Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-02-11

finely wholesome trust in folks, Mr.
webster possesses in marked degree
also the art of the interesting story
teller.
OFT OF THE HOUSE. By NJ. q. F.
Irwin, author of Come Out to Play.
New York: George H. Doran Com
pany.
This is a novel of striking personal
fly and effect. Is it novel? Is 1t not
rather a place set apart. where people
of eccentric habit live up to their Pc
culiarities in the security OF seclusion'
with the reader looking in at the WIN
dow, so to speak, an unseen witness OF
their vagarious ways? Just few more
degrees Of what the inmates of this
house already possess and the mouse
would take its place as a private 1nsti-
tuition of exclusive patronage for the
mildly insane. There Is almost no &C
ton here-that is. there is only faint
line of action. This, such as 1t Is, is
rescue line. designed to get a young
girl out of this weirdly mysterious
house. Within the house. beside the
girl herself, are three mummies, witch
of an old woman and countless pictures
of family ancestors covering the walls,
they as much alive as are the folks who
move about the floors. On the outside
two boys one insane and the other an
anemic religionist. These are the COM
panions of the young girl. who. brought
up in these uncanny surroundings, 1s
sleeping beauty, an unignited personality.
The only action arises from the efforts OF
q young 1rishman who loves the girl 10
get her away from this house the story
II it be a story, is independent OF action
1t takes one firmly in its grip solely by
virtue Of the people 1t creates and the
black atmosphere that it generates. The
great, gloomy, old house. with its haunt
ing pictured men and women, gathers
fn%o rrit Of n
pirsonment and uneasy apprehensions.
The diabolical old woman, the girls
guardian. is the veriest witch that ever
rode a broom through the sky The uncle
of the girl is of the devils brood, and
but what is the use of calling the roll In
this institution? One is not finding fault
here. he is simply marveling over tho
peculiar kind of power possessed by this
writer in her particular line of charac-
terization. 1t is power, great power-of
the order possessed by Emily Bronte and
Poe.
WHY MEN FIGHT, A Method Of Abol-
fishing the International Duel. By
Bertrand Russell. M. A, F. r. 8.
New York: The Century Company.
This is. in sum. philosophic inquiry
into the springs of human action. Its
prime purpose Is to search out from the
depths Of human nature itself the
causes of the great war. Concurrent
covering such forces within the nature
of man as shall surmount and over
come ultimately. those impulses that
take effect in international strife. The
writer pursues this quest of human
motive, human desire and human ideals
by way of the institutions that man
has set up, in his own image. Here is
a study of the state in Its origin, its
meaning and its obligations. Here is
a study of thesinstitution Of property.
of marriage. of education. of war and
religion and of the individual in his re-
lation to the whole. Fundamentally
education is to be the door out Of which
men may finally pass into a common
realization that no conceivable issue
of war Is as desirable as the generally
beneficent effects Of peace. This sets
the pattern and defines the quality of
the education through whose Offices
such end is to be attained. Truth is to
be the essence of this education. For
instance, if the truth of historic fact
were presented it would break down
national barriers. instead of fostering
false pride that serves to build them
higher This truth in education will
bring it's own spiritual enlargement,
one that finally presents the world as
unit rather than as q pandemontum of
snarling combatants. Scholarship and
culture. clear thinking and fine sim
plicity of manner are the marks OF this
book, which is bound for far faring
and wide hearing.
MY BIRTH. BY Armenouhie T. Lam
son. New York: The Macmillan
Company.
This is the nine month autobiography
Of an infant in its prenatal state. The
story sums to q body of useful knowl-
edge of anatomy. physiology and of the
subtle reactions and influences that
contribute to the development of the
unborn child. With patient particu-
larity of detail the narrative grows,
along with the day-by-day growth OF
the baby, noting changes. pointing out