South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1921-11-27
SELF LIBERTY
By Mrs. AIice Summers
(G~HE Triumph OF TIE Egi
published by B. W Huebscl
~ Tnc la from the nen D

subtitle OF the volume reads "A
book OF Impressions from American
Life IN tales and poems by Sner-
wood Anderson-In clay by Tennes-
see Mitchell" and gives the reader a
clearer idea OF what 10 expect be-
tween the covers
The Andersons for Il IS Tonnes
soc Mitchell Auderson) are a revOlu-
tionary pair Their doctrine. 1 judge
from conversations with Tennessee
Mitchell this summer as well as
from the books one Of complete
personal nberty.-No person. place
or thing being worth the sacrifice Of
such liberty
The book IS a series of sermons in
para BILE against the tyranny OF things
that interfere with honest self ex-
preston in the sketch OF The Egg
from which the book derives its
name. a farm hand intended by
nature 10 be a cheerful kindly
man" marries the country school
teacher The story is told by their
child % how the mother being am
bilious persuades the father 10 en-
bark on an enterprise OF his own
They rent 10 acres Of poor stoney
land and launch into the chicken and
egg business.
The teller OF the tale grew into
boyhood on this place and drew his
first impressions OF life there He
attributed 70 It the fact that he
grew up "A gloomy man. He says
lone IMMERSED i'm such matters can
have no notion Of the many and
"a n a
chicken.
1T is born out Of an egg. lives for
n few weeks as n tiny fluffy thing
such as you will see pictured on
Easter cards. then becomes hideous-
" naked, eats quantities OF corn and
meal bought by the sweat of your
fathers brow. gets diseases called
pip. cholera and other names,
stands loOking with stupid eyes at
the sun. becomes sick and dies. A
few hens and now and then a roost-
or, intended 10 serve Gods myster-
ious ends. struggle through to ma
turity.
The hens lay eggs out OF which
come other chickens and the dread
ful cycle is thus made complete. 1t
Is all unbelleveably complex Most
philosophers must have been raised
on chicken farms. One hopes for
so much from a chicken and IS so
dreadfully disillusioned. SIN all
chickens. just setting out on the
journey OF life. look so bright and
alert and they are in fact so dread
fully stupid.
They are so much like people
they mix up in ones Judgments of
life II disease does not kill them
they wait until your expectations
are thoroughly aroused and then
walk under the wheels of a wagon
to go squashed and dead to their
maker
"Vermin infest their youth. and
fortunes must be spent for curative
powders In later life / have seen
how a literature has been built up
on the subject OF fortunes to be made
out Of the raising Of chickens. 1t is
intended TO be read by the gods who
have just eaten of the tree Of the
knowledge OF good and evil.
1T is a hopeful literature and de-
clares that much may be done by
simple ambitious people who own
a few hens. Do not be led astray by
it, 1t was not written for YOU.
GO hunt tor gold on the frozen
hills of Alaska. put your faith in
the honesty of a politician, believe
If YOU will that the world Is Tally
growing better and that good viii
triumph over evil. but do not read
and believe the literature that is
written concerning che hen. II was
not written for YOU"
When the family finally gave mp
the struggle with the chickens they
moved 20 the junction of Pickle
vile. Ohio. and started little rest
aurant by the station. The restaur-
ant did not prosper I'm spite Of the
stern command Eat Here" painted
over the door The father decided
they must do something 20 enter
tain the people who came 'the idea
Of the jolly inn-keeper got into his
head lie became feverish i'm his
desire to please RE was continual
Is Eunawiug and doing tricks with
eggs There was something pre-
natal I'm the way eggs kept them
selves connected with the develop
ment of his idea"
Cne night young Joe Kane, son OF
a prosperous merchant. came TO the
junction 10 meet his father The
train was three hours late and he
came into the restaurant 20 wait.
The proprietor seeing in this the OPP
portunity OF a life time. tried all
sorts Of antics with the eggs.
But somehow none of them SEEM
ed 10 work. In desperation ne sought
20 amuse his visitor By forcing an
egg through the neck OF a bottle
after the she'll had been softened in
hot vinegar The eSg broke, OF
course. squirting its contents over his
cIothes-Yo Kane laughed and
the father Infatuated fires an eEE
az the head OF the retreating young
man,
All this IS very serious business to
the lad who wonders-he wonders
why eggs had 20 be and why from
the egg came the hen who again
laid the egg" This question re-
manned unsolved IL got into his
blood And that" ne concluded lis
but another evidence OF the COM
plete and f.sal triumph OF the egg
az least as far as my family is con-
cerned."
SO much for the title piece-It Is
the only impression in which there
is any attempt made at hUmor for
the rest OF the book is a plea for un-
qualified self-expression. Occasion
ally Anderson quite crudely, rawly
throws I'm the flesh" as though TO
say there look az the thing-see
how IL is beside the inner self"
He tells OF the young girl in her
expressionless family IN a glum Wiz