Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-04-11
Reviews of New Books

side wickedness disports itself in q
manner calculated to put the arts of
all the sirens of history and fable to
the blush of sheer defeat. The moth
ers of green sons petticoat their en-
dangered offspring into the home
fold. Staid husbands of secret and
wholly imaginary gallantries bestrut
themselves like counting cock pig cons
upon the mere passing of the dom1-
cile of this fearsome enchantress
Only the Very Rev. John Hysiop
makes any pretense of holding his
head, under the turmoil into which
this suburb is embroiled by the pres
ence of the exotic interloper. The
Rev. John, you see. is a Dig hearted
cosmopolitan, after all. And the
beautiful and a bit intoxicated with
her power to shock the good folks
around her. That is all. She is quite
all right, despite the trouble she is
able to create. In delight of humor
and keen wit the affair develops to
the point where the war brings ev-
erybody in the place to an upstand-
ing account with himself to find out
what he has got that counts for the
prodigious event. And this is the
the world" With the frivolous Rus
sian lady surprising all the neigh
bors, save the Rev. John, it may be
surprising herself little at the very
real place that she finds for her
self.
THE SUBSTANCE OF A DREAM.
Translated from the original
manuscript by F. w. Balm, author
of "A Digit of the Moon,' etc. New
York: G. P. Putnam's Sons.
This is Mr.. Bains own field-this
field of Hindu myth, and fable, and
story. His readers accept these ex-
quisite tales as the translations which
he says they are. However. II they
were. in part. first-hand inventions, as
they would lose none of their charm.
for one feels that Mr.. Balm has alb
sorbed enough of the Hindu essence
to make his inventions tally in form
and spirit to the original The tale
in hand is as charming as are the
others from this source. Sophistica-
ton. innocence of the eve, thoughts
| beautiful and profound. words lu-
minous-all are here. And. by way
of this age-old love story. there
| the heart of woman-her real heart
that about all the women in the
world would deny as untruthful and
unfair. True-despite denial-all the
same. A bit disconcerting as well,
since this truth is as old as the
| thereby, to be as old as the world
itself. The story is joy for its
beauty just as it is an illumination
| by virtue of it's unashamed insight
into the heart of woman.
POOR DEAR THEODORE. By Flor
ence Irwin. author of 1.-The Mask"
etc. New York: G. P. Putnam's
| Sons.
| Poor Dear Theodore" is like the
never hot" clearly not "bun," and
usually minus the cross" That, it
turns out, is just the name of this
Lenten edible. So. with the title to
this novel. That is just it's name. For
! Theodore, the heroine of this tale, is
sighting commiseration that the title
| is likely to convey. To the contrary
! she is very outstanding, clear
Drained, honest, attractive young wom-
an Of modern outlook. who has her
genteel moth-eaten family beaten by
One is pretty sure. also. that, though
difficulties grow thick and daunting
| along her way, Theodore is equal,
/. finally, to them all. Certainly one goes
J, along roofing for her triumph from the
! first moment Of her acquaintance. A
modern story. with the war as a part
of it's protective force, with an engag-
ingly wicked old woman as another
part, to say nothing of lesser obsta-
i cles that are skillfully handled by the
author to defer and perpleX and with
| hold the moment that overleaps all
J barriers, unties all knots. and other
wise simplifies the terrible business of
| being in love. The people here. speak
! ing now of matter of workmanship,
are real, each human being consistent
| to his own inconsistencies like the rest
of us, engaging each in his own way
most admirably conceived and por-
| trayed. A good story for ones easy
moods.
THE ALMOSTS, A study of the
Feeble-Ninded. BY DIR. Helen Mac
Murchy. Boston: Houghton Miff1in
Company.
The author takes her subjects for
| this curious and original study of the
| feeble-minded out of literature.
! Shakespeare. Scott, Dickens. Bulwer
Lytton, Victor Hugo. Stevenson,
Joseph Conrad and a dozen more of
our well known novelists have work
ed into the fabric of their stories the
dark threads of the beclouded mind.
Following these studies in literature
! the author gives chapter on the
care of the feeble minded. This
chapter embodies the best that has
already been done for these defec-