Evening star., 1921-09-18
+ baum. New York: G. P. Putnam's



In this discussion Mr.. Tannenbaum
views his subject from an angle that
reveals only the high points of/the
labor movement in its general course
and ultimate arrival. All else he
temporary. non-essential. inconsider-
able. What he does. finally, Is to
project community that stands as
the logical outcome of the present
labor movement. This outcome he
reaches by. an analysis OF the
methods and aims of labor. Labor.
according to this writer. is the great
stabIlizing force of industrialism. 1t
IS the great socializing agency. 1t
is the true prophet of the democratic
ideal-reconstructing institutions to
fit this ideal reforming educatio to
sustain it. When one breaks in with
points against labor for its special
claims in this and that direction, Tor
its failure to cooperate with the
law iE certain cases. for it's inter-
actions and tyrannies. then Mr.. Tan
nenbaum waves one Off with the state
ment that these are nOn-essential ap-
peararces, superficial and temporary
in character. One finishes the book
with the conviction that this is a
competent one-sided view of the sub
ject under discussion.
Oth LITTLE LIFE n mover O1 lOOaJ'
BY ]. G. Sine, author of "Sister
Woman" New York: Frederick A.
Stokes Company.
A long story-the print fine. the pages
packed with solid paragraphs. talk
breaks few and far between. Not an
inviting book. Once in hand. however.
one puts its down reluctantly and with
marker carefully placed SO as not to
lose anything in this dense growth of
words. This is the story Of Penelope's
Buildings, and into it is crowded just
about all there is to the whole sum OF
life. Once Penelopes Buildings were
fine houses. Then they came together
as pretentiOus apartment house. Now
they are tenements. swarming like a
rabbit warren. And in the swarm is
sewing by the day. And in it. too, is
Robert Fulton. who. by day, serves at a
chez ese-and- d-butier counter and by night
writes what he fondly believes is
philosophic interpre ia ton of the Cana
dian life. where he for the time being
finds himself. And the two. through the
irresistible urge of loneliness. come to-
gether. The desolate young fellow goes
down and eats up the little lady's food
and reads his stuff to her And she
wraps him in the heavenly warmth of
sheer friendliness and says. MY. but
that's foine:" though she has not the
ghost of a notion of what the ''bhoy''
TO his cold room saying. "She's a good
old thin" g"-and the next Sunday night
they do the same thing again. In the
heart of the good old thing that ten
der perennial plant is springing. beau
tiful secret love that glorifies the life of
little Katie McGee. sewing woman No.
Of course, he does not know What he
knows is that he is warmed and fed and
listened to. Then by and by the cpl
sode ends. for Robert Fulton dies of
poverty and disappointment and general
futility. And Katie McGee is left with
a memory-which IS quite a good deal
better than nothing at all. This is the
center around which in infinite detail of
the life of Penelope's Buildings stands
for the full sum Of Our Little Life"
THE MAN. THE TIGER AND THE
SNAKE. By Ferdinand Reyher.
New York: G. P. Putnams Sons.
There is an old Laos folktale of a
hunter who rescued from death a man,
tiger and a snake. Each in turn
profesSed gratitude. Each in turn
pledged aid should the hunter ever
need it. Now. it so happened that
need befell the hunter and he called
upon these whom he had befriended
The tale ends here. Rather the whole
the sequel is made plain. The hunter
Is young American of real vision in
the field of industry. In the develop
ment of this business there came a
time and an occasion when he saved
the financial life of his friend. Once
he gave substantial help to a man of
the underworld. and once to a woman
Of the same domain. Then the day of
his own need came. And one is able.
at this point, to finish the old Laos
folktale. For here. in this modern
setting. are the man. the tiger and the
snake. And the sequel to the ancient
tale is that lions and tigers and
snakes-the whole breed of jungle
folkS-may be counted on to fulfill
their vows of friendship. AS for man.
he may remember. but he is more like
ly. much more likely, to forget, as did
the friend in this story of today. The
psychology of an obligation-of some
thing owed to another-is most in
teresting thing. 1t is worked out here
In strong and absorbing romance.