Evening star., 1922-07-09
Reviews of New Books

under his familiar acquaintance with
the region. New ssoriee come to lfeht
and fresh interpretations cluster
ground the path that he makes. ne
poins s9a aSaDashe. hsn the text Tn IN
belongs with distinction, to fhe
series OF spell" books ttat tits
house has SO helpfully issued upon
tho different countries of Europe.
THE OPPIDAN. By Shane Leslie
New York: Charles Scrfbner's Sons
No, 1t fs not an animal. nor is it
the name OF some secret, mystic or
oer. ANY classic person can tell you
that IT is the name of the Eton stu-
stead of being housed within fnsti.
tutional limits. q. oppidanus, town.
Yes. 1t is incurab BILE Well, this tas
the story. in abundant daily detail. of
boy who was schooled at Eton about
twenty years ago. 1t presents pa
school procedure from the standpoint
OF the pupil himself. 1t embodies. in
study. In sport. in ancient custom
maintained. in traditional usage. the
Etonians pride in his particular
school 1t paints Eton as at the part
ing Of the ways. when. at the open
ing OF the present century. a new
spirit blended with the old, a nlw
turn was taken in. purpose and aim
Tor this institution of conservatism
BY keeping himself shut up in the
skin of Peter, the hero Of this story.
the author maintains the spirit OF
boyhood and youth. thus holding the
story to life and actuality. One feels
that II he were to step outside. for
a minute. even. the account would
fall to the level of a discussions.
thereby losing the convincing vitality
that is the clear quality of the narrs-
tive as 1T stands.
THE ROMANCE OF FIDDLERs
GREEN. BY Clara Endicott Seare,
author of The Bellringef,"-et
Boston: Houghton Mifiin Company.
This story invites one back to an
earlier New England. when village
customs bore strong natural like
ness to the rural usages of old Eng
land. Then the village green was the
May dances and harvest festivals
turned to Christian uses the beauty Of
ancient pagan practices. The romahce
in hand opens upon Fiddler's Green.
the dance in full swing A pretty
picture It makes and one, too, that
holds the atmosphere of older days
and simpler ways of pleasure. But.
in those days the devil, a very real
parsonage, was never far away. AZ
a matter of fact he was at this very
celebration. in the person of Zeke
Stone. 1t could have been none other
than the devil himself who made Zeke
Stone desert pretty Eunice Gates at
the very altar. thus turning an out
ragged community into a single aveng-
ing arm against tkis truly possessed
craft drifts into the tale as it should
in any proper story of early NeS
England. The re-birth of Zeke Stone
is the business of this adventure-
that and the conclusion of a softer
and more wholesome romance that
couple Of the village. An engaging
and pleasant romance that deals capa-
bly, and in good restraint with the
elements of which it is made.
THE ISLE OF SEVEN MOONS. By
Robert Gordon Anderson, author
of Not Taps, But Reveille," etc.
New York: G. P. Putnam's Sons.
1t takes long time to reach this
mysterious isle of seven moonsT
deed, the story is more than .haff
done before its elusive outlines come
within sight of the adventurous
groups headed toward it. One gets
the feeling that the author is putting
of the day of approach as IL, onG
to say about these over-written
islands of the southern seas. Bright
birds. green foliage, tangled junsles
of vine, caves. bones. a wave-wprn
toothbrush and suchlike. offer go
great field for even the brightest OF
Imagination. To be sure, on this par
ticular island the young hero of the
story has been too long marooned.
But there were many things to do
much amusing and momentous stun
to get out. of the way-before the
business of rescue, and the counter
business of defeat, could be given ex-
elusive attention. The author has
gathered a motley set of people here
sailors. pure adventurers. a scamp
or two, a weakling.- a music hall
queen, foreigners. natives, whatnot
and at the heart of the matter Is
pretty Sally Fell bent to the rescue
of her lover on the faraway island
The matter sums to something ike
an orgy of fun and clean adventure.
with a thread of pure romance di-
recting and shaping the whole tumui-
tuous to-do.