The Washington times., 1922-01-29
BOOKS I'm BRIEF REVIEW

ings 10 the time Tor beginning
the daily habit OF reading g6od
books. starting with some good
stories. book Of travel or bios-
1raphy. some essays or good plays
or those other books you have BEEN
promising yourself for many months.
The home, library shelves ned
stock takins-the chiidren's shelves
as well as tho grown folks. That
set Of books you began to buy t&o
years ago-plan to add o few vol
umes this year. The shelves are
perhaps overbalanced with books on
your own business interests
some more general books this year
that the rest of the family win en-
Joy, too. "a
Make a budget OF hours for read
ing and a budget OF dollars for books
that win allow some volumes for
each 'head Of the house." some
books that the children. win enjoy.
and few titles that the family can
enjoy together. Such q family
budget will bring returns in neptai
enjoyment and profit that cannot
; be estimated.
"W1LD BLOOD" by Gordon
Young (Bobbs- MerrilD. Is a
melodrama Of the South Seas. told
in thrilling manner. The hero u
the Hurricane Williams Of Mr..
Young's previous book. outlaw. rem
egade and pirate, who is hunted
throughout the southern Pacific. BY
various governments. He 10 a man
whose real object is justice. not the
justice Of the law courts, but the
Justice that is obtained by killing
with ones bare hands. The story
moves through it's various compiled
stions with speed and will assuredly
hold the reader to the finish.
CAROLYN WELLS begins her
rollicking satire of Main
Street." which with characteristic
humor she has named '.Ptomaipe
Street." with a pun Of peculiar and
haunting atrocity. II the startled
and outraged reader survive this.
and adventure further into the book.
he will find--more and worse puns.
There is not a serious paragraph
in ''Ptomaine Street." for which the
gods be thanked. Nor is therela
duh paragraph, either. It relates
the life story OF Marble Petticoat,
of the race Of uplifters. who tries TO
impose seriousness of purpose and
demeanor upon her husband, DIR.
Bill Petticoat, scion Of q long line
of Cotton-Petticoats.
DR.. Bill is q famed specialist, Nv
ing in the town Of Butterfly Center,
to which he brings his young bride,
who received her education and
SOCIAL training :. while serving. as
waitress in BARNS Restaurant"
Marble struggles nightly to .upllft
the ,prosaic residents Of Butterfly
Center, and her efforts to be another
Helen and fire another Troy make
some diverting reading. GippincottJ
RECENT publications Of Small,
Maynard Co. include "The
Best Short Stories Of 1921" edited
by Edward J. o'Brien; "Rangy
Pete.",a Western story, by Gly Nor.
ton; THE Modern Ku Klux Klan,"
by Henry p. Fry: THE Story of the
Lafayette ,Escadrille,": by its com.
-mander, Capt. Georges TRenatilt,
and a volume of verse, The Land
of Beginning Again.. by Louisa
Fletcher. - y $50 ,t.~s
JULIAN STREETS Mysterious
Japan" Doubleday. fage 8 CO.
gives an interesting list ofNJapanesc
diversions" things that the occi-
dentals do in a manner, directly
opposite to ours. Mr.. Street says:
The Japanese. method of beckon.
.onins, would to rus, signify go
away; boats are beached stern
foremost; horses are backed into
their stalls; saving and planning are
accomplished with, a pulling instead
of a driving motion; keys turn In
their locks In a reverse direction
from that customary with us. Dur
ing the day Japanese houses, with
their sliding walls OF wood and
paper, are wide open, but at night
they are inclosed with solid board
shutters, and people sleep practical.
ly without ventilation. At the door
Of theater or a restaurant the
Japanese check their shoes instead
OF their hats; their sweets, IL they
come at ALL, are served early in the
meal instead of toward the end.
THE Japanese child is one year
old on the day 1t is born, and two
years old on the following New
Years Day" 7..
Books I'm Demand |