The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1922-02-05

see N4l1L saw ana reel what L 1etL
in the conquest OF these prairies than
to get up by their radiators. step
into their baths, while themselves
away in their cars and go to uni
versitieS."
This sort OF thing can be quoted
as showing that MIR. Quick can see
with his eyes and live vividly in his
mind and write it down. He can also
understand how people live. and he
knows the lives OF dirt farmers from
the ground up and down, having been
one himself. This book is not only n
clear picture of the way of life Of
the sos and SOS in Iowa, it is well
drawn in its human atmosphere. The
people are all alive, whether as prin-
cipal characters, or casual acquaint-
ances. or simply as lines of trekking
migrants crossing the far horizon.
These are not actors posing for n
movie but real folks, our own folks,
Dutch and English and Scandinavian
and French, Americans all.
Several incidents in the story are
unusual in quality and unusually
well done. The inner history OF the
"Grove of Destiny" gives remark
able analysis of the process by which
a man may build up in his own mind
whole moral system leading TO an
action which he awakes to find was a
disgraceful sin against his best self.
This very common experience and
the relation between the inner stand
ard by which a man will curse him
self after the event and the fragile
camoufiage which ne erectS out OF
vaudeville jokes. and funny paper
cynicism TO deceive himself before
the event is seldom used by novel;
lists; though it is so definite a phe-'
nomenom that III might serve almost
as a standard explanation for half
the folly of the human race. Mr..
Quick evidently knows the process
as Well as any psychologist.
The extraordinary chapter entitled
II receive a proposal" is also 4 pow
erful piece of character manipulation.
dealing with a situation which is
unique in view OF the highly individ-
ual traits of the people concerned.
''yandemark's Folly" is curiously
related to certain other parts of our
neutrality-suspicious. jux-
Lorna Doone" and
Main Street" The solid. hard hitting,
slow moving farmer hero would have
found John Ridd n man after his
own heart, and Virginia Royal has
much in common with the queen of
Doone Valley. And no filter quartet
could have been found on earth to
fight their way through the great
blizzard on the night when Jake
Vandemark went after the school
mistress.
As for "Main Street" one is haunted
by it all through this book. After all
the glorious fight against the wilder
ness. after all the high dreams of
future of prosperity and civilization;
there We're TO come the fulfillment of
dreams and-"Main Street" True,
this book is about the farmers, and
Main street deals with the town folk;
but the Main Street Rotary Club is
made up of the lineal descendants of
the men who Joined the Settlers Club
in 1856. If that is all there is to the
story it is less a romance than a
rather tragic farce. Perhaps the
best perspective can be got from
Il combination OF more than these two
factors. An intelligent foreigner who
wished TO get an insight into the de-
velopment OF the old American stock
since 1880 would do we'll to start with
"Vandemark' Folly" representing
the Age of Heroes. the conquest of the
material resources of the continent.
After that let him take up Main
Street" and SAVIOR the dust and ashes
of blatant success and tin horn pros
perity. Then he should read some
such book as THE Trimming CUP"
where he win see us cropping after
the beginnings of a real civilization
based on fully developed life of the
spirit: the germ of that America of
the future that viii justify ut last
the sacrifices and the dreams Of the
pioneers. DAVID COYIE.