Evening star., 1918-11-24

The WAX IN THE CRADLE OF THE
+. WORLDS Mesopotaniia. BY Flea
Z, from photographs. New York: Har-
il per & Bros.
A CROSS the Pacific to Hong
IN kong. Then down to Singa-
pore. Around to Bombay and
III. up into the Persian gulf. Then
y. ~ into Mesopotamia, where the
war was going on and where all the
old Bible folks walk to this very day.
Yes, this is. in way. war story-in
a very special way. But, then, this
whole story is special. From the mo-
tnent when one joins Mrs. Egan to
lean over the ships rail. in thrill of
{ excitement at what looks exactly like
2 periscope. but turns out to be only
the outthrust neck of the stormy pc
I trel making ready for fiight-from
that moment one never leaves the side
Of this inspired traveller, this all-see-
ing sclntilIating woman. this regular
trump of good fellow. He simply
cannot do it. He might miss some
thing. and that is not to be thought
Of Everything Is grist that comes to
this particular mill. The sea, the sky,
storm, fair sailings. foreign land
scapes and native peoples. just a
.tss swift opening of this door or that
upon cleaning passage of history
IN a word, exactly the right thing
" seized, the exact minute of time that
" deserves for exposure. and then on
TO another absorbing point. Certainly
!, the story rises to it's highest level in
.Mesopotamia itself. where, under very
special privileges, Mrs. Egan saw
many important and interesting things
1n her own flashing way of snatching
the warm heart out of every incident
coming her way. Practiced workman
ship and brilliant personality Join
here in war story that is continu-
Gus delight. as well in it's approaches
10 the war zone and in it's depar-
res therefrom as in the midst of the
war itself.
UNCLAIMED RUSSIA. By Charles
t.st Edward Russell. author of "Busi-
ts ness: The Heart of the Nation" ETC.
..,- New York: D. Appleton & Co.
~. Mr.. Russell was member of the
American mission to Russia last year
So. what he has to say about con-
ditions in that country has been gath
cred at first hand. He travelled from
. place to place in Russia, talked with
the people of all grades, evaluated the
conditions under their special aspects
of industry, mode of life, degree of
Intelligence and education. political
aspiration, and the present chaotic
state of this mass of overdone or
underdone thought and feeling The
book makes spirited and interesting
reading. 1t is energetic and graphic
One gets the feeling by degrees. how
ever. that Mr.. Russell takes on the
gesture of the special pleader rather
than the calmer one of the unbiased
observer. One might believe from
fhis reading that, autocracy gone.
Russia is really doing very well-or
would be doing very well IL America
would only bend itself little more
urgently toward understanding-and
helping-this rcgenerate land. One
FEELS that the writer claims a little
too much for the revolution. Certain
ly 1t is true that many of the meas
ures claimed for it evisted. in some
degree. under the despotic czar. True.
he and his predecessors were forced
to certain concessions. but the con-
ressions were made, in respect. for
instance. to the higher education of
women. in respect to woman suffrage.
One grants that these measures, as
yet. were applied only to the intel
ligentsia. but these. and others of an
ameliorative character. were in ex-
istence. However. barring the fact
that Mr.. Russe1rs view is. or appears
to be. bit one-sided. it is a very
striking view. and in many respects
a, very informing one.
FOES, A Novel. BY Mary Johnston.
author of ITO Have and to Hold"
etc. New York: Harper & Bros.
Miss Johnston goes back into the
last century for the substance of her
new novel. Taking the Stuart upris-
ing in Scotland, whose intent was the
seizure of the English crown for the
benefit of Mary Stuart's descendant,
Charles Edward. this writer weaves
an exciting and dramatic story of ad-
venture. In the center of the move
lnent are two young men, whose
friendship in boyhood makes an idyl-
exists. now and then, between two
fine and roor"t bows. The breaking Of
this friendship, its change to enmity
and to kind of nemesis of pursuit,
gives line of brilliant action that
moves from place to place, from
country to country. in swift change
of interest and suspense. Specially
good work has been done here with
the Scottish land. and with the
Scotchman's character. both of which
%kce,lencies sustain the thread of
ieSent that fuflls this absorbing his
torical invention.
oIY ANTONIA. BY Villa Sibert Ca
t ther. author of ''The Song of the
bar Lark" etc. illustrations by w. T.
Benda. Boston: Houghton Mifflin
Company.
From meager girlhood to bountiful
motherhood Antonia, the Bohemian
girl lays first claim to ones interest
here. A bit away, however. from the
warm personal appeal of Antonia
herself one realizes that. in provid-
ing her with a suitable time and
place and circumstance of existence,
Miss Gather has also created a. re-
narkable picture of homesteader life
on the prairies of Nebraska when
Nnhv