Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-04-25
Reviews of New Books

IkeVlewS OF
LUCIA sARTo, A Novel. BY Charles
8. Brooks, author. Of "Chimney-Pot
Papers" etc. New York. The Gen.
fury Company.
I"HIs romance lies long way
! back-four hundred years and
| more. Adventure here runs
I hot on the trail of one Luca
Sarto. famous artist and cunning artif-
icer of Rome. This hero, in a burst of
passion having made away with, one
of the noble Orsini, hastily betook
himself to the France of.Louis xI for
sanctuary. But the fame OF Sarto
raced ahead of him. And the slippery
ups and downs, the tortuuus~ins and
outs Of that wicked old Paris were
like to have been his complete undo
| ing. The Intriguing old Louis him
self, even, counted sarto as 9 bit OF
Tristan. his good -headsman. And
when the kings pack took to the
I chase. you may be sure that the whole
mongrel litter would follow. II Rome
were hot, Paris was hades. Hazard
| and escape constantly stimulated
counter plot faced each other. The
/ trap, the fight, the thud OF pursuing
| hoofs, the gleain OF eager swords,
moldy dungeons, clanking chains: the
light In lady's eyes, the loosed lock,
escape-and then on around again in
mounting swirl Of action. till. finally.
| the climax of reQuited love and the
vista of a tolerable security bring
| the tumult to e. breathlessly happy
pause. Delightful work this. wherein
| the author sends his spirit back into
| the ancient atmosphere while he, at
the same time, keeps enough. of a
hold upon the present to carry the
adventure straight into the secret
corners where even the most. prosaic
has, stored away. his love OF sheer
romance.
IRELAND: An Enemy Of the Attest
BY. r. c. Escoufiaire., New York:
e. P. Dutton & Co.
...The Irish question is an interna-
tional imposture" This is the opening
statement of NJ. Escounalre study OF
the Irish situation. 1t is. besides, the
basic proposition in whose support the
book in hand is offered as both evidence
and argument. Nowhere, except in the
fun sun Of history-ancient, modern and
current history combined-.can be found
tention against England. The author.
therefore, limits his Investigations to
this field of authentic fact. He opens
UP, first. the chapter of ancient days-a
brutal exposure of Saxon and Ceit alike
| Cruel days those, wherein, as ways
opened, each emulated the other in a
frank barbarity or in hideous secrets Of
retaliation. The modern period, next,
shows the Saxon moving freely out into
the new atmosphere of progress. Here
(y~l% III 4 49,
and store up bitter memories Tor the
ripening of future revenges. The CO.
temporaneous accounts merely empha-
size the logical effects Of this early dif-
ference. Such Is the record. 1t was the
German Irish conspiracy. coming into
the open just as civilized Europe was
fighting with its back against Verdun,
that drove this bewildered Frenchman
away from the tumult' OF Irish propa-
ganda and caused him to seek for the
truth about Ireland in the field OF his.
tory. He sums this Illuminating study
in the statement that introduces It,
THE LURE OF THE PEN. BY Flora
Klickmann, author of 1.-The Flower
Patch Among the Hills" etc. New
York: G. P. ,Putnam's Sons.
This breezy text book on authorship
sets out with q smart rap at the Ia
niliar delusion that writing is a free
gift which works while one Sleeps
something that Dungeons and blooms
without travail Of any sort. The teacher
here asks sharply what a musician or
q uainter might expect--or a carpenter
or a plumber either. for that matter-if
he claimed skill without apprenticeship.
Having put the brood OF lawless as
pirants to authorship IN their proper
place. the teacher then goes on to lay
out the essentials Of the art Of writing.
The instruction settles into two parts.
preparation and production. The greater
Of these is preparation. The gathering
Of facts. the chemistry that changes
facts and Impressions into literary
forms and meanings, the wide sources
of information, the laws of structure,
the relation of author to publisher and
public-these are some of the topics that
step out to meet one here in immediate
and personal contacts of practical USE
fulness. 1t Is the practical character
Of this book that engages the reader.
It's content is the. obvious fruit OF ex-
perience Think of reading something
like nine thousand manuscripts year
as this writer does. Think OF being
able to rescue from this mass only
about six hundred for publication. when
twice that number is desired. It is. no
wonder that this editor has very definite
instruction to give on the subject of
writing. It is fne that she gives it
with. 90 much Of point and vigor. with
30 much of fresh good sense. and prac
teal appeal An admirable book.
IN THE SHADOW OF LANTERN
STREET. BY Herbtrt g. Wood
worth. New York: Small. May
nard & Co. ..l.s<
The oriental Is no longer far away.
Indeed, he is here-niore or less of
him. What is the'attitude Of this alien
toward the daily life of the west?
What are his common reactions to
the. sum Of its facts and influences?
foundation of this novel. The hero is.
in his. own calculations, Chinese He
has lived in China all his young life
and believes himself to be a native of
he, and the story itself, move to
America. Thereafter the action h!nges
uponfthe adjustments that take b.ane
between these two orders OF existence
The average round Of interests that
engage young fo1ks-friends, occupa-
az these are pursued in the United
States-are brought. to bear upon the
oriental background of the hero. This
IN very sincere work and. in the main,
The youth himself is good deal Of a
triumph. And that is the prime point
this achievement Of a believable per
sonalfty. and singularly attractive
one. out of the mixed elements that
compose it. The hoy of pure Ameri-
can brand, the friend Of this young
alien. is also admirable. With the
women of the story the reader Is not
so we'll content. Whether the lack
lies in the author or in !. the girls
themselves is an open question, It
does seem however. that. despite a
certain dearth of material, there
might have been found for the friend
ship or these two worthwhile boys
girls less shallow. or less crude, than
the ones that are pressed into serv.
ice here. Still, why cavil, when the