The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1920-11-14
Publishers Celebrate Children's Book Week
MediaevalRomance
Among Craftsmen

MASTERS OF THE GUILD. BY l..
Lamprey Frederick d. Stokes Com
pany.
When the stars indicate that the
fortunate hour is at hand. the COM
pound is to be heated in a crucible
over a large brazier. covered with
layer of chaff TO absorb the poisonous
gases that arise. That which remains
in the crucible will be pure gold" SO
Padraig the scribe explained the last
step in the magic process TO Gregory
of Hildesheim, Preceptor of the Order
of knights Templars. For the Precep-
tor had captured Master Tomaso, the
doctor, Padraig's friend, and had de-
manded that he make gold for the
Templars' treasury on pain of death as
a wizard. In cellar next to the great
treasure vault they were preparing the
crucial experiment and Padraig wished
to have all the chapter present, for he
had plans of his own for their enter
lainment When all was ready and
dusk was falling the door of the cellar
was opened and all the people crowded
in to see what would befall. The cruel
bic was placed over the fire; every one
waited in tense expectancy.
THE chaff in the crucible caught
fire, flared up and lighted every corner
of the old cellar. Then there was a
crash that shook the earth. Battle
ments rocked, pavements cracked,
| blocks of stone leaped into the air like
fountain of masonry. When fire en-
counters high explosives in tunnel
the results are remarkable Torches
dropped or were blown out, and STUN
4 bling, cursing men ran right and left,
anywhere to escape the pelting stones.
| Padraig, holding to his masters arm
| guided him out of the gate and toward
| the sound of trampling hoofs upon a
| little hilock. There they found Ed
rupt. Guy and Alan struggling with
i their frantic horses. Ewart came UP
with two more horses and soon they
were beyond all danger of pursuit.
This is only small part of one Incl
dent in this book full of exciting adj
ventures From France to England.
and thence to the Barbary coast and to
Germany, the story moves through the
thrilling, colorful romance of the
Middle Ages. A book that will delight
any boy or girl who has the spark of
imagination.
this is very superior book, attrac-
lively gotten up. with fairly good IL
Illustrations, and, in particular ex-
tre6ely well written and based on a
thorough knowledge of medieval life.
The happenings are probable and the
people are at least possible and at any
rate thoroughly enjoyable. localized,
of course, with most of the slavery
and overwork and exploitation and
hunger and coolies left out: but, after
all, one need not insist on our children
seeing all the facts of life at once. and
romance is at least as important a
fact as sociology in the education and
progress OF humans. So if you are
| buying a Christmas book for a boy or
| girl of from ten to seventeen you can
! hardly do better than make it Masters
of the Guild Unless you go back to
the preceding volume. 1.-THE Days of
| the Guild" and save this newer one for
both of these delightful books should
come into the hands of every young
person who has any one to look after
| his happiness. incidentally, If be-
tween now and Christmas the grown
up purchaser will extract the book
from it's hiding place and read it him
self he will be well repaid. The pleas
ant little poemsGDetween the chapters
will appeal to him more perhaps than
TO a younger reader and the whole
| book will renew his youth.