Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-11-02


and gone under the lead Of its capti-
waiting guide: The magic door Of thi.
when the grown folks were fast
asleep-when, for that matter, one
suspects that David himself was
asleep also-David would slip through
the blue door into a marvellous land
where the most whimsical. the most
unexpected, the most astonishing and
the most beautiful happenings came
hurrying along. just as happenings
should-wholly without rhyme or
reason. David, at this time. is only
six years old. and anything can hap
pen. and does-when one f. six. All
the reader has 10 do in this case 10
to be six. too. This achieved. one
goes gayly along with David in q
whirl of delight, accepting, believing,
enjoying. No, this book is not for
little children alone. Such a notion
as that. If it were carried out to the
exclusion of grown folks. would work
an unfair and a very unjust discrim-
ination.
IRON CITY. By M. H. Hedges. New
York: Boni & Liveright.
The first novel by NJ. H. Hedges is
in the nature of an allegory. 1t is,
upon its surface. the story of four
years IN the life Of John Cosmus. Just
beneath this outer layer of personal
narrative it is the story of town
Iron City. a typical town of the in
terror. Still further down it is the
drama of America, and. indeed, of
the world, at the present moment. The
whole is vision of the awakening
that has come to individuals and cit
of war, a shock that has accelerated
incredibly the process of evolution
itself. Within the man. and the city,
and the country, new forces array
themselves against the old proposes
sions, the old habits of thought, old
teacher, 80 his fight goes on within
the stronghold of traditional educa-
tien. Comment and criticism of much
that passes for education come in
here by way of the struggle of Cos
mus to link up new meanings with the
old institution OF learning. The strug.
gle within his immediate environment
Iron City-is that Of the new indus
try and the new politics against the
entrenched order. And Iron City FUR
nishes picture of the predigious con-
f1ict that is at the moment world
and the old, cid world of four years
ago. To tell q story merely for the
sake Of the story must be an exacting
job But to tell q story not only for
Its own sake bat for the purpose OF
delivering two other important enron
ieles 10 hereuiean. The unity OF TINS
work is it's striking quality. To the
Central idea of an awakened world
are brought the three lines OF por,
travail, the triple emphasis OF parallel
exposure Yes, it is love story, too,
but that is by way of incidence and
not by controlling purpose. Very IN
teresting and competent work.
SHERRY. BY George Barr McCutch-
| con. author OF "Graustark," etc.
Frontispiece by c. Allan Gilbert
New York: Dodd. Mead & Co.
That's my last dime" said Sheri-
dan Redpath. And this is my last
drink" said the same gentleman. Such
| ia the beginning of George Barr NC
Cutcheon's version of the story of the
prodigal. Having spent his substance
| in riotous living, Sherry Redpath here
faces about and sets out on the labo-
rious business of being decent fell
low. And he does this, too, right in
the old home town where the good and
townspeople offer him Just
the kind of help that they always do
hold out to their no-account citizens
However, in spite of them. Sherry al
least holds on to his good intent while
the folks stand around ready to say
81 knew it," Finally. the meanes'
man in town, helped indirectly by az
Irish bartender, and an equally lr1sh
policeman, show signs OF being human
by befriending Sherry. Then, slowly
some one else lends q hand. A cir
comes into the situation. Gradually
! c \ rvHp a =
folks that he is not wholly ire:
deemable rotter. He gets a job, filled
with mysterious obligations. And
really quite STABLE mystery de.
velops around this occupation: And
Sherry falls in love, going through
the tortures that Imagination imposes
malady. All in all, this is an interest
ing matter. developed after the famil
lar methods of this writer. Despite
the hardships that mark it's course,
| the end of the story unites All the
hard knots and smoothes out IN hlce
straight lines all the entanglements
| of its earlier chapters. For Sherry
is an albright person who gets ex-
actly what is coming to him at the
hands of a kindly author.
R1RDs OF FIELD, FOREST AND
PARK. BY Albert Field Gilmore.
with foreword by Z. Gilbert
Pearson, secretary of the National
Association of Audubon Societies,
and with illustrations by r. Bruce
Horsfall and Louis Fuertes. Bos-
ton: The Page Company.
To the man or woman who lert
school before the introduction or bird
study. the knowledge Of our mail
carriers of the seasons" is based on
sentiment as embodied in the ire
pressible first robin" the wren under
the caves, that rascally crow in the
cornfields and like feathered foik ioen-
tilted with average home life and,
therefore, invested with personal
charm or condemnation. The children
of today, through the educational me-
dunn, Of schools and bird study books,
know so much more than their elders
that, within the last ten years-to
IL not to be questioned more bird
books have been sold in the United
states than during the entire previous
history Of the country. The present
work describes the environments,
habits. plumage. songs. etc. OF ABOUT bout
life FOR a period of more than thirty
years, who unites to his knowledge
the gift Of narrative charm. There is
a delightful chapter on Bird Oddi-
ties" and q final, helpful paper. enti-
tied bird Protection" which voices
An appeal for all lovers of the feath-
cred creatures Of field, forest and
park"
There are many full-page photo
graphic reproductions. with frontis-
piece picture in colors- OF the male
and female chewink.
GAZE ne HAI 3 DER CENT