Evening star., 1919-04-13

Of the aevil's own ingenuity Of cruel
pie. The story moves steadily forward
in complete simplicity OF state
ment. through an unspeakable atmos-
phefe of horror and degradation. 1t
is. IN effect an appeal, an appeal SUD-
ported by organized forces for Armen-
ian and Syrian relief-but this fact
adds, clearly, to the effect of the re-
cital itself, since it opens a substan-
tia1 way for the outlet of emotions ex-
cited by the awful situation brought
out In so pitiful q fashion by Aufora
Mardiganian's own personal story.
EUROPEAN THEORIES OF THE
, DRAMA. BY Barrett II. Clark, au.
thor of .'The Continental Drama OF
Today" etc. Cincinnati; Stewart
& Kidd Company.
In this substantial and authoritative
volume of about five hundred pages
Mr.. Barrett sets out in definite exposis
ton the theories that have from time
to time controlled dramatic construc-
tion. This exposition goes back to
the beginnings Of European civiliza-
tion and comes down to the drama OF
the present. From Aristotle to Ber-
naru Shaw the writer advances. stop
ping along the way at those htgh
points where the theory Of the the
ater either reaches some conclusive
decision as to the laws underlying
dramatic structure, or where. on the
other hand, this theory of structure
changes to adjust itself to different
stage of social development or to
changed conception Of the general so
cial purpose of the drama. The book
consists of selected texts from the IA
nous dramatists of this long stretch
N-sk
subject of dramatic theory and
achievement. of Geographic sketches of
the great dramatic writer's, and OF
selected booklist to serve the purpose
of special students. An arrangement
of material-that is, in the main.
account of the advance of the drama.
as we'll as to give definition to the
course of the drama on the side OF its
theory of structure. From vast
field of dramatic literature this dis
tinguished authority has selected q
body of substance that is calculated to
be of inestimable value to the student
of dramatic theory. To the average
intelligent reader, also, the book pre-
sents, in a most interesting manner,
study of one phase of European liter
ature through this long period Of time.
SEVEN STARS, And other Poems. BY
Clare Wood Shipman. San Fran
cisco: John J. Newbegin.
A book of verse from California that
pays it's way across country in the
sound literary currency Of poetic
mood and good workmanship. There
is nothing. however. in either feeling
OF craftsmanship to set this book
apart, in class by itself. No vagaries
of mind or heart appear here. no &c
centric innovations Of verse form. On
the contrary. the themes are those that
beauty Of the material world. and
those human contacts that bind men
together in their most satisfying re-
lationships. And the verse itself. as
a mechanism. moves on f1exibly IN the
regulation way, in steps that suit the
mindful of the syncopated tangoihgs
and fox-trottings of some of the new
adventurers in this field OF compost
ton. The reader accepts its moods
more often than otherwise as his own.
responding happily, also. to the fresh
grouping of the poems under certain
planetary influences and implications
adds neither to the quality OF the poet |
ry, nor increases the spiritual mean !
ings to which the book is openly dedi- |
Gated. The little volume stands as . |
caDaDle anu CONSCIENTIOUS VII Va ICbti.
mony to the increasing use OF poetry |
as a medium of current literary ex-
preston.
ONE YEAR AT THE RUSSIAN |
COURT; 1904.1oo5. BY Renee Eltin
Company.
This is first-hand account. There
in lies such virtue as 1t possesses- The
pictures set down here with 30 FREQ q |
hand were drawn OF from the situA- |
tions themselves. About . dosen years |
ago this writer. by a turn Of personal !
good luck. found herself in Russia. |
There through the accident of mar |
riage connections and ties OF blood |
she was herself member OF high so
eiety, an observer of dukes and grand |
dukes. participator in the pleasures
of the Russian court itself. This 10
the paramount fact lying At the foun- |
dation of these sketches, giving TO- |
them a vivid quality and q clear inn |
mediacy of effect. Unhappily, how
ever, there is no sense Of order appar-
ent here. No purpose to produce q
unity of impression is manifest Scenes |
of important implication hobnob with
commonplace views OF no meaning
whatever. Serious matters crowd
along with trivia1itfes. Of concern to |
no one save InG yOuln10l OO0SIV0I u0Te
self. Now and then. with an amusing
assumption Of gravity this butterfly
visitor lays down an opinion on some
matter of state. on some move in Rus
sian politics. Her field, however, 10
that Of a social gossip, that leans to-
ward the moral obliQuities Of Russian
high life. So. in spite Of its vividness
and of the innumerable pictures Of
Russia that it presents at hrst-hand. 1t |
is by reason of inherent thinness and
structural faults. q most unsatisfying
bit of reading.
THE BELOVED SINNER. BY Rachel
Swete Mcnamara, author Of 'sThe
Fringe of the Desert" etc. New
York: G. P. Putnam's Sons.
The Skinner" who animates this mild
to-do of invention is merely a woman
who is given over to the sin of extrav-
agance in the matter Of feminine frills. |
That she is "beloved"-in spite Of her
sinfulness. Of because of its due. on
the one hand, to the accidents Of
youth. beauty, winsomeness. and. on
the other hand, to the susceptibility
of a certain young man. The ups and