Evening star., 1922-09-10

New York: George II. Doran Com
pany.
the Redbreast we leaned
WI upon the rail. looking
sc\ back. The boat began TO
steam away. and Monty
knowing with whom the thoughts OF
both of us lay, said quietly: Tell
Engiand-you must write a book and
tell 'em, Rupert. about the dead
schoolboys of your generation. And
this Is Rupert's book-"on which l
have labored lovingly in tent and
sillet, and trench" The story splits
into two. One-"Five Gay Years OF
School," The other-"And the Rest
War." And both are carried forward
by three English schoolboys-Rupert
Ray, Doe Gray, Archibald Pennybet-
Just Of sn age. those three-eighteen
10 catch the fateful turn OF 1919.
The battle of Neuve Chapelle Quench-
ed Pennybet. Gallipoli snuffed out
Doc Gray. In a Belgian trench with
"aamost glorious bombardment going
on. overhead" Rupert is waiting to 80
out-"and I have the strange idea
/. that very likely !. too, shall find beauty
1nsthe morning" And he did. Padre
Monty. great son Of battle, who must
have seemed much like God to the
torn and shattered boys Of the field,
is the one that edits Rupsrt's book.
offering it in words of tender beauty.
Such Is tho simple plan of the book.
The story itself grows by an art that
makes fiction more real than fact.
The school life, gay and buoyant. is.
probably, from the standpoint of the
boy himself. as simple and natural
projection of the English public
school as one Is likely to fnd any
where. The war story of these three
boys is vivid with terrible reality.
1t is, however, the shining quality OF
youth that. throughout. sustains the
story and lifts 1t to a place OF deep
significance and lasting effect. This
inner youthful radiance is the story's
distinction. I'VE are tired of war
the returned soldier" These things
have been said. This beautiful and
poignant story reminds US, sharply
that we must not be tired. That we
may be disappointed in tho soldier
does not count But that he may be
THE MOTHER OF ALL LIVING. By
Robert Keable. author of Simon
Called Peter" etc New York: E.
p. Dutton & Co.
There is the best of reasons why
the African background of this mod
ern love story should draw SO close
to the reader as to be a thing of
sight, touch and feeling. The au-
thor has lived in Africa. close In
his contact with the natives, under
standing them, and responding fully.
besides. to the magic of the wide,
lone land itself 1t is with this
African setting that the reader be-
comes absorbed and enchanted. Not,
however, to the exclusion Of the
human drama, since this is indie
pendent of backgrounds. rising
wherever human beings come to-
gether in rebellion against the social
laws that men have built around
case it is the wife who finds herself
loving another man better than she
does her husband. In the outspoken
realism for which Robert Keable
found himself both praised and
damned in Simon Called Peter the
long story trails the devious ways
of human nature, which. under GER
tain kind of urge, reverts to a savage
instinct of possession. A naked story
throughout. That which saves the
ALL but mother love, instead. The
text here-for Robert Keable is a
preacher both by profession and
nature-and the sermon are concern
ed with illicit love. The lesson points
the triumph of motherhood over the
mere desires of the heart. Incisive.
fearless and brilliant as a study of
human passion. Quite splendid in
its seizure of both the body and soul
OF its African setting.
BATOUALA. By Rene Maran. New
York: Thomas Seltzer.
Vivid-so vivid that, curiously, the
words seem to fall away and one finds
himself sitting at the door of Ba-
ing his eyes. the half-starved dog
stretched by the opening, ducks
marching in file to the water hole,
tho huts of the numerous wives
semi-circling the place where we sit.
understand 1T. and the calls of the
night birds. We feel the slow sinking
of the wide African day, and the i'm
measurable outreaching of the dark
and mysterious land. This. under the
spell of the author, whose words
weave an Illusion of utter reality
Strange customs march here-feasts,
religious ceremonials, combat, Strange
notions of life and death and Cod
no stranger than those of other peo-
ples-when one comes to think of it.
il Is all significant from the first
word to the last, since it undertakes
TO open out the heart of a primitive
ana savage people. and surprisingly
does it achieve that effect in this
story of Batouala, chief Of an African
tribe. This is a prize story. crowned
as such by the Academic Goncourt,
tribute, one judges. to the tremendous
power of an absolute simplicity of
feeling and form.
CHAMELEONi Being the Book Of Nv
Selves. By Benjamin Dc Casseres.
New York: Lieber & Lewis
good way to take De Casseres is
to crumble him up into pellets-very
little ones. Then. when about to 20
out among things. slip few, a very
rev: OF these into the handy change
pocket Should a daring moment
mark this outfaring-and even the
stodgiest have impulses toward ad-
Nenture-lay a De Casseres pellet
upon the tongue. Its diasolving sub
stance. aromatic and stingy. will give
You something like this: "Our brains
are portable universes. and our souls
are unbirthed worlds We have no
criterion for anything. We live in a
mystery. The data of life are pleas
ure and pain. and these may be
myths. an illusion of the nerve cells
Or. something like this: Birth is
decomposition Of old matter and
tion,, Mind is evolved from mud and
mud is mind in transition" And,
again. De Casseres says in his essay
on History: History IL q museum
of cant phrases. Each nation, each
people. has its sacred syllable. Each
generation stands waiting the apoc-
alyptic formula; No great move
stitched into the minds Of the masses.
Liberty, Equality and Fraternity
The Brotherhood Of Man. For God
and Fatherland,' Making the World
Safe for Democracy'-these are q few
of the decoy cries of the ideal. Give
,,Lr r will e.