Evening star., 1917-03-11
Reviews of New Books

holds himself rigidly to 4 literal record
of the daily doings of the C-2o2 He taxes
one aboard, so to speak, passing over
to him the sensations that come from
dropping down to the bottom of the sea
for a nights lodging al this unique hos
telry. Most vividly. he re-enactS the
drama of sighting an enemy craft. GO
ing through the maneuvers that lie be-
tween that critical moment and the de-
struction of the ship, with men ana
animals fighting hopelessly in the
waves for life. 1t touches the heart Of
this latter-day pirate to see the horses
drown. And once, some sailing ships
sent to the bottom give him a senti-
mental qualm for the old romance of
sailing days. which they revive IN has
mind. But, in the main, there is no emo
ton here but the lust of the hunter.
1t is conspicuously single hearted
undertaking, joyous quest for the lie
of an enemy. That this sea soldier is OF
the right sort is obvious from the APP
plause that greeted this record upon its
publication in the home country. To
the general reader it is bundle of
authentic Information upon one of the
uppermost topics of the moment, as 1t
is, also, clear reflection of the psy
chology underlying the warfare of the
submarine in it's latest manifestation.
If one wants to get hold of the spirit of
under-sea fighting, as well as of its
movement he cannot do better than to
read this blithe, and terrible. little story
about it.
ALL's WELL. BY John Oxenham.
author of Bees in Amber" etc. New
York: George II. Doran Company.
This is a book of helpful verse for
gray days" Already there is proof that
these verses, so devout and hopeful in
the midst of gloom, have communicated
something, at least. of their courage
and faith to thousands of English read
ers. Written in the midst of Eng
lands greatest trial, brought home to
hundreds who are in the deepest of
personal grief. the little book of lyrics
has already fulfilled its end 1t comes
across in the full spirit of its great
"Hail!-and Farewell.'
They died that we might live
Hail, And farewell!
All honor give
To those who. nobly striving, nobly fell.
That we might live!
God Is," the first of these poems has,
in a separate printing, found its way
to over six million readers in Great
Britain alone. 1t is a nobly rhythmic
avowal of spiritual faith that love
conQuers all things-even death"
A SOLDIER OF LIFE. BY Hugh De
Selingcourt. New York: The Mac
milan Company.
What is the war doing to those who
must live crippled and manned after
the war? This is the theme of Hugh
De Selingcourt's novel. 1t is the story
of a youth who returns to England with
the task of reconstructing not only his
own life but of recasting also his views
Of life in general. 1t is not a pleasant
story-naturally not a pleasant story.
The writer, with intuitive sympathy
and with a good mastery of the art of
drama, projects the development of this
enforced new outlook upon the same
old world in a manner of strong appeal
and interest. Even the fear, and, in
deed, the prospect of insanity. becomes
a legitimate part of this development.
Not soldier of the war, but in that
far harder role of a soldier of life
after war has had its way with one,
does this strong and consistently
worked out novel deal. 1t is d big
hitherto taken by the novelist. preoc-
cupied as he is with the war itself.
CONFESSIONS OF A SOCIAL SECRE-
TARY. By Corinne Lowe. New
York: Harper & Bros.
One suspects that this social secre-
tary lost her job early in the under
taking. Either that, or she Is a real
JekyI-and-Hyde of a secretary. To be
sure. in order to behave. or to mis-
behave. as absurdly as 1T does society
must have been hypnotized by some
malicious spirit for the sheer laughter
Of seeing it make fool of itself, but
even so our secretary could not have
maintained herself long within this
charmed circle unless she was a very.
devil of a make-believe. However, that
is none of our affair. All we have to
do is to take the book in hand and
receive manifold and multitudinous
verification of what we have for long
suspected of the idle rich. 1t is the
idIeness that does it. Take our own
noses from the grindstone and throw
us upon our more or less empty selves
for such a sum of occupations and pre-
occupations as are required to keep us
within the boundaries of decency. and
no doubt that we. too. would become