davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-07-23
REVIEWS OF BOOKS
OF MIDSUMMER
Battles" etc. New York: George
H. Doran Company

Battles" etc. New York: George
H. Doran Company.
The basis Of this romance of invasion
unpreparedness of the United States to
defend itself against foreign agrees
sion. Mr.. Moffett has here most sue
cessfully dramatized these facts by way
OF an imaginary German invasion OF
this country. Military experts. 1t Is
said. declare this action to lie wei!
within the limits of plausibility, and
certainly its separate events carry one
along in an absorbing realism Of eff
feet. The story sets the invasion for
1921, when the German army. first at
lacking the Panama canal, sweeps the
eastern seaboard with a celebrity and
precision Of destruction taught them
by the war in which they are now en-
gagged. That the outcome is finally
favorable to the United States appears
to rest on the writer's good nature, on
his instructive reluctance to see his
own country beaten even in a work of
fiction. rather than to the logic of our
manifestly unprepared condition. How
ever. this is a vigorous and highly
dramatic portrayal of what might hap
pen to America should she. at the close
OF the European war. be attacked by a
victorious power in that conflict. Pos
sibly this story Is stronger as propa-
ganda than 1T is as romance. Be this
as it may. it is stirring and pro-
foundly interesting picture of war in
vited and entertained by the bare fact
of country's defenselessness.
FROM MONS TO YPREs WITH GEN
FRENCH A Personal Narrative.
By Frederic Coleman. Illustrated.
New York: Dodd, Mead & Co.
Frederic Coleman. the American who.
for ten months. served with the Royal
Automobile Club in Flanders and the
north of France In the first British ex-
force. under Sir John
French, here gives a first-hand account
of the events lying between Mons and
Ypres. The story begins with the re-
first battle of Ypres, where the Prus-
sian Guard failed and the lines of the
allies held fast This was the period
when the allies went to school and
learned most valuable lessons from an
enemy of Incompatible resource and
preparedness. In passing. this record
makes note of some of these lessons of
war, but, in the main, this is a story
OF individuals and not a report on the
technic or strategy of warfare. In
Incidents and scenes crowd
worked out in a vividness of detail and
with hfelikeness of effect that brings
one as near to the actual facts of Mr..
Coleman's own experiences as 1t is
possible for a purely human document
to place him. The story closes with
an interesting account of the Christmas
truce. with its temporary fraternizing
between the soldiers of the opposed
trenches. Illustrations and a map add
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-07-23

Reasons having. nothing to do with the
scientific achievements of Wallace have
made him. somewhat less well known
than others in that brilliant coterte OF
Investigators Of the past century. The
purpose of this volume is. in part to
place him where he Of right belongs
with Darwin and Spencer, with Hooker
and; Lyeu and Huxley. In other part,
it's purpose is to place before the read
er and student concise summary of
the influence and work of Alfred Rus
sci Wallace.
THE MEMOIRS OF. A PHYSICIAN. By
vikenty Veressayev Translated
from the Russian by Simeon Lin
den. Introduction by Henry Pleas
ants. jr., NJ. D. New York: Alfred
A. Knopf.
BY virtue Of the fact that the medical
profession is even yet tinged with the
mystery of hocus-pocus and ceremonial
that completely enveloped it in the
middle ages, one stands in amazement
before the notion of a physician come
to confession. But that Is just what
this Russian physician has done. This,
mind you, Is not a confession OF sin,
but rather of bewilderment. In situa-
ton where conscience is wide awake
and where intimate and open avowal
is the keynote of disclosure. Stating
his own case, the writer says: Seven
years ago l completed my studies at
the faculty of medicine. l am but an
ability and. average knowledge. 1 find
myself entangled in web of contra
dictions, and I am utterly powerless
to solve many Of the hard problems
which arise before me at every step.
am about to describe my sensations
on my first acquaintance with medi-
cine, what 1 expected of it, how 1t
actually affected me: I will write of
my first Independent steps on the high
road of my professional career, Of the
Impressions I obtained from my prac-
tice. 1 will endeavor to set down all.
hiding nothing" Then, in a frankness
of treatment that only a Russian. or a
Frenchman. can command, this writer
throws open the whole subject as it
has, along his seven-year course, beset
him with bewildering and anxious
problems He discusses with perfect
freedom the uncertainty Of diagnosis,
the inevitable risks Of surgery. the
many-sided puzzle that the patient
his physician, the advantage of frank
ness and the benefits of Cooperation
between the two. Doctors and Money"
is a significant chapter. as is also Doc
equally interesting and suggestive
topics here. topics that both the doc
tor and the patient would do we'll to
read. The book Is almost pathetically
simple in it's earnest and serious self
disclosure. 1t is vitality appealing also
to the great mass of possible patients
that exist among the ranks of the peo-
pie generally.
IF We FULFILL THE ROYAL LAW.
By A. H. w, author of He Re-
storeth My Soul etc. New York
G. P. Putnams Sons.
This Is study of the life of Christ
through the media of history, psy-
chology and the spiritual significance
Of that life. The purpose here is to
demonstrate that Christ exemplifies the
sovereign law Of life and to make clear
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-07-23

sergeancy and turned him into q pas
sion of revolt against the injustice of
the world as a whole and the pushing
severity of France in particular against
her faithful defenders. Surely the pres
emit situation warrants our hearing
again from our good friend and well
come companion, Pierre Miles Barna-
vaux.
MY LADY OF THE ISLAND, Tale
of the South Sens. By Beatrice
Grimshaw. Illustrations by Harvey
T. Dunn. Chicago: A. c. McClurg
& Co.
Pure adventure appears to be the
sole justification of this tale of the
South seas. To multiply exciting
events is it's manifest purpose. To be
sure, there is a touch of archaeological
research as motive for action. to which
lous pearl deposit somewhere in the
Pacific" This somewhere" finally be-
comes central in the islands neighbor-
ing New Guinea. And here, what with
large assortment of swift and ter
rible tropical storms, mutinous sailor
crew and harborage upon a cannibal
island. both the powers of the two
heroes and the credulity of the reader
are taxed to the uttermost. To adj
venture love story is added. A sur
passing lady Of the island" takes COM
petent and generous care of this part
of the development. Paul Corbet, the
hero OF the romance and one of the
two heroes of the adventure, tells the
story. beginning with his running
away from his English home and
boarding the Empress of Singapore for
the other side of the world. 1t is in
the manner of this telling that the
er one even than it's evident lack of
convincing motive. The story is told
in woman's way. The kind of detail
to which the writer sets young Cor
bet is feminine upon its face. When
real man-stripe of action is booked by
an agile turn of the wrist the story
slithers off away from it into the safer
waters of plain sailing. There Is plenty
of feeling here. rather finely poetic
feeling, and much admirable descrip-
ton. but it is undeniably of the fem
mime brand and not at all in the man
ner or lusty young English ad-
venturer.
md "Reminiscences. BY ,Ia'rrS TAR
chant. New York: Harper & Bros
These letters and "reminiscences serve,
in effect, to bring into rightful asso-
citation two great scientists of the
nineteenth century. These are Charles
Darwin and Alfred Russell Wallace, CO.
ulSCoNciciS VI lIie theory OF natural Sc
lection as an adequate explanation of
the process of organic evolution. Here is
made public for the first time, in its
entirety. the historic correspondence OF
these two men, correspondence that
shows them working along parallel
lines of investigation, exchanging
views upon the subject, each proving
his work by that of the other both
combining in a common passion for the
truth of science applied to biological
deVelODnent Of 10
book is given over to a comparative
consideration of these two men in the
relative effects of birth and environ
ment upon their subsequent careers
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-07-23
A Lame Answer.

GIT HE allies have no right to lose
and destroy neutral mail"
The speaker. a senator. He resumed:
ITO lose our mail isn't, of course, as
bad as to submarine our women and
babies. Still. the allies shouldn't do It,
and their answer to our accusations is
as lame as the convict's answer to the
divine.
my man. a divine said sternly to a
convict. own up. 1t was your passion
for strong drink that brought you
here. wasn't it.?
Holy smoke, no, parson,' said the
convict. You don't know this joint,
guess. It's about the last place on
earth a feiler'd come to II he was
lookin' for anything to drink"
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-07-23

One Of the attractive specimens Is a
harlequin snake, a small and quite
slender fellow with alternate black
and red bands each about an inch long
and each separated from the other by a
narrow band of yellow. II one will
pause to read the descriptive card this
is the Information 1t will convey: Not
withdrawing It's harmless appearance.
popularity indicated by it's small head.
the harlequin snake is one Of the most
deadly poisonous snakes. Fortunately,
cases of bite from this snake are rare,
owing to its gentle disposition and the
smallness of its mouth. but the bite
when inflicted Is very dangerous"
The harlequin is a relative OF the In
dian cobra. and it's poison. like that of
the latter. Is essentially different from
that of the rattlesnake in that 1t
chiefly attacks the vasa motor Of the
nervous system without causing much
local trouble at the wound. The harle-
Quin snake occurs in all of the south
ern states from South Carolina to Flor
ida and along the gulf states into
Mexico. In the Mississippi valley 1t ex-
tends as far north as southwestern In
diana and southwestern Ohio. 1t lives
mostly underground, preferriug sweet
potato patches, and Il feeds, like ali
the cobras. on other snakes and lizards
The oso0sshsad exhibit is popular
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-07-23

PRINCIPLES OF CONSTITUTIONAL
GOVERNMENT. By Frank j. Good
now. LII D., president of Johns Hop
kins University. New York: Harper
&c Bros.
-HE lectures upon which this
study OF constitutional gov
eminent is based were de-
livered at Picking University
by the president Of Johns
Honk,ns. DR.. Goodnow's purpose in
that undertaking was obviously. to
present to his Asiatic audience clean
cut outline of the essentials of this
form of government, and. at the Same
time. to set out in Enthusiastically clear
terms the principles that underlie its
DEVELOPMENT. The chief obstacle here
would as matter of course, be that
of getting this material across. Minds
stepped in the traditions of an ancient
empire and shaped by unbroken CEN
turtles of abSolutism have no nucleus
of experience with which to interpret
the novel notion of a government of
laws, rather than government by
man. In order to Surmount this bar
rier, DIR. Goodnow makes his study con-
crete, illustrative, comparative. Cross
sectioning the world of government by
constitutions. he draws for example
upon the United States. Great Britain.
continental Europe and Japan for an
objective development of this subject,
both in it's basic outline and in the
variants from this that region, race and
other fundamental circumstance may
produce Simplicity. order and empha-
sis upon the laws of constitutional evo-
luton. upon the principles of consti-
tutional growth, stand as the char
acteristics of this study. Under this
general plan of treatment DR.. Good
now takes up a consideration of the
federal governments of the United
States. Canada. Australia and the
South African union in their likenesses
and differences Here, too, he dis
cusses. by the comparative method. the
American and European conceptions
of executive power. of legislative func-
ton. of the courts in their position and
power, of the relative notion of private
rights this notion exists in the
United States, in England and in con-
tinental Europe. The local institutions
of these three areas are also studied in
poets of the subject of constitutional
government. Both the matter and the
method of these lectures constitute ma
terial for the best of text books and for
an equally useful book for the general
reader. These are embodied in this
volume, and to them, for this later pur-
pose. the writer has added a valuable
appendix and a carefully selected bibn-
ography. The study belongs to the
Harper's citizens series devoted to the
purpose of training in the funda-
mentals of good citizenship.
THE CONQUEST OF AMERICA. BY
Cleveland Moffett, author Of
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-07-23
/ A. Real Joy-Ride

comprises the southern United States
from southern Virginia to Florida, and
1t is found also along the Mississippi
river and it's southern tributaries as
far as southern Missouri. southern ILL.,
nois and western Kentucky"
The water moccasin is the terror of
the negroes who labor in the rice
plantations where this snake Is more
dreaded than the rattlesnake, which
only bites when irritated or In self
defense. The water moccasin, on the
contrary, attacks everything that
comes within It's reach. Being a large
and heavy snake. its bite is quite
dangerous. though. on account of the
lesser degree of virulence of its poison,
fatalities are probably not numerous.
1t Is also known in the south as the
cotton-mouth snake on account of the
wilderness on the inside of its mouth
and 1t Is often mistaken for harmless
water snakes.
The descriptive card does not tend
very much to allay the suspicion which
most persons feel toward water snakes.
because the card, after telling that
the water moccasin is often mistaken
for harmless water snakes. continues:
are very difficult to tell apart, though
upon closer inspection the poisonous
species may be identified by the deep
pit between the nostril and the eye.
the presence of large poison fangs and
the mostly undivided plates under the
tail"
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-07-23
to this already realistic report Of af-
fairs within the trench lines

to this already realistic report of at
fairs within the trench lines.
BLOW THE MAN DOWN. A Romance
Of the Coast. BY Holman Day.
author of THE Landloper," etc.
New York: Harper & Bros.
BLOW the Man Down" is. primarily.
a tale of the sea. From this medium
come its swift action and tonic airs.
story OF big business. engaged in abb
sorbing it's weaker rivals through
methods that lack nothing in rascality
Of plan and holiness of execution. To
add a coveted coastwise shipping line
to an already widespread system of
transportation Is the motive underlying
this robust adventure. Schemes cal
of the smaller company, and. incident
ally. to jeopardize the lives of those
employed by it, work out here in a
rapid succession of sea hazards and
deliverances. A love story serves to
complicate matters still further by US
ing as its principals youth and girl
1.-The warning powers. The charm of
Sthe book rests in its sea adventures, all
other elements in its construction serv-
ing only the purpose of giving the sea
it's chance to test thoroughly the skill
and daring of those set against it here.
Like all of Holman Days other books,
this one, too, savors Of the New Eng
land coast and it's natural occupations
In this one, however. there is added a
conspicuous phase of modern business
outlook and method This addition cuts
out a bigger job for the writer, makes
a more ambitious demand upon him
than most of his story themes have
done. But every chapter here furnishes
the most convincing sort of evidence
that Mr.. Day made no mistake when he
enlarged the borders Of his story-tell-
ing.
LOUISE AND BARNAvAUX. BY Pierre
Mile. Translated from the French
by Berengere Drillien. Illustrations
by Helen McKie. New York: John
Lane Company.
Through the good Offices of Pierre
Mile we have had the joy of meeting
the inimitable Barnavaux before. This
time. however. he comes in his proper
war setting, old soldier that he is. And
this time, too. invulnerable as he
hitherto boasted himself to be. Barna-
vaux is figuring as a hero of romance.
But whether soldering or lowering, he
is the fncorrigible philosopher. digging
under the outside of every incident of
his rough existence to find out what it
Is about and what it means to have
life behave in this way, or in that.
Many generally accepted things puzzle
Barnavaux sorely. His monologues and
dialogues over these sum to a sturdy
commentary on human nature and So
cial custom, a commentary that serves
to cover more than merely Barnavaux's
own questionings. When these sketches
open Barnavaux belongs to the French
colonial infantry. He is in the east,
lording it over Chinese coolies and
boasting that he could never liye in
France again. Events in France, how
ever. are bringing every Frenchman
home and soon these little stories of
Barnavaux move forward within his
native land toward Louise. and the
disaster that shut the old soldier out
for the time being. from his coveted
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-07-23
BIG EXHIBIT OF SNAKES ...
i'm THE NATIONAL, MUSEUM
."Hello!J

r7HHE exhibit of snakes in the Ma
tional Museum strongly influences
the large number of visitors who
stray that way. Many persons who
come upon 1t turn away with evident
fear. usually saying something to the
effect that they cannot bear even to
look upon such things. Others linger
around the glass cases containing the
exhibits as though charmed by the
spectacle AS an exhibit of snakes it
IL a magnificent spectacle. Splendid
specimens of numerous species have
been collected and are displayed with
due and artistic regard to realism
The rattlesnake division seems to
hold the greatest interest for visitors
and there is magnificent. or afro
cious. specimen Of the diamond RATHER
displayed in a scene representing his
natural haunt. This specimen is six
feet 1--WE and a quarter inches long and
thick Of body and large of head. The
middle of his body is as thick as the
calf of a large mans leg and II does
not taper down to slim proportions as
in the case of most members of the
snake tribe. Its general appearance
is wicked and justiies the repute in
which 1t is held Though this specimen
fhentic record Of the killing of a rat
tier c' this species which had a length
OF eight feet nine inches. The diamond
RATHER Is the largest of the poisonous
snakes OF North America and il NAV be
that II is the largest of all the snakes
OF the North American continent. The
descriptive card over the exhibit saws
that the diamond RATHER Is also the
most deadly Of the American snakes,
though fatalities are comparatively
Few considering its abundance"
This terrible snake inhsbits a COM
paratiVeiy small area In the southeast
ern part of the United States. From
Florida, which seems to be the center
OF It's distribution. it ranges northward
along the Atlantic coast into North
Carolina. westward along the Gulf of
Mexico to New Orleans and thence up
the Mississippi river as far as Arkan-
sas. According to the Official descrip-
ton of this snake. 1t Is sometimes call
ed the water rattler'' because of its
artiality to the neighborhood of water.
1t il not. however. to be COMPOUNDED
with the water moccasin. which 10 also
a poisonous species. but which belongs
to another genus.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-07-23

handsome flowers and fruit. The pa
paw is only precariously hardy in New
England"
The range Of the papaw is wide. The
western part Of the state of New York
and the western shores of Lake Ontario
the fruit. 1t occurs in eastern and CEN
trail Pennsylvania and thence spreads
west to southern Michigan. Indiana. east
ern Kansas and south to middle Florida
and the valley of the Sabine river in
Texas
Though 1t is recorded in works Of
botany that it is comparatively rare
in the region bordering the Atlantic
sea board, 1t Is well known in the country
around Washington. 1t is very COM
mon in the Mississippi valley, forming
the thick forest underground on river
bottom lands and sometimes occupying
large tracts to the exclusion of other
growths. The presence of this tree is
said to be always an indication Of deep,
rich and moist soil. and it attains its
streams flowing into the lower and
those of central and southern Ar
kansas.
Lloyd, In his work on the drugs and
scribes the papaw:
The skin Of the fully grown fruit is at first
green covered with glaucous bloom. The flesh
Is at this time green. gradually turning white
toward the center. 1t is firm and may be
broken with a sharply defined fracture which
generally intersects a seed from which 1t sep
arates easily and 1t has q fetid odor and a most
disagreeable favor.
As the fruit ripens the flesh changes from
green to yellow, the tough grain becoming soft.
When fully ripe the skin is dark brown or al
most black. The flesh is then semi-transparent,
sweet and luscious to the taste. the delicacy Of
the flavor increasing after the fruit has been
slightly frozen. The fruit Of the papaw In this
stage is wholesome and may be eaten freely.
1t is sold in large quantities in the cities and
towns in those parts of the country where the
the large eastern markets.
Lloyd also says that a white. color
less and tasteless alkaloid called
asimine has been obtained from :he
seeds of the fruit, and that studies
of this product show that 1t acts on
the brain of animals. causing sonro-
lence and finally stupor and uncon-
Those persons who are given to the
habit of eating papaws recognize two
varieties Of the fruit. the yellow and
the white. The yellow flesh is edible
and there is no difference in the trees.
White papaws retain their disak ce.-
able odor until they decay. They do
not turn yellow upon ripening. and 1t
has been written that they will sisxen
those persons who highly relish the
other fruit.
The papaw tree Is often only al
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-07-23
Daughter

shrub. though under favorable con-
ditfons it sometimes attafns a height
of thirty or forty feet and a diameter
of trunk of about one foot. The fruit
ripens in September and October. 1t
is from three to i've inches long, about
half an inch in diameter. and weighs
from six to twelve ounces.