The Washington herald., 1917-11-11
BOOK REVIEWS.

"And the Captain Answered, by
Octave Thsnet, author OF The Man
OF the Hour" indianapolis: The
Bobbs- Merrill Company. Price. 81
cents net.
This is the story of a war-hating
mother and her attempt to keep hei
son from taking the Federal oath
But the son had a father in the
| Spanish American war and a Grand
Army grandfather, and they
| though dead, fought against the pa
citist mother and to maintain the
traditions of the family. Indeed il
is a family history in a nutshell
as well as a timely lesson in sac
rifice and patriotism.
But greatly as these are empha-
sized, there is another angle to the
story that many parents-particu-
lGrly NOTWITHSTANDING be made tC
see, and that is that a child is an
individual, that his life belongs tC
himself, that he must stand or fall
by his own decisions. Each read
er, however, will take from the
story what touches him most
nearly, and there is enough fol
many seekers after truth.
1t is remarkable how much food
for thought Octave Thanet has
crowded into the pages of her lit.
tie story, and she has done it al,
with simplicity and good taste
with the right word always in the
right place, and with a gift fol
quick characterization that is most
unusual. The story is touching, fol
avoid a N iy
ing with the mother who has suf.
fered so much from past wars. and
who has a basis of principle beneath
her fear for her sons safety. But
in the end she rises to the heights
and makes the sacrifice bravely and
even gloriOusly. 1t is the right sort
of a war book.
The Ruby Cross, by Mary Wal
lace. New York: The BenzigeI
Brothers. With three full page ill.,
Illustrations in sepia- Price. SIS,
postage 10 cents extra.
The Ruby Cross is priceless
heirloom of the Beresford family
the members of which move in high
aristocratic circles. There is a
prophecy attached to it and it takes
dramatic part in the narrative
We read with delight the romance
of Buena Vista Copper, the account
of the transformation of a wildcat
speculation into boundless wealth
We enjoy the description of a three
cornered elopement that did not
succeed, and we find that the un-
folding of the plot brings to the
surface two love stories which are
the sweeter by reason of their con-
trast with the sterner aspect OF
other parts of the narrative.
The Flyers Guide, by Captain
n. J. Gil. New York: L. p. Dutton
& Company. Handbook.
The hundreds of young men who
are entering or planning to enter
the aviation service will find this
little book the best sort of friend
1t is an elementary handbook for
aviators and as Captain Gill is a
skilled aviator of the British army
he knows just the difficulties that
beginners encounter, the things
they need to be warned against
what they must do. The work is
written in a very simple and con-
devoted directly to the business in
ha"d-learning to fly. The initial
chapter gives advice to the begin
ming student about clothing, the de-
velopment of the sense of feel
and other matters connected with
the first lessons. One chapter deals
with the theory of flight and an
other with the problems and meth
DDS of practical flying, while others
take up the construction, care and
maintenance of aeroplanes, internal
combustion engines and ignition de-
vices.
In Spite Of All, by Edith stanl-
forth. New York: The Benziger
Brothers. Frontispiece. Price,
s1.00.
When Eleanor Roche and her sis
ter Mary came to Wharton on the
squire's invitation, the hosts were
scarcely prepared for the advent of
a matchless beauty. But that is
exactly what Eleanor was, and
when she caught sight of Sir Philip
Leigh she made up her mind to
marry him. The fact that he was
engaged to Sissy Wharton. the
squire's granddaughter, did not af-
feet her decision one particle. So
the battle was on between Sissy, a
pure, unselfish, lovable girl, and
the heartless woman of wondrous
beauty. The beauty won, as might
bs npscted; but that. although 1t