New-York tribune., 1921-05-30
But it is decided handicap out in the open pasture
pooIa By
&@OOSEO Hcywood Broun

One of the interesting developments
Of the year in the book world is the in
creasing frequency with which plays
are made available. for the reading
public. Of the plays now or recently
running in New York printed edi-
tions are to be had of "Deburau," "The
Green Goddess" Enter Madame. /"
"Clair de Lune," "Mr. PIN Passes By"
THE Emperor Jones" and "Dif'rent." :"
To this list Boni & Liveright have Just
added an attractive edition of Franz
Molnar's "Liliom." Bernard Shaw, of
course, has always commanded as wide
public of readers as of playgoers.
Back to Methdselah will be published
by Brentano's on June l.
ITO him." writes J, D. Beresford in
Revolution of one of his chief charac-
ters, a certain middle-aged country
gentleman named Leaning, "the estab-
Hshment of the particular aeroplane
service between Liverpool and London
that passed approximately over his
house afforded evening by evening the
same boyish pleasure. He took delight
IN timing it. II the great plane were
late he would speculate as to the cause
OF the delay. When it was punctual he
took personal pride in the achieve
ment. And when the wind was favcr-
able and they could hear, distantly, the
indications which told them that the
plane was dipping to 'dredge' the bags
from the Hansel carrier at Oxford, MI.
Leaning became almost lyrical in his
enjoyment. On those rare occasions
of acoustic clarity he seemed to be an
actual witness of the act of dredging
the Oxford mail-bags. Now she's
coming down, he would say, as the
note of the propeller droned suddenly
faint, and stand spellbound during the
ten seconds or SO of the silence that fol-
lowed. After that interval, when the
renewal of the increasing roar told
them that the plane was swiftly cover
ing the twenty miles of intervening
distance and would almost incredibly
soon come into sight in the northwest,
ne would chant his song of victory un-
der such headings as People used to
say it would never come, but it has,,
There was time, less than TWENTY
hVe years ago, when I'd no faith in it
myself or Say what you like, the war
taught us to tly.' AT such times as those
Mr.. Leaning triumphantly claimed Ais
share and credit in the mechanical
achievements of human invention and
openly rejoiced in the participation"
That, to be sure, is a human failing.
We feel condescending about the igno-
rant folk who told Columbus that the
earth was fiat and that he would slip
off the edge, but it would be rather a
task for most of US to demonstrate
beyond the shadow of a doubt the
spherical nature of the globe, Some
time or other we purpose to write d
story of man from our modern world
who is cast away on a desert island
among particularly backward set of
cannlbals. For the purposes of the story
it will be necessary for the reader to
grant that the shipwrecked man has
little difficulty in learning the language
OF the natives. Thereupon, he pro-
ceeds to boast about skyscrapers and
automobiles and aeroplanes with great
pride, until suddenly called up short by
the request of his native hearers that
he produce a few of these wonders in
proof of his wild tales.
Although he has lived with, and used,
and rejoiced in the wonders Of science.
there is not single thing which he
can construct as proof of his participa