Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-02-09

CONTRAST with the new peace dei1Defa-
ton. but by an equal incidence 1t de-
| fines in impressive outline the growth
| of the democratic ideal within the
hundred years that have passed since
the event with which it deals in so
graphic and informing fashion.
RECOLLECTIoNs OF A RUSSIAN
DIPLOMAT. BY Eugene de Schel-
king. New York: The Macmillan
Company.
These recollections of diplomatic
service evoke, primarily and in turn,
the personality of each of the great
autocrats of Europe-the two Seconds,
William of Prussia and Nicholas of
Russia Official representative of
Russia at the court of Berlin, NJ. de
Schelking from this high point of adj
vantage has made a keenly Intelligent
and interesting study of the springs
OF action out of which these two con-
trolled the lives of millions of human
beings. 1t is from the psychological
understanding of these two that the
writer draws the public policy by
which they expressed themselves ma
tionally and politically. Following
them steadily, he points out the self
absorption of each that made them
both blind 10 the democratic forces
gathering around them, forces which
ultimately. abetted by the weakness
of the one and the arrogance of the
other, led on the one hand to the
revolution in Russia, and on the
other hand to the disastrous expert
ment in world conquest. The man
ner of this book is as captivating as
its material is of solid substance. IL
is an informal story, touched up with
bits of illuminating court gossip,
opened out by side lights of shrewd
Interpretation. complete in its seizure
of the salient points in the growth OF
the people within these despotic
realms, sympathetic to their aspira-
tions, mindful of their just claims to-
ward liberalization and opportunity.
The study is of marked value as a
medium for lighting up the more
formal and abstract substance of pure
history.
SINISTER HOUSE. BY Leland Hall.
Illustrations by Hayden Jones
Boston: Houghton Miffiin Company.
The sole support of ghost story
is the mystery in which the writer
is able to involve it's action. To hold
the supernatural to the plane of the
natural as long as possible, to tease
the willing imagination of the reader
with it's appearance of reality-this
is the business with which the writer
of the ghost story must concern him.
self. And this is exactly what the
author of this story of a haunted
house has done with telling effect.
In the midst of a wholly modern sit
uation, in an open and sunny suburb
whose mania is modern sanitation,
he sets--only a little to one side-an
old house buried in sor1ber hemlock
trees, that has for the time being.
been overlooked by the promoter of
suburban building. Into this house
the writer moves a pair of newcom-
ers. young, just married. much in
love, sensitive and temperamental.
both of them. There lis a very good
reason why the ghost in the old
house should bestir itself at the adj
vent of this young bridegroom.
This reason the author holds well in
hand till IL has produced an interest
ing and dramatic sum of events that
come to a climax by the final laying
of the ghost, and the natural descent
of the situation to the levels of open
everyday living wherein disembodied
spirits have no part. The character
work of this story is of quality to
give color to the mystery itself.
just as the sharp contrasts made use
of emphasize it's outlines and give
it the effect of plausibility.
THE ENGLISH POETS; Selections
With Critical IntrOductions. Edited
by Thomas Humphrey Ward. N. A.
late fellow of Brasenose College.
oxford. New York: The Macmillan
Company.
This is the fifth volume of Thomas
Humphrey Wards selections from the
English poets-a volume covering the
par;od fror, prowpino 70 Ruperf
Brooke The considerable poets of
this period are represented here by
the most celebrated. or the most char
acteristic. or the most intrinsically
poetic. of their productions. Intro
ducing each poet is a critical sum-
mary of his work, whose influence and
place in literature are here eyaluated.
These appraisals, from many sources
of distinction in literary authority,
form no small part of the value of
this work. The entire series is in
valuable for purposes OF contrast
and comparison The volume in hand
is of special value by virtue of its
approach to the present and. in part,
by it's participation also in that pres
emit The scholarship of this editor
along the lines of English literature.
and in particular along the line OF
English poetry. constitutes this series
one of unusual value to the student
devoted reader of poetry.
TIN COWRIE DAsS; A Story. By
Henry Miner Rideout. author of
The White Tiger" etc. New York:
Duffield & Co.
An East Indian story of faint and
PARKWAY havors that are produced
by a discreet and delicate combina-
ton of strange bits of landscape. of
alien personalities. of foreign modes
Of thought and speech. of unfamiliar
points of view. The story itself is
that of a young native of simple life
and seemingly of humble origin. A
charge of murder turns the youth
into a fugitive who, in the course of
time, comes to serve an agent of the
English secret service in the pur-
suit of crime In this pursuit the
youth finally discovers himself as the
lost heir to remote East Indian
kingdom Therefore, his secret mis-
sion brought to a triumphantly sue
cessful issue. he betakes himself to
the ivory throne of his inheritance.
|, to which he is welcomed in stately
ceremonial by his fathers faithful
subjects. A good story of adventure.
whose sharp contrasts of east and
west, of the ancient and the modern,
give swift turns to the sustained in
terest and charm of the whole.
FIFTY NURSES FOR SERBS.