Evening star., 1919-03-16


literary conscience that habitually
controls him. betakes himself at once
to the region of their dominating de-
sires. to the recessed gardens of their
cherished dreams. These Russian
hears form the secret city that
tions of this naturalist in the deld
of humanity. net of absorbing cir
cumstance, soaked in the local cur
rents of Russian thought and activity,
diSctoses to he .eader h Sc under cur
rents of Russian life. Fo. thr addi-
tional lium nation that contrast sup
plies, couple of Englishmen take
pleausible and engagln= part in this
social drama The whole IS projected
AGAINST the back roun OF PetroSrad,
which. under he .aftanansh.p of
this writer. becomes itself person
allty that is always brilliant. that is
often sinister. that l. unvaryingly
and intriguing In this
mastery blend of portrayal drama
and Interpretation or tht conSumma-
tlon OF work of fiction Hugh Wam-
pole has eQualed himself at his best
ond best. A novel of the rare sort
that is meant for the delight of dis
criminating readers.
JOYCE kILMER. Edited with a Me-
moir by Robert Cortes Holiday.
New York: George H. Doran Com
pany.
Poems. essays and letters by Joyce
k1lmer come to the reader by way
OF the two volumes in hand. To
those already familiar 18th the writ
inss of thIs young poet and solder
and man the books refresh and renew
a delightful experience. TO those
meeting k4Iner here for the first
ii e--tnat is. Ior the first time in
any extended meeting Volumes
pro: de IN exniarating and joyous
adventure. Not often does the pure
JOY or lie so conn., sIete4y dominate d
" ritter as to make this quality the
stamp of his literary work
as it does in the case OF Joyce Kill
mer. In poem or story, in letter or
essay-all so versatile in turn and
so felicitous in appea.-the first i'm
preston is that of a virile American
man, robust in mis- thinking. energetic
in action, modern in attitude and out
reaching in interest, who has chosen
literature as his mode of self-expres-
sion. The result is something rich in
sum and quality to be added to the
store of American letters. A memoir
of remarkable originality, as 1T is
also one OF compete sympathy and
intimate knowledge, sets this Ameri-
can writer in most revealing way
in the midst of the work that is here
for the first time offered to readers
in anything like complete form. In
deed. this realistic and plain-speak-
ing memoir Is as unique in it's own
way as Is the work of kilmer him
self. If one reads it first he ap-
proaches the main body of this work
full satisfaction in the literary graces
and fiavors of the body of the book
itself
FOUR YEARS IN THE WHITE
NORTH. By Donald B. Macmillan,
Photographs New York: Harper
& Bros.
Four years of arctic exploration
form the foundation Of this true story
Of adventure. Each day Of the whole
period is a tale of heroic warfare
against enemies that gave no quarter
cold and snow and hunger
and loneliness and distance and fear
of overdelayed rescue. This is the
story of the Crocker Land expedition
in north Greenland story whose
bare facts require no establishment
to place them at the summit of hu-
man daring and endurance. One reads.
wondering Wnat II Is IN tne human
heart that can lead men to sacrifice
so much for that which to the home
slayer looks SO unalluring. But it is
a great story. ope that will fire many
a youth when his day comes to fare
out into some field of amazing hazard.
The immediate effect Of the record.
however, is to add knowledge such as
the new area covered-knowledge of
new plants and animals and geo.
graphical stretches. 1t is a plain
record that safety relies upon the
simple truth to produce its tremen-
dous effect. The scientific value Of the
account is balanced by its appeal as
pure adventure.
THE BURGOMAsTER OF sTILE-
MOND; A Play in Three Acts. By
Maurice Maeterlinck. Translated
by Alexander Teixeira de Mattos.
New York: Dodd. Mead & Co.
This is the text Of the play that has
been given during the past week in
this city under the name "A Burgo-
ma aster Of Belgium" The change was
doubtless devised to give Maeterlinck's
work unmistakably the Belgian
stamp to Americans. AS has been al
ready noted in The Stars review OF
the dramatic production, this Is a de-
parture from the Maeterlinck style.
1t is realism, grim and distinct, a
tragedy of the German occupation of
Belgium in 1914, one Of the incidents
of the campaign of advance through
the neutral land into France. A
is sacrificed by the Ger
man commander as punishment for the
killing of a lieutenant. A gardener is
accused and the burgomaster becomes
his proxy before the firing squad In
clear. definite form the Belgian dram
atist offers this portrayal of German
brutality playing against and upon
simplicity and honesty. The
are few in number, just
sufficient to cacry the action. The
movement is swift and direct. The
language. as is always assured in q
play, is precise in it's pic
turing Of the emotions. And it all
stands as an authentic record. 1t is
no fantasy. no creature of the imag-
ination, but a bit Of history. individ-
uaiiZed and dramatized. Those who
have witnessed the play with want the
permanent record of the text Those
who failed to see 1t should at least
read Maeterlinck's rendering OF one
aspect OF Belgiums martyrdom.
DAY, Studies in Light
and Shade. BY 1gnatius Phayre
New York: Dodd, Mead & Co.
These studies Of America are made
by an Englishman - not the usual
traveller who, after skimming
the eastern coast of America grad
yates himself as a repository of ex-
pert knowledge and opinion on all
manner of subjects American. This
on the contrary, gives
evidence of seasoned knowledge. CT
opinions. of rational views
and of a fellow feeling for this lusty
young offshoot Of the imperial king
dom. Out of an abundance of in
information, therefore, he
sizes up our powers and possibilities