Evening star., 1918-05-19

perhaps not SO comprehensive, but
that lack lies in the narrower com
pass of this theme. His Family"
spreads more. and includes more. But
as theme it is no more vital than
is this one. AS workmanship His
Second Wife" quite equals the earlier
romance. AS drama it possesses even
more concentration and focus.
REkINDLED FIRES. BY Joseph An
thony. Frontispiece by j. Orms-
bee. New York: Henry Holt &
Co.
mian immigrant living over on the
New Jersey side of New York. Mi
chael in the midst of his family and
the surrounding Bohemian commu-
nifty is a good deal of a czar in his
methods of leadership and control.
Michael, like all leaders, has imagi-
nation. His particular vision is that
of little new Bohemia over on this
side that is to be a pattern of what
seems to him the best of the old
Bohemia that he has left For Mi
chael is robust idealist. But
not work. Bully and drive and ca
jole as he may, the dream will not
come true. His children disappoint
him. the new world puzzles him, and
Michael is driven. at last, to the ne
cessity of taking lessons out of the
public schools at the hands Of his
little boy. Stanislav, If he hopes to
maintain any part of his own prestige
and power. This is simply the drama
of making Americans out of the old
world material. With this group of
Bohemians. the writer makes vivid
and picturesque story of the tremen-
dous transformations that are going
on steadily all over the United States
Ihe formula is unvarying-the immi-
grants themselves ciinging tenacious
ly to the old ways of life. the first
generation making prodigious strides
toward the new aims and ideals, the
third generation full-fedged Ameri-
cans. Upon this foundation Mr.. An
thony builds very human story
wherein the idealism of the immi-
grant persists in one of the children
under the conditions that the new
world has to offer for the support
OF that idealism. Young Stanislay IA
bransky--or Stanley Zabriskie, as he
turns out to be in Americas the
realization Of his fathers dream or
a free life in new country The
drama is about an equal blend Of
humor and .pathos, just as it is alto
Setner lifelike and appealing,
s-''ip.SS VT IhE CZARlSA.
BY Count Paul Vassili. author Of
Behind the Veil at the Russian
Court" etc. Illustrated. New York.
Harper a. Bros.
This Is not confession. The
czarina herself makes no ayowal II
approaches confession only to the
degree in which Count Vassili stands
as perfectly transparent medium
tor the projection of the Empress
Alexandra in the eXactitude of her
appearance. her thoughts. her feel
ings and her behaviors in the en-
Vironment of the Russian court and
empire. 1t is, however. an intimate
revelation of this unfortunate and
unhappy woman at the hands of a
Discerning and graphic writer, whose
life has. for the most part, been spent
within the complex circle of the Rus
sian aristocracy. The study Of Count
Vassili merely adds more Of the same
kind of fact to the body Of informa-
tion about the cZarina that is already
familiar to the average reader. There
fore this book is corroborative evil
dence Of high authority. II is a bar
ren story, story of tawdry arti-
hcialities, pertaining to matters of
court precedence, to lavish expendi-
lures for royal trappings, to small
animosities. to prodi gious heart
burnings over matters of no concern.
Stripped of jewels and dresses and
furs, deprived of a throne and royal
ceremonials and misguided ambitions
there is-under this tremendous to-
do-a meager. miserable, unhappy
woman. One reads the story of an
alien queen to whom the princely
lords and ladies Of her new home are
not even humanity kind. And the
queen pays them back with hatred
and suspicion and naughty behaviors
For this is not big woman. II Is
merely "A poor woman whose natural
| limitations are emphasized by the
seclusions of her high estate. The
story Is n purely personal one. a
| chapter of court gossip. One comes
! out of its reading with no indtct,