. Watts
has creative Versatility. Her char
@cters are complete. each all or 3 piece
with himself. In very marked degree,
too. she has humor, Il homely. happy.
revealing hum"r that sets out people
and events and conditions with an
astonishing realism. and with d con-
Niucins and direct appeal
ESSAYS AND LITERARY SIT DIES.
Py stephen 1.eacoCk. author "f