Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-02-04
Reviews of New Books

the bitter facts of the present it is.
nevertheless, a book of vision, one that
shows the real contest to be in the
future. when the forces of peace shall
unite in a passion Of democratic broth
erhood against the monStrouS possible
ity of war and against the present I'M
democratic practices of peace. This is
one Of the significant points OF the
book. Here is a woman entrenched, IN
theory behind the safeguards and
privileges of the English aristocracy.
But she refuses to be so entrenched.
She comes out from behind this pro-
tective bulwark to preach democracy.
That is finely inspiring. The attitude
of this writer is, too, in relation to
every one of the urgent aspects of the
present, such a compromising and sane
attitude Whether she is considering
"Woman's Loss-and Gain in the two
years of war. or the drink legislation
in England, or CONSUMPTION, or race
suicide or war wives and babies, or
war babies of wifeless mothers, or
whether she is stretching the new
social horizon. it is all the same. Here
is one who thinks logically and sound
" and who expresses herself with
frankness and wisdom. The book
ought to induce a new and fine feel
ing on the part of women generally
toward any number of urgent matters
that the war has served to loosen out
from their conventional restrictions.
SUSPENDED JUDGMENTS. By John
Cowper Powys, author of War and
Culture" etc. New York: G. Arnold
Shaw.
Under the modest reserve of this title
are gathered some very keenly discern
ing discussions of books, and writers,
and of certain opposed elements in lit
erary production that are hanging In
the balance of general literary judg-
ment Among those who here look
across toward one in most immediate
appeal are Henry James, Oscar Wide,
Joseph Conrad and Anatole France
Concerning each of these the writer
has things to say that are extremely
worth while to the reader. Worth
while by virtue of the broad and init
mate acquaintance with their work
that Mr.. Powys possesses, by the rich
background of literary scholarship
perspective and by the excellence OF
his critical powers The right sort or
a. critic can throw world OF light over
a writer for the advantage of the read
er. Mr.. PowyS is, clearly, one of the
right sort. Among the interesting ap-
praisals and appropriations that appear
here, in addition to those already
named, are studies of William BAKE,
Emily Bronte, Byron. Paul Nerlalne,
Victor Hugo, Guy de Maupassant, Bal
FAC At the head, as the one from
whom many of these others derived.
stands Montaigne. Montalgne is the
prototype of modernism in literature.
Starting at this point of modernism in
Montaigne. Mr.. Powys has. by his selec-
ton of studies. indicated the various
currents that this modern stream of
literature has made and has gathered
each of these up to its essential char
acteristics and tendencies and tentative
values.
ANDVART's RING. BY Arthur Peter
son. New York: g. +. Putnams
Sons.
Mr. Peterson gives a new poetic YER
sion of a story that has been used over
and over again as theme for poet,
dramatist and musician. This is the
story of Sigurd and Gunter, of Brynhild
and Gudrun Here the hero is an ad-
venturer by sea as well as by land, a
Norseman questing heroic adventure
fifteen hundred years ago, just When
the ancient world was moving toward
its rebirth as the modern age. One to-
day gets a hold on this remote story
by virtue of the fact that the adven-
turers of the north were the ancestors
of those restless Seafaring men who
from the days of Elizabeth down to
the present have kept the ocean paths
open to the traffic of civilization. In
the poetic mechanism that Shakespeare
himself used. this poet tells the story
of the Morse hero, giving IN the course
of the tale many glimpseS of the old
Morse mythology. reviVing this in the
minds of readers by the medium or
verse that is nobly heroic in its move
ment and with a genuinely poetic quail
ity in it's effect.
MEN OF LETTERS. By Dixon Scott.
Introduction by Max Beerbohm.
New York: Holder & Stoughton.
These letters and literary criticisms
by Dixon Scott separate into two parts.
All of them were designed by Mr..
Scott for an ultimate book publication.
A part of them had already been re-
vised with this end in view. The re-
naming ones stand unrevised. as they
first appeared in certain magazines and
newspapers. Dixon Scott died at Gal
lipoli. So the papers are put out as he
left them. A fresh note in criticism is
struck here When Mr.. Scott takes on
the role of critic he keeps his own
not slipping into the .stiff
and conventional garb of the profess
sional in this class. It ia. hesidsss a