Evening star., 1917-03-04

vN ther. Jacob kuhler, and his
Il mother, Coda. and a brood
of little Kuhlers besides to
swarm with these into the Jew colony
of east-sde London. Nothing at first
but an astonishing and even absurd
beauty serves to distinguish the baby
Mendel from the rest of the kuhler
tribe. This outer appearance comes
soon to mean. however, an almost weird
instinct for beauty, for the beauty OF
color and form on the part of the little
Mendel. Mr.. Cannan's story is the rec
ord of Mendel on his way to becoming
the artist that he is so clearly meant
to be. One leaves him far short of the
goal. SO. as a story moving forward
from step to step of achievement, THIS
does not fulfill itself. But. it is not
meant to do that. Rather is it the ac-
count of the struggle. Rather Is 1t a
most amazing revelation of the heart
and soul of the boy as he pursues ll1e
through the instinct OF the artist. IL
is the dayby-day record of a curlousiy
rich youth, an oriental beWlldefed py
his western environment and striking
back at this with an uncomfortable
eastern ferocity of childishneSs. Inc
boy is something rich, ana dark ana
alive-a Self-centered, eSotlstlcal Jew
that has not moved an inch in ms es-
sential life from Abraham and Isaac
and Jacob-but indeAcrtbably rich and
alive, and wonderfully worth while.
nevertheless. 1t is a SURPRISING study
of genius manifeSting itself through
the race to which genius is by no means
a stranger. The book sets Gilbert can
nan alongside the French writer whose
great Jean Christophe" Mr.. Canaan
translated and introduced to Engiish
readers. The work with Jean Chrlsto-
phe" must have had something inf1u-
ential and momentous to do with Mr..
Cannan. Most promising before the
creation of ''Mendel," he has set stake
for himself, surely beside the most pow
erful of the young English writers OF
fiction.
THE INTELLIGENCE OF WoMAN.
BY w. l.. George, author OF Inc
Second Blooming" etc Boston:
Little. Brown e. Co.
The essays of this volume have al
ready appeared in magazine punlica-
tions and have already raised clouds OF
criticism and storms of protest, chiefly
from women, they themselves being the
subject of discussion. Mr.. George is
himself a supporter of tfe feminist
movement. Therefore, his criticisms.
if they be such. come from a member OF
the family. so to speak. Such misunoer-
standing as exists between this writer
and the women is. for the most part,
based on the fact that he sees large
and they see small. He seizes the
whole movement, made up OF It's Vari-
Gus and often hostile seeming parts
and seizes 1T, too, in the full sum OF It's
implications. Whereas the woman is
more likely to confound part with
the matchmaking suffrage, or euGe.
MICS. or birth control, or industrial
equality. this. or that, IN her own
mind the sum of feminism. Moreover,
Mr.. George sees with absolute indie
pendence. No inventions OF soclety-
neither the home nor the famlly' nor
respectability, nor usage. nor soou
form-are allowed to intervene IN ms
pursuit of things that actualiy exist
under the convention cover OF things.
Fundamentally. there are no separate
inherencles between men ana women
this set for males. that set lot lenlaies.
Circumstances and long ages ol naoil
have emphasized certain traits ana ap-
titudes here and certain different ones
there. The basis of feminist eHort is
the urge toward an eVocatioii VI sun
merged powers and potehtiaiitleS pos
sessed by woman. This is eoou pook
Tor the serious and sincere 1enihist 10
read. 1t is, also, a good book to test
that seriousness, that sincerity.
woman finds here that she may not ac-
cept some corner or edge OF TINS move
ment and refuse the sweep OIL the whoie
of it. If she is not ready to do this
she would better go back home and be
quiet. Mr.. George makes logically
clear the incJusions of this movement
in all directions. one may protest. but
the inclusions remain. Women should
read the book
THE WHITE PEOPLE. BY Frances
Hodgson Burnett author of Little
Lord Fauntleroy." etc. 1llustra-
tions by Elizabeth Shippen Green.
New York: Harper & Bros.
I With a highland castle and glimpses