Evening star., 1919-12-28
Reviews of New Books

a nan FOR THE AGES. BY Irving
odcneller, author of "Eben Hol-
oen: etc. Illustrations by John VOL
Sott Adams. Indianapolis: The
Hoobs-Merrill Company.
mis- pioneer romance. in it's be-
ginnings. follows the emigrant
Il trail of Samson Traylor, Yer
mont farmer, who. in 1881. with
MS Wife, Sarah, their two children and
the dog. Sambo. set out for the far
west Steam and electricity have, in
the intervening four-score-and-eight
years, changed that remote region to
the nearby state Of Illinois. Settling
at the edge of New Salem village the
Iraylors found among their new
friends Abe. clerk in Offut's store-Abe
Lincoln. "one of the best fellows that
ever lived" old DR.. Allen said. From
,aiS point the story portrays the life
Gf Lincoln in the rude setting of from
Vuer conditions, and then against the
expanding background of state and ma
tiohai life. MIR. Bachelor is much at
nome with the old New Englander and
MItn the earlier makeshifts OF New
England life. Samson Traylor and his
FAMILY stand for the former and the log
Caoln life at New Salem, ILL.,. portrays
tne latter: Against the picked-up quail
ity OF this transplanted New England
existence the loose-end methods of
Young Abe lean in shiftless contrast.
But mere, too. begins to come out the
mans surprising capacity for human
sympathy and compre he nsion. down to
its simplest desires. down to its most pit
ocrat since Jesus Christ" has been said
OF hirn. and in these pages of appeal
ing portrayal the common human nature
OF tne youth and young man stand con-
vinclngiy and warmingiy clear. The
Tune and place and circumstance of this
invention fit admirably into Mr.. Bachel-
iers gift of writing. He has excelled
IN this field before. Now he has ex-
Ceileu himself. In a compact dramatic
neld ne has gathered the most conspic-
uous iorces that have produced this
great democratic commonwealth In the
midst Of these he has set the COM
1landing figure of our great democrat.
IN It's subordinate features the story is
an amazing picture of American life
IN the days when the Erie canal was
elegance and triumph Of mans
genius.
CELEBRATED SPIES AND FAMOUS
MYSTERIES OF THE GREAT
WAR: By George Barton. author
OF The Worlds Greatest Military
spies, etc. Illustrated. Boston:
The Page Company.
OF the sixteen true and strange
war stories set down here, two stand
out from the others in a sharply tor
menting quality of appeal One of
N5Hsensner. the other upon that of
Nlcholas II. Lord Kitchener went
DOWN with the mined ship Hampshire.
In June, 1915. Nicholas II was nur-
oered at Ekaterinburg, or near there.
IN 1913. So say those logical dealers
ClHCumStanfI0l
ever. Dressing up the shadowy pos
siblntfes of escape in the hopeful
hues OF imagination. are even vet
casting about for some set of fortui-
.ous happenings to return these ia
Nmous men to safety. Keeping close tn
such authentic records as are avaiIo
able. Mr.. Barton gives the account IN
cate OF both Lord Kitchener and the
former car. He tells. besides. in an
equsl adherence to official authority.
Ine stories OF others who. living or
dying, achieved special fame on the
one hand. or infamy on the other
with the latter are certain spies.
among them Sir Roger Easement and
Eolo Pasha and the Hindu. Ram
Cnandra, with others, yet who are
sa SUBJECTS of mysterious contec-
ture. Among the former are the
martyrs. Edith Caveu and Can't. Frvatt
whose tragic deaths are given here in
plufua truthfdlness. These are sharn
oAck-and- white stories Of absorbing in
ie.est i BY temperament Mr. Barton
nus writing practice has emphasized
tnls oent Therefore, out Of a body of
actud 0ccurrences he has produced re-
mArkanie effects by way Of these per
spnal studies and variations,
THE MARTYRED TOWNS m
FRANCE. By Clara E. Laughlin.
.otnor OF The Heart Of Her High
~
MANS Sons
When the tide of travel again sa+s
Europeward its instructive turn will
De toward the devastated areas Of
Beig!um and France. Miss Laughlin
anticipates, in part, the certain gen
sr1i movement toward this locality by
ner story Of the "martyred towns" Of
France. Standings thousands will
he4t summer or the next--iu the face
OF Sofssons. Arras, Laon, Rheims
Verdun and others. and others of the
historic towns Of old Picardy. one will
ly upon the stricken forms of theseI
places Rather will his warm interest
ana curiosity reach back into their
past Tor the part played by them
through the vicissitous centuries Of
Eulopean change and growth. for the
special oehaviors that gave them dis
tinction and permanence in the opin-
ions OF the world, for the human
forces that shaped them, for the great
names that adorn or deface them
Miss taughlin's book responds in a
eraufy1ng simplicity to that natural
curiosity and interest In sketches Of
long stride and important restine
points she portrays these towns that
the great war has thrust into ones
immediate consciousness. From the
hrst chapters of authentic record up
10 the present moment they stand in a
series OF historic high lights, con-
crete In personality, distinct in sepa-
rate Individuality. Each has the an
pearance of telling its own story aim
ply and naturally In fact simnicitv
is the stamp of this book. This.
coupled with the drama and the com,
pieteness OF each of its units. Sums
the whole to highly interesting and
useful work.
HEARTBREAK HOUSE. GREar
CATHERINE AND PLAYLETs or
THE WAR. By Bernard Shaw
New York: Brentano's
One Is. naturally, so excited over thu
fireworks of the Shaw plays that. as a
rule. he overlooks completely the
thing which the display is meant to
illuminate. This drives him back for
information to Mr. Shaw's prefaces
where, with a castigatory palm an
piled to the empire from end to end
there is. also. finger of specific ac-
cusation pointed upon that which the
play in question is designed to take
in hand. "Heartbreak House." the
longest Of the plays here, is an ex-
cupations and ignorant security of the
Ep0lish-0f ENGLISH ~r;.l