Evening star., 1922-05-21


1.-THE Scourge," etc. New York:
Doubleday. Page & Co.
A simple. crystal-clear story, set in
France, that a Frenchman nimself
| might have written. An American.
living there. however, did write 1t.
It is the story Of friendship, ideally
hand is a mature American of studi-
GUS habit and secluded life. On the
, other Is French boy-sensitive.
shrinking, unfortunate in his make
shift home-bent, in an unexpected
the quiet. elderly American. The
story moves slowly forward by way
| of the timid overtures Of this boy to-
| ward the object of his admiration and
love. 1t advances still further
through the friendship. becomes finally
war comes on. And the boy has
grown to soldier size and feeling.
Then Verdun, and wounds. and the
hospital. and back to the front again.
! And at last the gift" Of Paul Cler-
month"; part. the gift of his life to
| gift of precious memories to the
! American who loved him. 1t is easy.
indeed natural. with this feeling and
| tender story in. mind. for the reader
to see In Paul Clermont the whole
youth Of France giving itself for
| country. and to see likewise. in this
boys friend, America. in its tradi-
| ttonal fealty to France. Still, as a
| story, without symbolism of any sort.
! this is'a finished and beautiful work.
! SESTRINA; A Romance Of the South
Seas. BY A. Safroni- Middleton,
author of South Sea Foam" New
York: George H. Doran Company.
Away from the Marquesas and event.
ually around to Haiti sailed the young
Il mi Ifch 10 y, tov
| manner OF the whit" man among the
heather. stirred trouble to it's depths
| and then took to his heels. Haiti sets
| the stage here for revolutions and
| riots, for Voodoo ceremonials in Sc
cret places. for the daily setting up
| and pulling down of new leaders and
orders. Sestrina is a beautiful girl.
daughter of the man who for the mo-
| ment is president of the island. An
outbreak Of revolution sets the white
man on his way with rendezvous in
| Honolulu planned for him and Ses-
| trina, who has exchanged hearts with
this captivating stranger. Fleeing
| from the island, Honolulu and the
man ever in her eye. Sestrina takes
| passage on strange ship-a leper
| and fantastic chapter interposes here.
A storm does for the loggy ship and
lands the crew on a lonely island Of
! the Pacific. Among the lepers is a
youth of Hawaii, a serious and noble
| primitive. tragic figure OF doom.
| For eight years this island existence
goes on, Sestrina and the young man
! left at the last as the sole survivors
| among the fated castaways. If you
know standardization. you know
exactly what he does with this situa-
| ton. That is just what he does do
works out, from this isolated place
and with these two pathetic drama
wherein the eternal struggle of the
! spirit takes on special significance
and beauty. The white Englishman?
We catch only final glimpse of him.
as he perssts--foolishly his wife
| thinks-in naming his first baby
| "Sestrina."
THE COTTON BROKER. By John
Owen. New York: Holder &
| Some appear to be born with it
with the passion for success. John
Owen puts into modern drama this
genius for getting on. for overriding
less concentrated. more diffused hu-
mans. Prosperity Crossford-as peo-
| trolled the cotton market. he was the
! cotton market. One meets him here. a
! little boy-more like a little ferret,
nosing eagerly at every opening that
may make a way to get that which he
scents ahead. The growing devotion
tention to every detail that may push
, him along. his denial of diverting
| lures-these things the author builds
: into the blood and brain of the lad.
making him a real character. con-
/ sistent and convincing throughout.
! In the course of time. when he is well
, on his way, Prosperity Crossford mar
| ries. several grades above himself.
| He would. Mary Crossford Is fine in
spirit. One hates to have her marry
| 81. hws fvoA
trusts Crossford. He is too sweep
ing, too compelling. Still, II Mary
| Belstock sees good in him, 1t is there.
And so it turns out. But before 1t so
| turns out there is a stirring loyalty
and support on the part of this
what came near to spiritual and ma
terial catastrophe. A strong book.
! because the characters are substan-
| tial and remarkably well sustained.
AS a thing built. the story might be
called disjointed-in a sense: disor,
routine as to foundation, first story,
/ second story, and so on, 1t would
have missed the rugged strength. the
unexpected corners that life itself
turns. Character is the strong point
| here, coupled with the behaviors that
fit each of the people involved.
THE PREVENTIVE MAN. By g. v.
! NICE douSus 0ulhOA VI inc 4AoHSSt
| Lawyer" etc. New York: John
Lane Company.
| A romance Of the old enterprise Of
smuggling. Going back pretty nearly
q hundred years for facts to At the
| theme, the author sets the adventure
in a Dorset village and sustains it
with the interests and atmosphere OF
/ the England of that period. It Is a
story of homely folks-simple men
and women, talking In an old-fash-
ioned way, dressing In odd garments,
| absorbed in outworn pursuits-but
very human beings, after all, and in
the basic matters of life exactly as
/ we are today. That which carries the
story forward is the hazard of unlaw-
! full doings-of slipping goods past the
! officials, OF profiting in forbidden
sales. The preventive man. an inter-
| esting figure, is-skipping time and
| particular pursuit-the pattern of our
! revenue officers. To be sure, he has
| more reserve and picture than, have
4 our present prohibition sleuths. but,
like them, 1t is his business to stop
I illegal traffic. The business of this
man controls the story and supplies
| the drama for an old-time English
settlement The work Is impressive
for it's good substance and firm
weave and artistic pattern. F
| BOOKS RECEIVED.
JAPANEsE-AMERIC RELATIONS.
: BY the Hon. Iichiro Tokutomi,
member of the house of peers and