The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1918-08-25
StLl

But Miss HAWTHORNE is thoroughly right when
she says:
.'No one who reads Mrs WnLsIE' S books can fail
to be deeply interested in seeing how the writer
grasps and lays before her public certain big prob
lens confronting us, such as this of the downfall
of the early traditions, the influx OF races that nave
not our conception of government or OF life, and
now the Indian problem. In-Lydid Of the P'nes the
shameful story of our treatment of the red man IS
luminatingly told. 1t is told with measure and
good sense and is concretely pictured, the facts
concerning one reservation supplying the material
Those who wish to ascertain how closely Mrs.
WuLSIE sticks to facts need only hunt up the re-
ports of the Board of Indian Commissioners in re-
gard to the White Earth Reservation in Mime
sofa to find out. The whole story is there, told
over and over again with endless ptiful detail In
her novel Mrs. WHLsIE has drawn intelligently
upon that mass of testimony handled it with full
realization of its drama, and also with peculiarly
broad understanding of both sides.
GERTRUDE ATHERToN says: 81 think Lydia az
the Pines is an American classic" MARGARET DE-
LAND wrote to Mrs. WnIsE concerning stu JIM:
''All the book is American to the roots-but big
jim is the American soul. 1t is too massive book
to write about in detail; it's the whole effect that
moves me: truth, beauty and democracy. fine
piece of work-an honest heart behind it. con-
graduate you"
A Touch of Mysticism.
The element of mysticism in Mrs. WuLsIE finds
its outlet in the two and three line reveries which
she puts at the head of her chapters
Thus in stu Jim desert rock muses.:
Humans constantly shift sand and rock from
place to place They call this work. have seen
time return their every work to the form in which
it was created"
Il l,,.,t II
things even each other which the coyote will not
do
In Lydia Of the Pines it is pine tree which
murmurs
1.-The young pine knows the secrets of the ground.
The old pine knows the stars.
Mature is neither cruel nor sad. She is only
purposeful, tending to an end we cannot See
There must be mention of Mrs. WILsIE's most
recent book, Benefits Forgot: A Study of lincoln
and Mother Lore. This is brief but true story Of
a young army surgeon for whose education his
mother had made great sacrifices. Mrs. WHLsIE
tells how President LINCOLN learned of the young
mans neglect of his mother and brought him to
realize his ingratitude 1t is very fine and very
touching little story.
George Gordon"
THE signature of GEORGE GORDON which appears
on the third page of this number is the pen
name of new American writer. Last season there
was published by Sturgis Walton book called
Airy Nothings, or What You VIII Some may re-
member the account of the book published in this
magazine number for July 7. No one had ever
heard of GEORGE GORDON, but it was evident from
this book that some of us might hear of-and from
him with considerable pleasure henceforth.
Mr.. GORDON Gas we must call him) has since
communicated with Books and the Book World and
we hope to print in future various articles by him,
most of them, probably, short, but charged with
unmistakable ideas. As perhaps the best way Of
introducing him to our readers-and for real &C.
quaintance with him they will have to depend upon
his pen-we quote some stray sentences and phrases
from recent letter:
II know no lowbrow, no highbrow; l meet all
men from the punchers with whom 1 rode in the
West to the denizens of Sheridan Square with ex-
actly the line of talk, face them in the same
attitude and they all seem to understand me and
because have certain personality to like or
dislike me according to their individual selves and