Evening star., 1920-03-14

personal experiences through four
years OF soldering in the Union
cause. The journal. for such in Ell
feet it is. was written primarily oie
judges. to permit its author to rehVe
the exciting and eventful years OF
the war. Now, after more than MY
years of seclusion. the record steps
| out in the face of another great
struggle. contributing. in remihis-
| cence, to the immense volume or cur
rent war literature. Apart from the
I keen interest that the story contains
on it's purely personal side Is the
| added interest of contrast bet"een
| the ways of making war then ana
now. This contrast is. as a mater
of course. supplied Involuntary oF
the reader himself as he follows
| these richly reminiscent pages. II is
| a very simple story. a very Nhcere
one. These qualities give 1t IT'S de-
cded charm Keeping close 70 li.ln-
| self and to his Immediate comrades
| the writer trudgeS along soldier
wise through the daily stresses ana
| the infreQuent easements OF that nara
period. One catches glimpses OIL wei,
known military leaders. no" ana
| then. but the bulk of the testimony
! is on the side Of the common soldier
That is one of the reasons why the
book is 80 good. Advancing from
private to colonel. the account ex-
pands to meet this change without
materially affecting the simple char
Of the story is its effect of immedl-
acy, of bringing sections of the civil
war into the present. not at all cool
! ed off by the intervention of more
than half a century.
THE RAGGED INLET GUARDS; A
story OF Adventure in Labrador.
BY Dillon Wallace. author of Grit
a-Plenty. etc. New ork: REM
ing H. Revell Company.
How the war came to Labrador
makes a rafting good story that boy
! readers will revel in--not only be-
cause of the patriotism of the tour
lads who adventured into danger 10
protect Big Fowl Harbor during the
enlistment of their elder brother. but
for the reason that there is thrill in
every page, whether it be seal hunt
| ing, stalking deer, fishing for trout
through ice holes or dozen Other
duties and pastimes of north Canadian
life. The boys were care-free. IRE
| sponsible youngsters until the de-
parture Of the young men for the war
| left only old people and children AZ
home to fight want and a possible in
vaSion by the foe. 1t is Tobias VINO
suggests that he and his three COM
| rades make themselves into soldiers
| to tend the trails and take care Of the
l
| idea he is made captain of the Ragged
| Inlet Guards. The supreme interest of
the story centerS in the coming OF
| strange ship which the boys suppose
| to be an English vessel sent to pro-
! tect the coast from the Germans. but
which is really Il spy crew that builds
| a wireless station on far-of rock
and is planning a base for submarines
| How the boys learn Of the situation
and the way they handle it is too fine
| and dramatic even TO hint at. except
| that. when it is over. King George
sends a medal to each member of the
inlet Guard an honor which he
| bravely deserves. The text is inter
| spersed with illustrations that add
| the atmosphere of environment to the
interest of the story.
| MERMAID. BY Grant NJ Overton
Frontispiece by Harry A. Botkin
New York: Doubleday, Page-& Co
This heroine. Undine-like. comes
from the sea-rescued by .surfmen ol
the Lone Cove Coast Guard Station
from the wrecked ship that supple:
her with a. name. The reader. from
the first, senses her right to belong
just where she is brought ashore
! though the author conveys the i'm.
preston that he is keeping Mermaid:
identity a secret until'-she discover:
it for herself. Complications which
involve the coming Of a piratical sea
captain. the disappearance Of fabu
lous uncut jewels, a realistically ex
citing shipwreck and the proper pun
ishing of a miserly greed that de
frauds a brother are the shadow!
that but serve to emphasize the sunny
spots Of love and romance which vivi
~ the story. The heroine and her boy
lovers dominate the plot. and interes
is added by the character types O
the north Atlantic coast-with I
| wort n while lesson in the gallant reck
lessness OF a life saving crew. Th'
colored frontispiece gives an artistic
glimpse of seaeulls and inrushint
breakers topped by a sunset sky.