Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-11-14
Reviews of New Books

- ~ ~ w ~
CALIBAN. BY W. L. George. author
of THE Second Blooming" etc. New
York: Harper & Bros.
COME would not call this a story
at all. since its chief concern is
not with succession Of ex-
ternal events rounding to final
Towering or fruitage. To be sure.
external events are here. but it is
with the compelling inner. forces of
the individual that the author en-
cages his distinct realism Of outlook
and method. This is an analytical
carly school days to those mature
wears when the insistent urge OF his
being has achieved material success
az the owner and Inspiration Of q
chain Of newspapers. An Interesting
study of the curious instinct that.
an individual select the elements OF
success out of the motley Of circum-
stance that attends every huma n
being along the way Of his growth
from boy to man. This strangely re.
lcr'ivc human grows into a act 81
ha hits, crystallizes into = type. He
becomes king OF railroads, or news
And. with il all. he departs from TIE
common human run OF folks. Then.
as in this case. he il beset by deeirt
that is not of his calculation and con-
trol-iov" in this case. And 10 this
new desire he applies the only means
possess. The climax of the story of
Caliban comes when the highly sue
Cessful personality behind the power
full press that he has developed falls
in love and goes about his wooina.
The story ends with g. weddins-not
his wedding. Instead. he sits in his
office. his thoughts running. What
the helis the good Of life? One slips
into life easily enough and one slips
out Ones not missed because he
doesn't hitch on to other people. One
doesn't hitch on to anybody. He just
messes about bit in the middle OF
life. and life sails away" A story. OF
ausiere and answering realism tina,
makes one think too much. since
thinking does not avail.
WHEN LOVE FLIES OUT o. THE
WINDOW. BY Leonard Merrick
author of Conrad in Quest Of His
Youth" etc. New York: E. p. Dut'
ton & Co.
This delightful story starts of with
the chivalrous behavior Of a prom
Using young writer toward an Eng
lish singer who has been lured t.
Paris under the pretense OF pc
sition. The girls distress is yer,
real The young mans sympathy il
equally real. The rescue takes or
the form of marriage. After this the
pair set out to pursue, each, his owr
form of art. Curiously. the girl sue
ceeds. while the youthful writer suf'
fers perilous setbacks in his o*r
work, In the stressful days of get.
want comes in at the door love flies
out O. the window" has it's full way
with this overwrought pair. A sepa.
ration follows and the story works til
way through the individual avenue:
of success that these two find open
more likely to deal with things a.
they ought to be than as they are
He is kindly and hopeful and ro
mantic-happily so for readers ir
the most of their moods. So. by ahe
by. these alienated folks drift toward
each other and, finally, it turns gu
that love, after all. did not ny out
the window. but was. all the time
safely tucked away in the hearts o.
these two. A story that is as pleas
ing in it's human warmth al 1t II
workmanly in its texture.
THE LITTLE HOUSE. BY Conihgsb,
Dawson. author of Garry On" etc
Illustrations by Stella Langdale
New York: John Lane Company.
Here is a little story Of just thu
right weave and color to Mt some leis
ure half-hour of holiday week. Tit
story itself ends with Christmas eve
stretching backward from that poin
to take in Armistice day and. furthe
back to inclose a night afraid owe
London. A tiny house in Lohdor
proves to be the radiating center o
this quietly engaging romance. Ant
the little house itself tells the story
Among the many stories that, in com
mon with all houses. 1t might have
told. it chooses this one of Joan ant
the American soldier. who. stranger!
to each other. sought its protection
from the dangers Of the night rail-
from the clouds. Night. and faint,
lighted gloom. deep shadows AMI
dim reflected glowings give the Ike,
note of the picture. Out OF these warn
personalities half emerge ana then re
treat into the darkness again. A curl
Gus bit of artistry energies from THU
manner of workmanship: something
of Whistler's effect grows out OF TINT
elusive effort Of the little house to tel
the love story that grew under it:
roof. The book itself--as books
of a pattern with the story. patterr
that is achieved in great part by thu
quality OF Miss Langdale's beautifully
sympathetic illustration.
THE TOP OF THE WORLD. BY Ethe
NJ. Dell. author Of ''The Lamp Of
the Desert" etc. New York: q. p
Putnam's Sons.
There would have been no story II
sylvia Ingleton had found her lover
awaiting her at the South African
wharf when the English ship docked
there. In that case the two would
have been married and would have
gone the level way of the average
married folks. But he was not there
to meet her. The onE-distance
Ione-term engagement apparently
had been too much or him. How
ever. in his place was a cousin. AZ
like him, in looks. as q twin. The
girl was helpless. So she married
the strange cousin. This fact gives
the story its start and its direction
Thereafter it is taken up with the
yicissitous marital experiences OF
these strangers getting acquainted
ana shaken down into the matri-
moniaI situation. There il an I'M
commonly fine understanding, on the
mart OF the author here. Of these two.
and an equally sympathetic portrayal
of them. The story Of their acauaint-
ance ia sturdy and sporting story.
IT is an involved matter. for the old