Evening star., 1920-07-04

value. They present important
and authoritative chapters on England
in Egypt, in South Africa, in India This
| is the general historical value of the
biography. They objectify, besides, the
tremendous moral and material power of
| sheer work-thiS, in a page-by-page ac-
counting of the unremtting ardor of
| endeavor that marked Lord Kitchener
| in his various fields of activity. But.
more than all, these volumes deliver
over to one the personality of the great
man himself-kitchener of khartum.
who captured the homage and admira-
] ton of the world. The first of these
| volumes tells the amazing story Of Lord
Kitchener in Egypt. The second deals,
in the main, with his service in South
| Africa and India. The last one gives
the part of this great Englishman in
the war of the allies against the Teu-
| tonic powers. Love and sympathy pos
| sess this biographer who enriches both
| himself and readers in the fidelity and
| accuracy and insight with which he has
proved himself to be great enough to
| deal with SO great a theme.
NO. 20 JAYNE STREET. By Mary
Austin, author of "A Woman of
Genius etc. Boston: Houghton
Miff1in Company.
| Mary Austin's novels concern them
selves. Invariably, with one or an
other of the half-dozen essentials
that lie at the root of human rela-
tionships. This one. upon it's sur
face. has to do with one of those
hectic New York groups. whose self
constituted business it is to set
things exactly right in world that
has. obviously. gone dead wrong.
Within the group is newcomer-an
attractive, intelligent young woman
with a good background of wide
travel and social experience. At the
head of this group is man of clear
reforming power and great personal
charm. The community drama, in
which develops the mutual attraction
of this pair, is carried out in the
familiar proportions of truth and un-
truth that, in modern life itself, con-
troll and direct the enthusiasts of
| reform. The gist of this story is
important in it's significance. The
in his broad social vision and intent
may actually be a voice crying in the
wilderness, but that he may. at the
same time. in his personal relations
with woman, or women, be as big
bounder as ever walked Incon-
sistent-not able to realize that there
is but a single vision. Inheritance
tradition. the long complacence of
the world. have blinded him to the
righteousness of social fair-dealing
when it comes to his own personal
desires and vanities. This writer's
work is never less than considerable.
Insight, artistry and courage equip
her surprisingly for the work of
serious and significant fiction.
MY A. f. F.; A Hail and Farewell.
By Frances Newbold Noyes. New
York: Frederick A. Stokes Com
pany.
A few months ago an article was
printed in McClure's Magazine from
the pen of a young American woman,
who, after a period of active duty in
the Y. M. c. A. war work here. went
later at Nice rendered effective serv-
ice with the members of the Ameri
can expeditionary force. In that
article. now fortunately preserved in
straight. plain talk to the men of
the A. E. F., appealing to their sense
of fair play in their recitals of the
happenings overseas. 1t breathed the
spirit of true patriotism in it's appeal
for an honest. truthful view of the
Noyes said: Here in America we
are fighting another war-a war
against selfishness and intolerance
and hatred. 1t will be losing fight
if we go armed only with suspicion
and bitterness. That is why I ask
you found over there"
In the course of her article Miss
Noyes presents vivid. stirring pic
ture of the American soldier in
France. bis eagerness for duty, his
homesickhess. his pluck under real
suffering, his joyous good fellow
ship. his humorous philosophy. With
deft strokes she depicts him real
parsonage. sometimes disheartened,
but always ready for action. One
gains panoramic view of the great
crusade from these few pages. Evil
dence of the effectiveness of Miss
Noyes' appeal to the men of the
A. E. F. appears in the reprint in this
volume of few selections from nu-
merous letters received by her from
former soldiers since the publication
of the magazine article.
A FRENCH WOMAN's IMPRESSIONS
OFAMERICA. By Comtesse Made
1eine de Bryas an Jacqueline de
Bryas. New York: The Century
Company.
A foreigners impressions of our
country are likely to be interesting,
and this. not so much for that which
it tells US about America as for what
it tells about the particular foreigner
or herself. The book in
from it's manner. Sparkling. polite,
kind. amused over our idiosyncrasies.
puzzled by some of our conventions,
greatly impressed-or graciously ap-
pearing to be-over our size. our big
business, our money. and our general
Impressions that is calculated to
make the reader fall to the charm
of these writers, and rather grateful
than otherwise, for this kindly mir
ror that has been turned upon him
with so much of sympathy and in
sight.
By Max Brand. author OF
THE Untamed." etc. New York: |
G. P. Putnam's Sons.
Pure melodrama. Just the same, |
there is not a bit of use in trying to
pears to be expected of one in these |
days of intellectual exactions. On
the contrary. one races through it, |
rather challenging its pages to offer
too unbelievable for him
to accept. You see. it has originality. ,
that stir one out of his round and
round existence. There are still
some corners of the country as wild
as this story presents. So much the
worse for the country if there are
in quest of his fathers murderer.
The story opens in the suave smooth
ness of the east. with a lean, elegant
youth to the front. Then. the per-
sonal loss to the boy. Then, the
trailin' "a steady wild-west per-
formance. in which the tenderfoot oc-
cupies the front of the stage every
minute of the time. A plot of good
complication. involving a real father
and the supposed father. carries the
matter forward under the propulsion
of revenge and stops it. short. on
quite another plane. More than likely
this story is already on the screen.
II not. it will be before long.
THE ROSE OF JERICHO. Rv Ruth