Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-09-04
Reviews of New Books

~Rachcl: A Play Of Protest" BY Angclins
w. Grimke. Boston, Mass: The Corn
hin CO., pa Park street. Price, N.25
net
"Rachcl' is a drama, really tragedy
the tragedy Of n life tortured by longinge
which may not be grati6ed. OF woman
Of color, intelligent, clcAn-living, with
aspirations encouraged by tn ose not
handicapped by dark skins, a woman who
sees no future in store for her and others
of her race.
Many who are familiar with colorcd
pecple en- masse will hardly incline To
sympathy with the severely drawn pic
ture presented in this play, rs 1T Is too
radically at variance with the evidence 50
largely in view in communities throughout
Ne northern part of the country where the
Negro population is numerous. They see
n Negro nature and the place Of the Negro
in the community which, though subordi-
nate and subject to much irritating DIS
elimination, is by no means Joyous, but
on the contrary, full of much that goes to
make life worth living. Also, with much
that inclines some of those of the white
race To the opinion that in many respects
the Negro is highly favored member OF
the community.
Still, this tragic social drama is stirring
and pathetic in its presentation, whether IL
represents an actual condition to con-
siderable extent, or is only the presenta-
ton of an incident, and rare one.
Received of the publishers.
sThc Fourth Watch" A Book of Poems.
By Roy Ivan johnson. Boston, Mass. /:
The Cornhill Co., pa Park street.
Price, SIPS, net.
"The Fourth Watch" IS collection OF
short poems which will attract more than
usual attention by reason of their hnely
expressed sentiment and exquisite appear;
Some of them are about the war, one oil
the most expressive of which rs here gwen
On France the sunlight falls again
With healing glow
But scars of Flanders seam her heart
With hidden woe.
From windows stream the flags of peace
And victory
But Sorrow sits beside the roads
OF Picardy.
A nation shouts for joy-but oh,
The bleeding pain
That lies along the ruined fields
OF fair Champagnel
The other poems also are expressive
and appealing, presenting various emo
tions and sentiments, all beautifully set
forth. They are of love and life, OF home
and hearth, of nature and of human
characteristics. In truth rarely pleasing
collection of unusually fine poems.
Received of the publishers.
Impulses" By Harriet Holmes Haslctt.
Boston, Mass: The Cornhill Co.
pa Park street. Price, $l.75, net.
The impulses" were those Of Sandy,
very original and largely inquisitive man
of San Francisco who found time to make
Investigations, following impulses of vari-
Gus kinds that frequently seized upon
him And when an impulse grappled
with him, it WAS generally so Importunate
that Sandy had to carry it to Its con-
cl,lsion, be that what it might.
But it may be said for Sandy that hIs
impulses were of the straight sort, gen
erally incited by some form of human
suffering. And also, the interference OF
Sandy always resulted In practical bet
terment. Thus, he placed struggling
young woman, sorely bcset by poverty,
but honest and good, on the way to de-
served and honorable success. BE got UP
hoboes' and found long-lost, graceless,
but repentant brother. He participated
in an abduction with excellent conse-
uuences. He took pretty young widow
from lottery ticket-selling to conditions
that gained her another husband,
sweetheart of her youth. he made lie
somewhat better for young mother
struggling on the music stage TO support
her child He helped a persistent but at
tractive Young ''Dago' TO wife whom he
should have married much sooner, ana
averted unpleasant family complications
He brought about reunion OF q separated
couple, the alienation being due to the
wife's passion for the movies. And ne
restored a supposed dead husband TO the
widow, who was being fieeced by spirit
medium charlatan.
And finally Sandy finds heavenly
fruition of a fine romance Of his own with
the Blue-Eyed Lady. And thus ends
collection of stories that are most pleasing
and sympathetic.
Received of the publishers.
.Brass .Tacks." Bv Homer Sherman.
Boston. Mass: The Cornhill Co., 2-a
Park street Price, sl.75, net.
The career of James Waldron Adams,
as set forth in Brass Tacks, Is decided
ly entertaining, written down with a
variety of incident and skill IN presenta-
tion that holds the interest OF the reader
right along. James was lad In q Massa-
chusetts rural community, In school at
the opening, and a bright, promising
scholar. He secured all the instruction
and honor that the district school could
confer, and then went to whitman
where he likewise distinguished |
himself, securing In his junior year the |
high credit of being selected TO lead the |
debate for the affirmative on the ambitious |
proposition that the Federal government /
should own and operate the railroads
After graduation, James Waldron
Adams faced the problem OF making q |
future. and at the start found 1T exceed !
lngly hard work TO even make bare
living. And before he had more than !
the rudlments of this situation, |
be married very worthy young woman,
and they had hard struggle. James W.
Adams soon learned what WAS so plainly /
apparent in this country, as well as IN |
MANY others at that tlme-more tnan a
quarter of century ago-that the LABOR.
n, while he might be worthy OF his hire,
was not getting anything like a falr share
,f the value of his labor's products.
And so James w. Adams became
Meanwhile, however, by rare
rood luck at time when his economic
was decidedly desperate, he Sc
.ured good start and fortune favored
lim financially thereafter, so that he be-
-. 80 20 bl,obed IN aEtbp ShaIy |