Evening star., 1921-11-06
Reviews of New Books

! fifteen years. to find a bewildering
set Of young folks for children and
a much-wooed lady for wife. The
personality and behavior of this man
constitute a complete captivation. To
be sure, no man, out of book, would
do as this one, does. It is too much
!, to expect. Puzzled, a bit wistful-
derstanding-this gracious ,.nd gentle
fellow. conceding all the points
against HIM, sets out to win his
farnily-the whole kit-and- -caboodle-
children, wife and even the outside
aspirants. The humor and good hui
losophy. his delightful chivalry.
gather in the children first-the girl
first of all-the outsiders next, and,
finally, the wife. He would have. had
her at once, save for his method. A
primitive man would have snatched
zled her and hurt her vanity. How
ever. If that had been his plan w,
should have had no story, missing
thereby, this truly engaging and
lovable man. John Osborne Wynn is
a man for this writer to be proud of
for any writer to be proud of. The
whole story is one of insight and
subtle method.
FAIR TO MIDDLING. BY Nalbra
BARLEY. author of "a Woman's
Woman" etc. illustrated by Ed
ward Ryan. New York: Double
day. Page e. Co.
A bit of modern realism on the
theme Of marriage as fair to mid
perplexing business. One Of the two
girls marries 8. rich young man who,
owning her quite in oriental fashion,
dresses and trinkets and bedecks her.
generally to her immense delight. In
the run of time. however, the girl
the rest Of it fail to express her de-
sires toward an exciting world of
change and opportunity. Cndisciplined,
inf1ammable, willful. she thrashes
about to the utter destruction Of the
conjugal yoke. And that marriage
young radical who is packed with
half-baked anarchist notions. the
product Of a miserable childhood. A
fiighty fellow, with neither training
nor resources. chasing continually
some new will-o'-the-wisp OF prom
ised prosperity. This girl. however,
has balance and elligence-amaz-
ing wisdom for woman who knows
that she is really the ultimate man
ager of her household and her man.
She simply goes along-waiting till
each of the big schemes falls to
ness. But the man is coming on. He
is learning. Both, in good agreement.
hold to their own independence. So.
after a long time-long after the read
err has become quite hopeless over
that pesky man-there comes, as is-
sue, a sane, dignified. Independent
living together. which Is. one Judges.
about the best expression so far of
the honorable institution of marriage.
The author holds to her title. making
this the drama of the average pairs in
matrimony. The story is iiteral-to
the dotting of every 1. the crossing of
every t. It is a discriminating selec-
ton of material. a dramatic preSenta-
tion of facts and most interesting
story.
GIBBETED GODS. By Lillian Barrett,
author of ''The Sinister Revel," etc.
New York: The Century Company.
The daughter is the Puritan in this
case. The mother is the pagan-a
reversal of the usual order. The
story grows by way of the contrasts
set up between the characters. of
these two To quite remarkable
degree the author succeeds in not
overriding the youthful and daring
and sophisticated mother. Two steps
further and the woman would have
been ridiculous. AS it is she is .un-
expected and delightful. The girl is
high-spirited. as youth is likely to
be- Extenuations do not figure in