Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-07-27
Reviews of New Books


Hoover. Franklin Lane, Mr.. McAdoo,
and others of equal substance, for
their opinions on the most outStand-
ing of the problems of this imminent
readjusting process. These touch the
fields of the new industry. with its
fresh alignment of labor and capital,
the new relationship between gov
erDment and business. the outlook of
a reconStructive finance. the problem
of future Immigration. the recasting
of the detectives and methods of edu-
cation. and many another of the vital
interests of this rediscovered world:
Diversity of opinion finds place here,
but it is all looking in di-
rection and substantial in quality. a
good book for some of the uses of
the new inclusive education that aims
to reach every member of this great
republic, that must reach this far II
the big job is to be carried out to
any productive issue
ACROSS THE STREAM. By E. F.
Benson, author of "Dodo,' etc.
New York: George H. Doran Com
pany.
The stream figuring in the title
that separates the here-world from
the hereafter-world. This is. in sub
stance. therefore. what is called a
psychic story. Mr.. Benson puts into
concrete drama the idea-the belief on
the part of many-that one possesses
deep-seated self that. having
crossed the stream of mortal life, still
remains conscious, and longing, to-
ward the period of this earthly exist
ence. Yearning backward toward
dear and familiar friends and scenes
it seeks instinctively a medium of
contact and communication with
these. Such is the motive of this
story. Put into dramatic substan-
TALLY, it is the story of an English
youth. who from babyhood to man
hood stands as the center around
which both the under currents and
the surface movements of the narra-
tive circle. On the outside this is
a story of English family life. I'm
derneath it is the drama of communi
cation between the dead and the liv-
ing. This second part is touched
sparingly, delicately, suggestively. In
his usual easy urbanity Mr.. Benson
appears to concern himself chiefly
with the daily life of the we'll born
/ English family. This is delightful
reading with it's clear atmosphere and
characteristic wholesomeness Re-
strained and cautious as he is about
the inner content of the matter that
is, obviously, the writer's chief care
1t is here that the interest eliminates
1t is this element that makes the
novel strongly provocative one
, placing it beside other stories and
records that, from sources of intelli-
gent investigation and purely honest
intent, boldly declare their belief in
the thesis that lies at the heart of
this novel.
THE WINNING CLUE. By James
Hay, jr.. author of THE Man Who
Forgot" etc. New York: Dodd,
! Mead & Company.
From three distinct points of de-
parture Mr.. Hay develops here a
triple line of separate circumstance
each bent to the business Of hunting
down the murderer of the generally
| beloved Enid Withers. The enjoyment
of the story depends upon the adroit-
ness with which the author holds
each Of these divergent trails to a
plausible content of suspicious cir
| cumstance and maintains it, as we'll
! in personality of it's own. The
| work of two friendly rivals in crimi-
nal detectlon-one an amateur, the
| other Acknowledgements the ac-
| ton under the spur of an open and
vigorous competition. These two
! men are of special interest. Mr.. Hay
| has succeeded in making real persons
| of them, considerable persons at that
! One Immediately takes Sides" rather
| resenting it when the author shades
| off from the prowess of his favorite
| even though this be done in the in
! rerest of rounding the man out tc
| consistency with his own nature But
the climax of the matter is the point
you will not guess it, and you must
! not be told. 1t is bound to send you
! back over the course of events fol
| those bits of subtlety that might
| have given you a suggestion. They
are there. but one is likely to miss
them in the interest of getting for.
ward with the obvious developments