Evening star., 1917-10-21

IAE SOUL OF A BIBHOFs BY n. ".
Wells. author Of ''Mr. Britling Sees
1t Through" etc. Frontispiece by
c. Allan Gilbert. New York: The
Macmillan Company.
-N "The Soul Of A Bishop" Mr.. Wells
brings the church before the tri-
bunal OF the great war In this
Il deeply penetrating study of the
heart and soul Of an eminent
churchman, and through the medium OF
realistic story of English life. he
probes the religion Of the present for
whatever of substance it may hold to
meet the appeal of devastated world.
The judgment. gathering throughout
the story. is condemnation of the
church. as thing that has lost Its soul
through an overcare Of the body,
through smother Of attitudes and ha-
biliments and forms. through the sick
ness OF endless differences and contro-
versies. GraveIy intellectual and with
the analytical habit Of the man OF
science. Mr.. WelIs-through the SOUL
awakening of the bishop himself
takes up. one after another. the salient
features Of church activity and atti-
tude. In their bearing upon the great
urgencies OF the present. and upon the
cry oI th0 INDIVIDUAL neaTt IOE some
anchorage In this storm swept time. By
implication. rather than by direct ex-
position. there grows beside this ex-
posure OF an empty church shell the
vision Of religion itself. = vision as SIM
pie as love IL simple. 1t is an absorbing
study. as remarkable for the courage OF
its exposition as 1t is for the painstak-
Ing and fair-minded quality OF its an
alysis. 1t asks. and attempts an answer.
to the questions that the great majority
of people already have in mind: "Wha.
10 the matter with the church," why
IL 1t not openly and gloriously in the
front onsuins, Line -: Of this this tremendous world
cretive about II the church really is
putting its force back Of this march
toward freedom7" Mr.. Wells novel
causes one to wonder II churchmsn
everywhere will not--like the bishop in
--soul-saying. world-saving religion
outside OF the muitifarious confusions
Of ritual and dogma.
THE RISE OF DAVID LEyINsKY, A
Novel. By Abraham Cahan. New
York: Harper 4 Bros.
This novel Is after the Russian
method Of realism In hction-a real
ism that regards no detail as negligi-
BILE. provided 1t contributes in any
degree to the essential qualities of the
person or situation or action under
the writer's consideration. The book
ography Of an American who has had
a useful and substantial career. 1t
is on the contrary, piece of pure
fiction. the life-story OF a Russian
Jew immigrant. Through it's multi
t1dinous details the story moves from
David Levinsky Of the Russian ghetto
to David Levinsky the millionaire
CLOAK manufacturer Of New York. No
essential step Of this epic progress is
omitted or scanted in treatment. The
whole is moving picture-colorful
striking. dramatic. convincing. Greater
than this documented record. even. Is
the story that unfolds under this sur
and soul Of the boy and man. David
Levinsky. The impact OF young and
prosperous America upon this ori-
entail and idealistic nature Is pictured
heTe hers with rho IVA waywi's hw ana powerful
individual life. the drama of keenly
responsive personality. in a new en-
vironment Of vast and varied possi-
bilities.
BAREEi Son of kasan. BY James
Oliver Curwood. author Of "Kazan,"
etc. illustrations by Frank B. Hoff-
man. New York: Doubleday. Page
& Co.
Did you read Curwood's "Kasan"--the
story Of the great dog. Kaxan, exemplar
Of q true knighthood toward his mate.
the blind gray wolf? II you did you
are already keen for the history Of
Baree, wolf-dog son Of the twain. And
II you did not read the former. the lat
ter, by itself, stapds as stirring adj
venture Of the far Canadian northwest.
with the half-brsed Baree-more dog
than wolf--its center of action and in
tersst. Mr.. Curwood makes o striking
drama here of the conflict going on in
Baree between the wolf and the dog
instinct, leading him, through the vio-
tory of the latter. toward that friend
ship for man and that fealty to him for
which the dog is 30 generally beloved.
Marking this struggle are wild nights
when Baree goes A-marauding with the
wolf-pAck. and Tong weeks thereafter
when he Is the happy companion and
eafeguard Of his human friends in their
danesrops and savage environment. It
IL one Of the few coed dog stories that