New-York tribune., 1921-04-18
D1oIo By
DOONo Heywood Broun

Four or FIVE months ago Dust, by
Mr.. and Mrs. Haldeman-Julius, would
have seemed better novel than it does
to-day. After all, good deal of dust
has flowed under our literary bridges
within the last half year. "Dust was
piled in thick, velvety folds on the
weeds and grass of the open Kansas
prairie"-- begins the book, and it
ends with "'Martins life,' thought
Rose, 1T was like a handful of dust
thrown into Gods face and blown back
again by the wind to the ground"
Given as much as this, any expert
enced reader Of the modern American
rovel ought to be able to supply with
a good deal of accuracy most of the
moods and deeds recorded between
these two points. Here again the note IS
sounded Of the futility of life as
lived in rural America. Surely you
have met Martin Wade before. He is
the successful farmer who has electric
light in his cattle barn and lamps in
his house. He is, moreover, the stern
parent who vows that he will make a
farmer of his son even though the boy
hates the life and would be quit Of it.
SO far the scheme Of the book is en-
tlrely conventional, though within it's
limitations it is task we'll done. That
which is fresh and vital in the book is
the portrait of the farmers wife. This
is figure done with deeper insight and
more interest. In fact it is done we'll
enough to make Dust worth your at
tention. We take pains to add, however,
that If you have already had your fill
OF American realistic fiction this is not
quite your book. The obligatory chap
ter about the birth of child is there.
done even more. grimly and painfully
than usual, and there is never the least
reticence about any of the grosser
facts of farm life.
10 all this we make no objection. 1t
is set down simply in the nature of
report. In fact our chief objection to
Dust is its reticence and not it's lack
of it. Mr.. and Mrs. Haldeman-Julius
are not equipped with the seeing eye.
Character they display to US in some
detail, but the physical proportions
and the look of the farm itself and it's
buildings are sketched in vaguely and
inadequately. This is not because of
any lack Of knowledge. The authors
are, we understand, Kansas farmers.
Thus they take too much for granted
Sinclair Lewis in Main Street was able
to paint little town in great detail.
not 80 much because he had lived in
one as because he had also lived in
New York. City editors Of metropoli-
tan papers used to be kindly disposed
toward young reporters from the coun-
try because they thought that often
they saw more, and the rule should
work back the other way. MIR. and Mrs.
Haldeman-Julius have put nothing of
the farm into my mind except that it
was dusty and fiat. There must have
been other points worth at least a dot
or line
One phase OF the book leaves us nm
convinced. 1t concerns the feelings or
Martin Wade wher somewhat unex-
pecsediy he receives check for $4,000.
The authors would have US believe that
there was no thrill in it. "He remem-
bered how he had exulted, how jubilant.
even intoxicated, he had felt when he
mad received the ten dollars for the first
load Of wheat he had hauled to Fort
sgpft. Now. with check for sixteen
tnousand-sixteen thousand dollars!-
In his hand, he stood dnmhIv crrious,v