Evening star., 1919-12-28

Complementary Industrial elements
Concrete in treatment, comprehensive
in scope. practical in purpose, the
book fits into the needs OF the busf-
ness man who is genuinely seeking
direction and suggestion in this ur-
gent field. as it supplies the general
the progress Of Industrial manage
ment at the present time. One likes
above all the unsentimental approach
to this subject, the employment of
business attitude before proposition
that is clearly business one. The
obvious intent of the book is to meet
a general need. The treatment holds
exclusively to this purpose.
RUSSIA, WHITE OR RED. By Oliver
NJ. Sayler. Illustrated from photo
graphs. Boston: Little, Brown &
Co.
To be in 'the most uncertain and
interesting and eventful place in the
world"-this is the impulse that, in
the fall of 1917, sent this writer across
the Pacific. across Siberia and into
European Russia for six months OF
unofficial. independent looking around.
In order to preserve this independence
OF outlook, Mr.. Sayler deliberately
avoided secondhand avenues OF IN
formation. placing himself. instead. as
close as possible to the common cur
rents of Russian life. To see how
the great Russian wass lives, to hnd
out if 1t is thinking at all. to dls-
cover what it thinks it sees as the
end all of this prodigious overturn-
ing. what it's grievance is. what its
remedy appears to be-these are the
directing questions with which this
adventuring newspaper writer armed
himself for constant use in his SIX
months of observation. The book in
hand is a running account OF comingS
and goings among the people of all
conditions of unrest during the first
half year of bolshevik regime in Rus
sia. Russia red, according to TINS
writer's grouping, embodies all the
positive elements of revolt against
includes not only the advocates or
the former regime. but it covers also
every degree of political, social and
industrial conservatism. The strug-
gle between the two is bound. by
virtue of their fundamentel differ
and the least that can be asked OF
our government is to keep its hands
or the Russian situation and let 1T
run its course to it's legitimate end.
This is a very observant man and
very communicable one. he is nu-
sian drama captures him. His mind
is we'll furnished with interpreting
material-history. national and indi-
vidual psychology. general informA-
tion along political and social lines.
informal offhand aptness Of point and
implication that keeps the reader
right alongside Of him in these Rus
sian experiences.
OUR LITTLE OLD LADY. By Eleanor
Hoyt Brainerd, author of Bet
tina" etc. New York: Doubleday,
Page & Co.
"Our Little Old Lady" is another
theory smasher. One had already
quite reached the conclusion that the
"old lady" is an extinct bird, like the
dodo. One would have said. oh-hand.
that the cap and specs have place only
in the hands of those weird wise men
who, with no more to start them on
than a casual shin bone are able to
complete. one of our pre-
historic forbears. Wrong. you see
or you will see upon reading this little
book. For out of it's covers, as if these
were the white-washed palings of an
old garden, steps the living image OF
grandmother. smelling of
lavender and thyme and bergamot and
with her years-think of it-and conf
dent in the wisdom that time has
brought, and proud-actually proud
Of being grandmother! And when one
comes to think it that is as it should
be. To be a woman. to be old. to be a
STdnQmOIneI-Wny,
all about, one gathers. And this little
old woman has the grandmotherly
whole Of it-the lap Of comfort. the
bosom of refuge. the heart OF balm,
the hand Of healing. Coming and go
ing about our little old lady are some
agreeable young folks who serve the
good purpose of letting US get along
in our acquaintance with this wise and
charming friend.
,rxrrs rv,rrr MN n ~ uvvrs pp E,,eanor
H. Porter. author of "Just David"
etc. Drawings by Helen Mason
Grose. Boston: Houghton Mif1in !
Company.
Love. before marriage and after. is
the emotion out of which the stories
of this volume spring. AS a whole.
these stand as engaging and unexact-
those reading moments when one can
no longer key himself up to a tussle
with the weird sex problems which.
at the moment, pass muster as ro-
mantle fiction. Healthy, and conse-
auently relatively harmless. people
come into the company here. Those
bent to the business of marriage ap-
proach it with youthful zest that
turns everything to account. Any
thing serves. Once a strayed kitten
turned the trick as neatly. as COM
pletely. as young Lochinvar. himself
crossed the bar are here engaged in
making the best of the usual illu-
sions and disillusions that, as a mat
ter OF course. waylay the partners In
the business of matrimony. These
people. as a whole, are believable and
likable. What 10 quite as much to
the point just now 10 that they are
restful also. No one of them is en-
gagged in trying to push the world
around, but he il. instead. meeting
certain arresting situations with Sc
renity and a good deal of grace. A
strain of good sense and another one
of keen humor serve to put just the
right degree Of pep Into these stories
of the surface currents of modern