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

49, might denote any sort OF a
novel from a De Morgan or an
Ernest Poole to one Of those legion
that is built by taking a movie
scenario and padding il to an inch
and a quarter thick. Once inside,
however, the reader finds that this
is a book with a character OF its
own, an epic romance of the Ameri-
can spirit, and of that time when
America swept like a great tide
across the prairies to the Rocky
Mountains. The days Of pioneering
are only legend TO US now: few of
rs, indeed, know in our own persons
the joy Of standing in the midst OF
the raw material Of life. and clear
ing a little space in it, and setting
a woman therein to secrete O home
out OF her inner consciousness. Lux
tnies come ready made now; running
water and radiators no longer uplifr
our hearts with the glory OF long
desired achievement. But the war
showed that we could still go through
mud and WEAKNESS and dreary desc
iation and find in a wood fire and
a cup of hot coffee the quintessence
OF physical wellbeing. There are stiil
Americans alive who can thrill to
the spirit of those men and women
who laughed at the hardships Of
the houseless prairie and who built
their civilization out of nothing with
their own hands.
Jake vandemark appears in this
history as a little chap working a
thirteen hour day in a cotton min
in New York State; for this was
in the golden days before 1859. when
meddIing agitators had not yet inter-
fered with the God given right of
six-year-old children to earn their
bread. So Jake exercised his rights
and ran away. to become a driver
on the Erie Canal. in the heydey
of its glory, where he learned a great
deal about life which is not taught
in Sunday schools. All this by way
of introduction and background. The
cal story begins with the journey
Il the sixteen-year- boy to Wis
eonsin in search of~his mother. and
his absorption into the rolling stream
of settlers who were spreading into
the new West How he acquired a
farm, and friends and enemies, and
cattle and shade trees, and de-
scendants to enjoy the same. is part
of the story. and deserves to be read
in stu rather than in tablet form.
But without spelling the book one
may quote some OF the passages that
cling to the memory.
81 drew out by the roadside to
look at il. as man appraises one
with whom he must hve-as a friend
CT an enemy. / shall never forget
the sight. 1t was like a great green
sea-. The Old growth had been burned
the fall before. and the spring grass
scarcely concealed the brown sod
on the uplands: but all the swales
were coated thiclg with an emerald
growth fun bite high, and in the
Deeper. wetter hollows grew eowslips.
already showing their glossy. golden.
flowers. The hillsideS were thick
with the woolly possblummies in
their furry spring coats, showing
purple-violet on the outside OF a cup
filed with golden stamens: standing
higher than the peering grass rose
the rough leaved stalks of green
which would soon show us the yellow
puccoons and sweet williams and
scarlet lilies and shooting stars. The
Keen northwest wind swept before il
Il flock of white clouds, and under
the clouds went their shadows. walk.
ing over the lovely hills like dark
ships over an emerald sea-
Calm and peaceful enough Here
Il another bit: II felt the thrill a
man experiences when be sees that
!. he must fight. and just as I felt this
thrill one of our men closed with
the old fellow from behind. and
wrenching his birds claw hands be-
hind his back thrust the wizened
old bearded face forward for its coat
of tar. l clinched with our man.
and getting a rolling hipIock on him
4 whirled him over my head, and