The Detroit times., 1917-07-24
BOOK REVIEWS

shoulder hard Every word is
thought for the complacent Amerl-
can In his SNUG satisfaction with
himself, his country and all that
belongs thereto.
Richard b. Badger, Boston; 800.
GOOD MORNING. RosAMoND. by
Constance Skinner, an adventurous
tale tho all transplrIna in the Sc
date and thoroly respectable
house Of an English gentlewomsn.
Since the Prisoner OF Zenda we
have had many gentlemen. or just
plain Yankees. incorporating as
kings or travelling. incognito. as per
sons OF tremendous importance. In
this case We reverse the tables.
Here is a real prince. or some sort
OF royalty. masquerading as house
breaker. Perhaps not quite that.
but he is arrested as one Just the
same and the respectable English
people OF the town will give him
the full penalty OF the law until
they suddenly discover bis real
status when they bow and scrape
with true English servility. II is a
clever. little love story with some
breezy dialogue between the tramp
and Mrs. Mearely. Lady" said the
tramp, "once I. too, was respectable.
but | have lived II down" and ex
plains 10 her that he left the world
because he was born TO be a poet.
Society does not need poets. SO
ciety's great need is chauffeurs and
could never stomach the smell OF
gasoline" There Ii a comical sltua-
ton around which all the characters
revolve Altogether IL is much bet
ter than the usual light story and
reminds one OF Locke at his best.
Doubleday. Page & Company.
New York. s135.
POEMS, by Ralph Hodeson, an Eng
Iish poet little known In America
until recently. but with a host OF
admirers In England and lately
awarded the Edward do poIlgnac
prize.
THE Bull" an epic Of life II ever
there was one. should bring lasting
fame TO this strong. virile. forceful
writer who sees all and blinks at
naught. II ever the beauty and
splendor OF strength and power was
put into verse. II ever the sting
and bitterness OF weakness, IL ever
the vanity OF all things temporal,
has been sung, il is in this splendid
poem. II runs the gamut OF physi-
cal life and the pride and Joy there
OF from the maternal love and In
stinct to the carrion vultures wait
ing 10 pull the exhausted body to
pieces This is the story OF the bull.
il does not pretend TO be anything
else: bur the bull is not so different
from man and there is no doubt but
that Mr. Hodgson felt H. II IL the
story OF the survival Of the f1ttest
and. as such, Is tragic Other poems
"F>ye" and "Ghoul Care" are almost
equally good tho not as long The
conflict az the soul and the body
in the latter and the triumph OF the
soul Is written in an entirely new
7ein. In Il the victor hurls defiance
Al the fend and invites him 10 come
on and meet him with all the
glooms and SHUTS OF hell behind
you There are only FIVE verses,
but each one is pregnant with mean
ing and the imagery of whelps hays,
bats and lizards Is remarkably
vivid. Macmillan. the publisher, has
lrlnted and bound this book most
attractively in the best OF paper
Macmillan. New York. 75c
THE COMPLAINT OF PEACE, by
Erasmus, translated from the
Querela Pacis, written by the ia
nous religious Dutch scholar. In
1921, and reprinted from a rare
old English version.
Altho 400 years have passed since
this remarkable book was written
so fundamentally true is II that II
applies 10 conditions today as well
as II did IN Erasmus time. II is "A
soliloquy Of Peace. who speaks in
her own person OF the wrongs com
mitted against her by man. sup
ms of q Wife