davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
New-York tribune., 1919-04-05
A Savage TRIANGLE

CLAIRE BY Leslie Burton Blades l2nc 10
zos' George H. Doran Company
A book written by blind man about
a bllnd man appeals strongly to curious
interest Surely it should give us a
unique revelation of the psychology of
the unsceing. That in this case it does
so we cannot doubt Unfortunately.
the scenes are set amid so much saw
agery that it is difficult to analogize
them with civilization and to know
what the blind man would think and
90 IN more conventional circumstances
There are in the whole book only three
hgurcs: the woman and the blind
sculptor, who are cast ashore from a
wrecked ship, and the recluse at whose
cabin in the mountains they find
shelter and life-saving. Both men love
her; at the end they fight each other
for her to the death; though death is
finally inflicted by the woman herself
to save her blind lover. 1t is not
merely unconventional; it is a book of
primitive savagery, and the closing
scene is one of the most ruthlessly
brutal that we have seen for many a
day. Yet we must not condemn it, for
it is entirely congruous with the whole,
and it forms logical and appropriate
climax Of a savage tale.
New-York tribune., 1919-04-05
This World and Others---
Current Verse and Miscellany

will; and Victor and Liza, who de-
mand the exercise of their right to
love at any cost to themselves or to
others; to Fedya, the idealist, and
beyond him to the genius" the realist.
1t is with Fedya that this quality Of
seltishness begins to disintegrate. His
seeming indecision and weakness may
be traced to that lack of the intensive
egoism which influences the life of
comes to the point of killing himself,
because he finally sees that in DRIFT
ing easily with the current set in mo-
tion by music and wine he merely
travels in a circle, and only decisive
action will liberate him. And so,
after finally pulling the trigger with
the name of Masha, the greatest Joy
in his life, on his lips, he stretches
forth his arms to the presiding deities
Of the world he is about to enter and
begs that the gift of happiness may
meet him at the threshold. The "ge-
mus IS the most fascinating char
the SOUL" he calls himself, which is
perhaps the most satisfying of all ths
definitions Of that great puzzle of the
world which we have named genius
With the genius" the lack of selfish
ness, which we saw in Fedya as indie
cision, has become an egotistical un-
seltishness. This is not the paradox
it may seem, but rather the most IL
Illuminating way of expressing that pc
culiar quality in this character of
Tolstoi's, which makes the man neither
rich nor poor but sufficient unto HIM
self
In writing plays of this kind the
author essayed q most fitting task. A
well-known writer of popular fiction
has said that in reading the modern
novel the woman of limitations finds
the expression of that side of her be-
ing which her immediate life lacks.
Granting this, should not the drama
NIL this need for the entire popula-
tlon? This imposes a responsibility
which too few of our authors and pro-
ducers feel. In opening up this field
to the American stage, however, Tolls
tol is an unfortunate choice.
In spite of the fact that he has
sentimental persons, desiring and Gre
ating love, persons moving according
to their own definite characteristics
and unaffected by attempted and
forced happiness ss-his lesson is OBJ
scured by their very naturalness. We
do not understand ourselves. Then
how can people like ourselves teach us
anything? The American public must
call to itself an American Tolstoi who
can present the identical theme of
Redemption" and by his very under
standing Of our essential national
idealism dispel the clouds which rise
of necessity between us and Russian
ldealism. He can give US a genius"
which will express the aristocracy of
our souls, and by this means instruct
us where the Russian genius" merely
makes us litter. He will then be able
to show us the beauty which lies il.
the pursuit of that something so ex-
qulslte that what poor man can achieve
seems worse than nothing, and thus
clarity and make actual an American
Fedya Nj. F.
New-York tribune., 1919-04-05

tial quality In dramatic presentation.
To show us, then, that 1t is possible to
take a ready-made human being who
neither resists nor attacks, and to draw
dramatic picture of vital human in
terest Is to open to our vision new
field.
Fedya, the hero of the play is pre-
sented to us as man who has aban-
doned his wife and is associating with
to himself gorgeous young gypsy
girl a bud that in his presence is eager
to unfold itself and give of its hidden
beauties. This girl means to Fedya
the "tizz," to quote his own expression,
which his relationship with his wife
lacked. And still he maintains tenn
peraturc which is calculated to pre-
serve his flower as he found it, with
all its freshness left intact. To re-
path of his wife's happiness he tries
to Kill himself. But his time has not
yet comc-he cannot do it. The gypsy
girl comes to him at the moment when
his depression at being unable to even
kill himself is at its height She sug
gosts that he feign this suicide and he
and she viii go away together. This
he does alone. The gypsy girl he
leaves in order to give her the opportu
nlJy 10 seek the love She Is LOOKING Tor
and to find it in man of material
aspirations. He lives on-in wine cell
lars, we may say-a living corpse.
Again we quote himself.
This phrase, "a living corpse" is the
most striking one of the play. SO
striking is it that in stopping to reflect
we decide that there is more meaning
there than reveals itself in the simple
fact that Fedya, though dead to the
world at large, lives on. In the scene
before the magistrate who brings to
light the fact that he is still alive and
that consequently his former wife in
marrying again has committed the
crime of bigamy, he is defiant. "How
can you punish me, a corpse" And vet
the physical body is there and can still
be tortured; unless it be true that this
feigned death is symbolical of the
death of all passion and consequently
of the ability to suffer.
The motif of the play seems 10 be
selhshness-th human quality COM
mon to us all. The characters show
various grades in the development of
this from the gypsies, who demand
that they be given gold in exchange
for the body and soul Of their child;
and Victor's mother, who blindly p r
suades herself that she is wishing for
the welfare of her son, but who in
reality is determining he shall do her
New-York tribune., 1919-04-05

THE LIVING CORPSE By Leo y Tolstoi A
rama. Translated from the Russian by Anna
Molossowiieh EyaFts. Emo. pp. 9S. Nicholas
The new title chosen for this play in
its production in New York is doubt
less much more agreeable than that Of
the book. Nor is it uniting. 1t is
indeed the result of an inspiration re-
markably in harmony with the hour.
The world in general is growing to
believe that the Great War was fought,
alike IN q material, in a civil in a
spiritual sense, for the redemption Of
mankind. That being the case, we
would do we'll to look carefully at this
play, in this timely volume as we'll as
on the stage, to see IN what way it
deserves and lives up to its title.
The play, we would surely all agree.
Is concerned with the presentation Of
its characters as they are and their
consequent reaction to the circum-
stances OF their lives, rather than the
development Of these same characters
through the agency Of the events of
their lives This in itself is a novel
point of view in the drama.
Most of us believe that DEVELOPMENT
of character or Of action is an essen
New-York tribune., 1919-04-05
The Undefeated
A Brilliant Romance of Home
and War

S40. d. Appleton & Company.
The hand which wrote "Broke of
Covenden" has lost none of its cum
nlng. One marvels at the number Of
war novels, and cannot fail to be
astonished at the many different
angles from which the war may be
treated in fiction. Mr. Snath gives us
a picture of the family of the Mayor
OF an English village, who is also the
proprietor Of the main public house.
JOSIAH Munt, although in no sense the
nero Of the book, is by many odds the
dominating figure. The main story is
the middle aged love affair, the reviv-
ing of the dying flame of affection
between Melia Munt Hollis and her
husband William. Sixteen years before
the story opens Melia has run away
TO marry William, against the wishes
OF her father, who promptly refused to
see her again. William has strain
of poetry in his rather ineffective nat
ure which touched a hidden vein in
Melia, who after all has a lot of her
practical father ip her And, indeed
TINS inheritance which Melia has from
JOSIAH together with the growth of
WllIam' S soul at the expense of his
business instincts, has created in the
couple, at the time we first meet them,
II not real antagonism, very
strained relation
Then comes the great upheaval.
William enlists, and in the village
'where he had once been nonentitv
ne becomes hero Melia's reconcile
alton with her family, the reiuvena-
Non, under Melia's capable hands.
guided by her fathers brains, Of the
dying business which William leaves
to go to the war, the growth of soul
winch has something better than
money grasping and vanity in the
very ordinary minded Josiah. the pict-
ure of the small town and its people
are among the best things that we
nave read for many a day Mr.. Snaith
writes with an understanding and
subtle 5l humor which are most delightful.
w hen William is invalided home there
Is complete reconciliation, which is
re eiated IN passages of poetic beauty.
1 nc shrinking of easy-going William
rom return to the front. balanced
by HIS deepened sense of moral oblica-
lon,i IS mastery piece of psychology.
=" imam makes the supreme sacrifice.
put ne leaves behind him tiny son,
the child of his awakened manhood. TO
New-York tribune., 1919-04-05
Lies Comedy and Tragedy
Portrayed by Fiction Writer'S
By Willis Fletcher Johnson

that they were, for both practical and
romantic reasons 1t seems to us that
such problems are just as profitable as
that Of the eternal Triangle and we
know from the work before us that
they can be made every bit as inter
esting, even fascinating, to the normal
mind. The picture of a "butterfy of
fashion driving traction gang plough
across the plains to make a huge
wheatield is suggestive of Simply in
estimable interest We are not sure
whether to regard the book as primar-
lily a romance, with incidental propa-
ganda, or as propaganda with a ro-
mantle setting. In either capacity it
is an excellent piece of work
New-York tribune., 1919-04-05
Comrades Indeed
A Romance of Reciprocal Aid
Toward Regeneration

THE CITY OF COMRADES. Ry Basil K,ns Il
mstra;cA Pos. Syo. Up. 4V6, Harper 6 Brothers
ngo+Ae!s.
There is cause for hesitation in de-
scribing the leading motive of this pow
erful and enhancing romance. because
Of its many phases and interests. The
friendship Of man for o man, the love
OF man for q woman, the love of
woman for man, the redemption of a
man-of men-from submergence in
vice and crime, the human kindliness of
men who help their fellow men to rise
to better lives-each of these themes is
sufficient in itself TO be dominant in q
whole volume, and each is developed
here with admirable success. There
are many auxiliary phases, too. The
early scene of burglary is an artistic
masterpiece; the account of the battle
with U-boat is one of the finest we
have ever read, and there is a scene on
the Long Island coast which, because of
sheer beauty, Will one day be reprinted
in anthologies.
On the whole, however, comradeship
Is the subject of the story. 1t is dual
comradeship, between "Slim' and
"Lovey" on the one hand and between
Melbury and Cantyre on the other
Perhaps we might add third, be-
tween Frank and Regina, for there was
between them the bond or COmradeShlp
as we'll as of love-two things which al
ways should but do not always go to-
gether. Briefly stated, the story domi-
mated by these relationships is that of
a man OF fine origin who goes to ruin
through drink, commits burglary,
finds redemption in a down and out
club, and eventually weds the girl
whose home he burglarized. Of course
there are innumerable incidents, hu-
morous, pathetic, heroic and what not
In the development of the plot, all re-
lated with fidelity to trust which i'm
measurably transcends what is COM
monty called "realism," and with an
irresistible charm of style.
There is, as might be supposed, much
psychological analysis, and there is also
vast amount of talk, argument, ex~
plication, exhortation. Some may think
that there is too much of these things
In proportion to the action But there
Is, after all, not word that seems su-
pertiuous, or that seems to have been
used just for the sake of getting it into
the book. All is necessary for the com
pleteness Of the narrative, for narra-
tive is not complete unless we have
convincing apprehension of the vari-
Gus actors in it, what manner Of mon
and women they are, and why they act
as they do 1t is a romance Of unfail-
ing sympathy and charm, attaining a
little higher degree Of artistic perfec-
tion than anything hitherto written bv
its author.
New-York tribune., 1919-04-05
The Mind of a Girl

THE VINEGAR SAINT. BY Hughes Mearns
Illustrated. 12mo pp. Az. The Penn pub
fishing Company
This book is advertised as daring,
mirthful excursion into the mind Of
young woman which every young man
Will read with interest. 1t would seem
that two differences might logically be
drawn from this: That all young wom-
ems minds were more or less of the
same pattern, and if one should read
this revelation of a human soul, he
would at once comprehend all the va
garies of grlhood, and that since the
excursion was daring one, to be
viewed with interest by the other sex,
it might be risque. Now, Mr.. Mearns
has neither given US universal picture
Of the mind of youth, for Gorgas
lowering is not an ordinary gin. but
New-York tribune., 1919-04-05

y on" what his father had left

carry on" what his father had left
unfinished.
Mr. Snaith very cleverly uses a de-
vice which has been of late frequently
employed in the drama. Sally Munt.
the modern, feministic, masterful
daughter of Josiah Munt, does not
appear until almost the end of the
book Her personality is revealed only
through the conversation of the other
characters, and yet sne is one Of the
most real persons in the story. Her
fathers gradual conversion from anger
to admiration is clcverly told, and the
presentation of the illuminated scroll
to Sally, for her work in Belgium, is
inimitable.
In" THE Undefeated" Mr.. Snaith has
given US a novel which will add new
aurels to his reputation. G. c. O.
New-York tribune., 1919-04-05
With PEN and Press
Current Activities of Authors
and Publishers

Beginning with its April number.
"The Bookman' bears the name of
Robert Cortes Holiday as its editor.
A unique book of civcs for boys and
girls by Godfrey Parsons will be pub
lished by the Scribners in April, under
the title "The Land of Fair PLAY,
Mr. Parsons adopts the interesting
method of writing about civics in terms
of the child's playground world. In
stead of formal exposition, he shows
that the decisions by ma ority vote, the
principle, 1.-TWO against ones not fair"
the acquiescence in the decision of an
hood-the laws of fair play-are the
same in principle as our national laws.
Small, Maynard & Co. announce
Days" Memoirs of Russia, by Princess
Cantacuzene, Countess Speransky, of
particular interest to Americans since
she is the granddaughter of General
Z. S. Grant, and the daughter of Major
General Fred Dent Grant; "How to
Study the Best Short Stories" by DR..
Blanche Cotton Williams, of Columbia
University. and new edition of the
famous "Bab Ballads" of Much
Sound and Little Sense" by w. S. Gil
bert
Longmans, Green & Co. are publish
ing for Columbia University "The l..
W. W." history of the American
Bolshevists, by Paul Frederick Bris-
sender.
D. Appleton & Co. will publish at the
middle of this month Margaret Deland's
"Small Things" a record of the re-
actions Of the war upon the common
people of France, and "Prefaces," a
book of essays by Don Marquis
Charles Scribner's Sons announce
for spring publication a novel called
Democracy. by Shaw Desmond, the
brilliant young lrishman whose "Soul
Of Denmark" has attracted much at
tention.
Houghton Miiflin Company will pub
lish in May very notable war his
tory, T914," by Field Marshal Lord
French. with an introduction by Mar
shall Foch.
Little, Brown G. Co. will publish
next month "The Wicked MARQUIS" a
new novel by L. Phillips Oppenheim
Doubleday, Page & Co. announce
Joseph Conrad's THE Arrow of Gold"
for next week.
Kipling's new book of poems, "The
Years Between" will be published by
Doubleday. Page IL Co. next week.
New-York tribune., 1919-04-05
Exotic Fragments

MINNA AND MYSELF by Maxwell Bodonhem
limo pp. 81. Pagan Publishing Company
There IS an amazing gift in these
strange verses. They seem utterly
formless: Their substance is liques-
cent. The readers sensation is as if
an iridescent fluid were Slipping
through his fingers. You try to hold
something and all runs away. Yet
when you look again, some delicately
hued tlnts remain, faint and fading.
Looking back, you begin to wonder
whether the subtle shadows of thought
which are Mr. Bodenheim's mental be-
ing could have been presented in any
other way; whether, in short, what
seems formlessness is not actually the
true spiritual body of what lies behind.
Take his lines called "Chorus Girl:
Her voice WAS like rose-fragrance Waiting in the
sho seemed shadow stained with shadow colors
Swinging through waves OF sunlight
Perhaps her heart Old minstrel
sleepiy paving at his little mandolin.
Much too often Mr.. Bodenheim goes
mad with his metaphors and his gift of
words and turns out just bosh. But he
is always himself, and there perhaps is
his salvation. There must surely be a
rare strength of personality to bring
into being in an inhosptable world
such strange, exotic thoughts. Can it
grow until these fragments of perfect
metaphors and broken prisms of
thought take on completion and round
ed art results? This is the problem of
Mr.. Bodcnhcirh's future and as its So
luton rests upon the fibre of his i'm
mortal soul no critic dare predict. One
can only hope that there is behind
these rare beginnings passion for
perfection strong enough to carry
through the labor to full and perfect
growth
New-York tribune., 1919-04-05
Problems of Serxice

MILDRED CARVER, L Bv Ns-.h, pe,s,.,,
Eriere 12mo N 1Ss- The Macmillan Com
Should there be industrial as we'll as
military conscription If there were.
what would be the results? These ques,
tions were obviously in Mrs. Bruero'g
mind when she set out to write this
decidedly enterts ming as well as in
structlve romance; and we are clad
New-York tribune., 1919-04-05

has as much individuality as has her
curious name, nor is there one passage
in the book to which the most fastidi-
GUS might make objection Mr.. Mearns
has done better than his publishers
credit him. THE Vinegar Saint" is a
charming story of an unusually whole
some and attractive girl and of the
young man who loves and finally wins
her He, too, is we'll done; a bit too
heroic and self-sacrifcing it may be,
but not prig, a clean, decent, straight
New-York tribune., 1919-04-05

thinking chap. Bardek, the gypsy, is
est linger in the memory. Running all
through the book, skilfully disguised
and never obtrusive, are some exceed
,ngly sound bits of philosophizing on
Nfe Mr. Mearns tells good story in
pleasing way
New-York tribune., 1919-04-05
Unstinted Praise from Coast to Coast

The author is story teller of popularity and this
is up to the standards of his previous novels the
story Is effectively told THE BOSTON TRANSCRIPT
Ihe novel is virile, red blooded tale much action
and much fighting 1t deeper note than the authors
carrier books having considered philosophical outlook
and fuller realization of spiritual needs
CINCINNATI ENQUIRER
"a tale powerful than any Mr. Crev has hitherto
produced.' RROOKFYN' CT NTSA D ~
written in the authors happiest ven it is thoroughly
fascinating story RICHMOND EVENING JOURNAL
New-York tribune., 1919-04-05
The Work of A Wizard

mo more fascinating tale has been written by this
wizard of the pen.
ROCHESTER DEMOCRAT AND CHRONICLE
"One of the big stories of the year"
BANGOR DAILY CHRONICLE
That Zane Grey is to be numbered among the most
popular of American story writer's bv the enor-
sale of his novels which argue that thev are
without literary merit for is possible novel to be listed
the best sellers and still maintain certain degree of
literary dignity" SAN FRANCISCO RTyIIETTN
"Mr. Grey has written story of strongly sustained
interest BOSTON HERALD
New-York tribune., 1919-04-05

Why the World Laughn
Diplomatic Days " '''''''"
~. LdM O'shaugbnessy
n Modcrn History of the Eng.
iish People. 2 Volumes. Com
piete for soc.
New-York tribune., 1919-04-05

Library edition, printed on good
piper and bound in Cloth. Among
the titles included are ''The Light
That Failed"-"Plain Tales from
the Hllls"-'Poems, Ballads and
Other Verses
New-York tribune., 1919-04-05
Tolstoi's Revelation
A Study of One Who, Dead TO
the World. Lives On

THE LIVING CORPSE By Leo y Tolstoi
Drama. Translated from the Russian by Anna
Mo4essowiteh Egarts. l2mo, pp. 9S. Nicholas
The Snowflake herald., 1919-02-07

Entered as second-class matter June
28, 1913, at the postoffice at Snowflake,
Arizona. under the Act of March, 8, 1879.
The Snowflake herald., 1919-02-07

before dropping in boiling water,
and they will not crack.
A pinch of salt placed on the
tongue and washed down with
cup of strong tea is an excellent
cure for a sick headache.
Warm tea in the oven before
using it. 1t will be found to
make much stronger tea than if
put into the tea pot when cold.
Camphor. SO frequently used
to preserve furs, will keep away
moths, but it is liable to impair
the beauty of the furs by dim
ming the tint and gloss.
To W hiten handkerchiefs
which have become a bad color
through careless washing, soak
them for night in a solution of
pipeclay in warm water. Wash
and boil them the following day
in the usual way.
Broken china may be mended
in the following way: Mix tea
spoon of alum and a tablespoon
of water and place in a hot oven
until quite transparent. Wash
the broken pieces in hot water
and while warm coat thinly and
quickly, as the preparation sticks
instantly.
The Snowflake herald., 1919-02-07
A PRAYER 279 YEARS OLD

(By Thomas Elwood, 1639).
O! that mine eyes might closed
be
To what concerns me not to see;
That deafness might possess
mine ear
To what concerns me not to hear;
That truth my tongue might
always tie
From ever speaking foolishly;
That no vain thing might ever
rest
Or be conceived within my
breast;
That by each deed and word and
thought
Glory may to my God be brought!
But what are the wishes? Lord,
mine eye
On Thee is fixed, to Thee | cry;
Lord, and purify MY
heart,
And make it clean in every part,
And where tits clean, Lord, keep
it too
For that is more than can do.