The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-02-09
venus In the East"

~ dear old story about the rich bu
respectable though picturesqucly uncul
turcd Wcsterner who fares forth TO seel
his misfortune in New York. This tim
the book is called Fenus az the Eas
Venus not being the name Of the fal
Western miner, and the autnOr is Wal
lace Irwin. The narrative IS readable
and Fasteners who don't know any bet
Ter may think it true to life. but it won't
fool a single Westerner. What person
outside of very comic opera would spend
S225, 900 in buying pearl necklace for
woman he has never spoken to and then
disrlaim the gift7
Buddy McNair, inventor of the Super
cyanide Process of Gold Reduction Che
doesn't need any supereyanide to reduce
his gold supply once he hits New York y
decides TO leave his Western home He
exchanges his corduroy trousers and
swanper's boots for new outfit. Here
is what Wallace Irwin thinks man
from Colorado would do:
Buddy had always wanted a blue suit
and it was obvious, even to old Doe Nay
lor's none too subtle color sense, that
Buddy had gone at it with his usual
thorOughness and accomplished his ambi-
ton; for the loose hanging creation which
he had brought up this very morning
from the Fashion Store, across from the
Texas Star Hotel, presented all the brill
fancy of chemical fire. Yellow shoes
fancifully trimmed with buttons to match,
a cravat of daintiest lavender, hat Of
bowler type somewhat tight in the band,
a very tall double collar and slippery
satin shirt combined to disguise the ex-
terror of Buddy as something he wasn't
and never had BEEN" Lifelikef Oh, mol
Buddy explains to his friend the Doc
his reasons for going.
al don't mean I've got any longing to
go live on a roof garden and hire niger
TO spray me with wine out of hose. But
I'm 81 now; pretty soon I'll be 40 and
past enjoying life
ga sehooiboy thought grinned the
old Doctor.
at won't do me any good hanging
around Axe Greek dripping gold out Of
the holes in my pocket. I'm not such
darned snob, Doe,' he pleaded. Amy Of
the boys around the camp would do the
same under the circumstances. Only they
might not go at it so thoroughly
"'Well, what's so superior about your
programmed the Doc obliged him.
"1'm going to get in with the big peo-
pie of the world. The ones that make the
wheels go round, that make pearls and
caviar and grand opera pay. The kind
whose pictures and dogs pictures and
babies pictures fill mp the Sunday papers,
that are so much somebody that it mat
tiers more whether their bridesmaids carry
orchids or roses than it does whether an
ordinary citizen lives eighty years or dies
Of eatalepsy at the age of q. I've got
the price of admission and l want to get
in-with the best"
Naturally, stirring scenes are to be
looked for when Buddy reaches Riverside
and other sections of Manhattan. Those
readers who enjoy story irrespective of
probability may care for this. Those who
unreasonably ask for crcdibility in char
acter description and in situation will find
FenaS IN the East deficient but still read
able.
Some of the character studies of New
York persons are realistic, but the main
persons in the story, especially Buddy, are
merely 1913 models for antique figures in
fiction. The novel is clean, however, and
the love story is rather entertaining.
VENUS IN THE EAST. BIZ WALLACE IR-
II L