New-York tribune., 1920-04-09
Books H<,u.ea BY aroun

Among the best of recent novels of
adventure is "The Dark Mirror" by
Louis Joseph Vance, which is published
by Doubleday Page The book is of no
great consequence or distinction but
the author has shrewdly seized upon
Freud and Jung as helpful aids in the
creation and solution Of mystery. 1t
in popular fiction for the psyche
analytical detective, and Mr.. Vance is
one of the first in this field Hereafter
we may expect our heroes to disregard
the footprints and cigar ashes. which
we're so important in the eyes Of Sher-
lock Holmes, and stick to the trail of
the complex
"Measure Your Mind" by NJ r.
Trabue and Frank Parker Stockbridge.
is collection Of the mental tests which
have been used in the army and large
industrial plants. The book explains
how to give the tests and how to mark
them with "infcrior ability" indicated
by scores of from nothing up to three
and superior ability for scores of fiji
teen to sixteen. "This test is also very
entertaining as a parlor game" the
authors add, "and may be used without
otfense to any one, if no mention is
made Of the relationship Of the results
to mental ability"
This is tactful, for most of US, if we
pause to think about it, cannot help but
admit that many of our best friends
are pretty dumb The beauty of the
tests rs parlor games is that the host
can find out whether his friends are of
inferior ability" or merely dow aver
age ability" without letting them in on
the findings. There is something to be
said, however, for frank explanation
to the guests Of the meaning and the
purpose Of the tests. By studying the
questions over beforehand for q few
hours the host can often insure himself
of scoring superior ability" in every
test and thereby prove to his friends
that he is by no means the fool they
have always considered him. For in
stance, take the case of a test such as
the following, 'If ontogeny invariably
ingeminates phylogeny, circumscrbe
the word giving the location of the
Ourcq; if not. underscore the word that
locates the Mandible. England Foot
Utah Face Peru France Arm India"
Here the man who has looked up the
meaning of "ontogeny" may have q
decided advantage.
One or two of the tests are not to be
solved by easy recourse to the die
tionary. There is one, for instance, In
which the victim is asked to check off
the best of the four answers which are
assigned to each of twentyfour ques- |
tions. For example, the fifth question
is, "What should one do IL he acci- |
dentally steps on some one else's !
toes ?" and the answers from which
selection must be made are, "Call for
help. Run for the doctor. Ask the |
PERSONS pardon. Take his own part"
We presume that the correct answer is
"Ask the persons pardon" although we
can imagine cases where it might be |
moro effective to call for help.
Still more difficult, however. is the
ninth test question, "What should
person do when he is late getting
started to work in the morning?" The |
answers offered are, "Wait till tho next |
day. Think up some excuse to make
Try to make up time by hurrying
Blame it on the streetcnrs."
We rather fear that in this case the
experts who framed the test have CON
fused morality and mentality. We sup
pose that the desired answer is. "Try
to mako up time by hurrying," but we
know of many Job, Just the same, in
which 1t would be a great deal smarter
not to arrive until some good yarn had |
been devised. Even "Wait till the next |
day" ought not ito be justly thrown out !
,As an ovidanes At "infsrior ability and |