Evening star., 1917-04-08
Reviews of New Books

I n
David Graham Phillips, author of
The Husbands story etc. New
York: II. Appleton Il Co
a HORRIBLE story-so horrible
n that everybody able to lift a
IA finger ought to read it. But
"A to have II read widely would
make an awful row. That is
why II ought to be read generally. To
he sure the nice lazy folks would de
clare it to he absolutely untrue and the
nice modest folks would pronounce II
not only untrue but indecent as we'll
Nevertheless. there would remain a
remnant of serious and honest readers
willing to admit from the inside evi-
dence of this story, coupled with their
general knowledge of life. that David
Graham Phillips set out to write an alb
sofuteIy true story of a condition that
actually exists. One can imagine him
taking up this novel as the most seri-
Gus work that he ever did or ever eX-
pected to do. Certainly he projected it
with startling effect. whether one looks
upon it as pure social drama or as pow
erful propaganda. Phillips embodied
this condition in the person of Susan
Lcnox. out of circumstances that are
by 10 means uncommon Susan LenoX
becomes street girl. 1t is IN this
career that Phillips follows her, liter
ally step by step. leaving little to ones
imagination in the fan OF susan Lemon.
10 read this book is to put II down
many a time, unable TO 20 on. Modesty
iifrontedr No. soul narrowed instead.
Why write this terrible story? For the
good reason that there is get-at-able
and removable cause underlying the
fan of Susan LenoX. Fundamentally.
the cause Is wages not worth the
counting. Following this is the Sc
quence OF hunger, cold, wet. with
crowded. sinking, lousy quarters for
girls to live in. Then there is the
warmth of the cheap saloon. and the
table to sit by, waiting for the man to
come along to huy food and warming
drink, and little Of forgetfulness of
chilled bodies and sopping feet, and all
the rest of physical torture. II all goes
back t" the living wage. All? Ninety
nine per cent. That is where the gen
eral reader comes in here. However
and beside this. David Graham Phillips
has more than justified his short exist
cnce by this mastery and courageous
drama. What about the rise of
Susan" Well, Susan had IL soul YOU
see, and what is more. Susan knew, fit
fully and way down inside herself that
she was a personality, IL fine and lifting
intelligence. So, Susan was bound to
any substantial recognition and help,
outside her own unconquerable self in
this revolt against the things that had
taken her SO completely in hand. There
may be, in creative literature, a more
courageous thing than the story Of
Susan 1.enoX-but one does not recall it.
1t is a great story, and some time-a
thousand years from now-it will be
crowded into hands from which. in the
present, it is bound to be so sedulousIy
excluded.
TREASURE. BY Gertrude s. Mathews
Illustrated from photographs. New
York: Henry Holt Company
Treasure" is travel story of
tropical South America-the quest of
lost mine. On reading this book one
is again reminded that the worth
whileness of travel stories depends
wholly upon the traveller. Two. cover
ing the same trail and prompted by
the same motive. emerge with products
as wide apart in their effect as the
equator is remote from the poles. This
is the right sort of treasure-hunter
and explorer. He has imagination
to be sure, plenty of ii. otherwise, he
would never have gone a-hunting for
:, lost gold mine. He has no end of
plain sense. and about an equal amount
of pure nonsense. People interest him
prod giously - even South American
tribes OF only short-range native no
tiuus. lie makes them interest us also
Admiring the infinite craft of the In
dian in his native wilds, he laments
and wishes ardentiy that my mother
had farmed mo out to Indians when l
was puppy" lie has an eye for the
striking and the picturesque all along
this tropical way. These mental and
temperamental possessions he uses to-
such good account in this adventure
that renders have the rare trent of IL
truly enjoyable book OF traveI--one
from which the juice Of the travellers