Evening star., 1918-08-04

sense Of comparative values. q famil-
lar range of all dramatic literature. .
clean grip on the relation between
evaluation Of the former. both as q
vehicle Of art and as a social instru-
mentality. These make up tho most
conspicuous OF Mr.. Henderson's in
te1lectual powers Of dramatic crttt-
cism. Added to them is q personal
warmth Of insight. and. again. q wide
generosity Of opinion. An energetic
straight cut toward facts and con-
clusions. also, Is a most gratifying
quality in these critical summaries. A
freedom from slavery to the technical
vernacular Of the professional critic
gives general interest to the studies.
making it delight to the average
reader to follow these Interesting and
significant dramatists under the
skilled guidance Of this easy-man-
nered and attractive exposttor.
SOLDIERS BOTH, A Novel. BY GUS
tave Clutches. Translated by Fred
eric Taber Cooper. New York:
Frederick A. Stokes Company.
The background of this story rivals
the action itself in its appeal to
American readers. France today is
the home of hundreds Of thousands
of American soldiers. 1t Is the home.
likewise, Of millions of American
hearts. Therefore. the setting Of this
story. pictured with such loving in
timacy Of detail as to set It bodily
down before the reader, becomes
bit of home. about which one reads
in a genuine tenderness Of engross-
ment.. Right here. at the moment.
the front farther to the north. For
this is a corner of the old and en-
chanting Midi. The story itself is
that Of two soldiers. One is at the
the place of the fighting soldier in
the tilling of the home soil. to keep
the fields productive for the men in
arms. The action takes place In the
homely round Of sowing and tending
and harvesting. in the grape gather,
pictures these. as simple as they are
fragrant of bayfield, and vineyard.
And letters come from Henri. in the
flghting-letters whose chief theme
his place in 1.-The homestead. And there
is the young wife at home, working
in the fields beside the generous
friend. That is the >story-that COM
radeship- which brought about .
that sas no mere ne np physical % g. BATHS tie At sh the
front could surpass in honesty OF
purpose and courage to win. There
must be many such stories these days.
The charm of this one takes on the
value Of heroism. And both of these,
the beauty Of the background and
the manly quality Of the personal
struggle itself. give to the story an
immediate and substantial appeal.
ALIENS. BY William McFee, author
of "Casuals of the Sea-" New York:
Doubleday, Page & Co.
After Mr.. McFee's first novel. Gas
ua1s Of the Sea- romance whose
seacraft approached that Of Joseph
Conrad and whose spirit was own
cousin to that which animated Samuel
Buffers way of All Flesh"-one be-
gan Immediately to look for his sec
ond one. And here-it is. Half dozen
people-al1 Europeans-come together
fortuitously in northern New Jersey.
An artist, a writer. seafarer, with
a couple Of the woman folks and two
children, have alighted here, against
the happy day of return to their ma
tive places. Their interests furnish
the surface Of this story of estrange-
ment from home. Underneath 1t is
also the story Of alien spirits, Of spir-