Evening star., 1922-01-29
Reviews of New Books

| the flying mans Job, with young en-
/ thusiasm for Americas part in the
war. Leading to these letters IS a
sketch of Quentin Roosevelrs school
| days in Washington and elsewhere.
His bent toward literature and writ
| ing is shown by little adventures OF
his own in literary invention. The
/ book closes with sheaf of tesG-
monials to the gallantry of the boy
himself. A group of poems also, pub
| lished here and there at the time Of
his death, rounds out very perfect
| tribute to Quentin Roosevelt and to
| a world of other dead boy soldiers
as well.
, SECRETS OF THE BALKANS. BY
Charles ]. Vopicka. United States
envoy extraordinary and minister
plenipotentiary to Rumania- Serbia
and Bulgaria. 19I3-1920. Chicago:
Rand-McNally & Co.
p; For seven years Charles J. Eopicka
! rendered diplomatic service in the
Balkan region. For five of these
J years he was in the midst of the
| great war itself, assuming. as differ
ent powers were drawn into the con-
| 1llct. the responsibilities of their la
! cations and consulates until at ono
/ time he represented eight nations.
1t is from this remarkable field of
/ opportunity :sat the author gatGerS
| the important and intimate ma.:s+
interesting account in hand. A sketch
! of history sets the Balkan nations
| before one as they had risen and de-
Yeloped up to the time Of the war.
The bulk of the record, however.
deals with the eEigencieS of war i'll
self as these were observed from tn.
| writer's position of complete advaII-
tage. 1t is a vivid story. filled with
significant movement. with striking
and important personalities. with
prodigious activity. Ii is a moving
picture of wide field of war and
| suffering and death. From its first
hand source the story moves like d
panorama-like something at which
one is himself present. Corners of
Fresh facts step forth. New lines
or outlook are established. Th.s
| whole is an important addition 10 the
| war literature of substance that is
gathering from many sources.
HIDDEN CREEK. BY Katherine New
lin Burt. author of THE Branding
| Iron" etc. illustrations by Geore-
| Giguere. Boston: Houghton Mif-
| fin Company.
Arundel said at the instant when he
was dying out of IT. To his daugh
ter-young. good 10 look at. poor
| and woefully ignorant Of the WAYS
of this old world-he left the uphill
job of trying out its goodness. And
this proof of the pudding" so to
| speak. covers the adventure of Hid
| den Creek. 1t is the story of girl
| who. brought up on her fathers arr
ist dreams and impracticalities. is
| suddenly faced with the need of =
| living earned by her own handS,
Plain housework. vulgar people. d
| troublesome man old enough to haN.
| reached that second period of mascu
line indiscretion. jealous wume'!.
1 small-town gossip-these are among
| the means by which this intelligent
and appealing girl finds out " hat th'
| good old world" is made of. An
| every day theme. il is treated by til"
| author in a sincere and everyday
manner Out of its trying and un-
attractive details of pure realism tn.
| sturdy character of Sheila Arundel
| stands as the one bright point in a
| gray dullneSs of human stupidity and
! meanneSs. The real story is that of
| Sheila ArundelS adventure in life. \
secondary one develops a romance ill
| which the girl appears to have SET
out on the high road of happiness.
BURNING SANDS. BY Arthur Weig-
ert." etc. New York: Dodd. Mead
e. Co.
\ The pleasure in this adventure de-
| rives chiefly from its background Of
| the desert. Mr.. Weigall knows how
the desert out from Cairo looks aud
| how it feels and what it has TO say
| in its various moods TO one w
| thrills TO its silent and stupendouS
| immensity. Daniel Lane. English and
, all man. is the human center of this
1 adventure. Gone into the region Ia
| study the customs Of the natives. he
| becomes enamored of the simplicity
| of the life, learning thereby how few
| are the essentials of real living. Oh
| against this life is set that of Cairo
as it circles out from the English
residency. The love story has to do
| with the simpiification. as ii Were.
of the highly sophisticate daughtcr
of the English administrator in that
| region. 1t is, in substance. the tam
ing of Lady Muriel at the hands of
| Daniel Lane. man Of the desert. Finr
| ly virile stuff, too. this conception al
Daniel Lane. With Lady Muriel The
| author is less happy. The girl is a
good deal of a fool much of the time,
| too much of the time to turn her on;
at the last into the topping all
; around woman that was <worth tht
! while of Daniel Lane. Lane himself
is a clear triumph. and the desert
| setting is triumph. too. The story
has go and picture and variety.
PICTORIAL LANDSCAPE PHOTOt.-
RAPHY. By the Photo Pictorial
lists of Buffalo. illustrated. Boz
ton: American Photographic Pub
| fishing Company.
| This is a book of instruction. It
| is. besides, story. As story Il
| back before the war, broke away from
the regular camera club which every
1 community supports to experiment
| more intensively. more originally
| than seemed possible under the Old
{ order. This is the account of that
adventure. AS a work of pure in
struction 1t explains pictorial land
| scape photography and gives in ade-
quate detail the means and processes
! of obtaining this 1t shows how to
work in the field. how to develop and
| enlarge the negative. how to prepare
the work for exhibition. To the
camera man of genuine artistry the
book will be of definite usefulness.
To the mere public the pictures make
a distinct appeal by virtue of the
! they come out TO meet one. About
fifty very beautiful pictures in demon
! stration of this art constitute a
| strong feature of the book as a whole
THE wINDOW-GAZER. By Isabel
Ecclestone Mackay. author of Mist
| of the Morning" etc. New York:
. George H. Doran Company.
| So far the girl had looked longing
| ly, as through window. upon life.
Her chance TO step out into it-tast-
| ing and partaking of it-came by
way of a husband, a husband of
friendly and platonic intent. This IS
the romance of falling in love with
| ones husband. 1t is a beautiful idea
I and one that the writer carries out
| in the true spirit of romance. Young
! readers win delight in it-young
girls. Waywise folks know that it
simply cannot be done, but this does
not take away from their admiration
| Onnd % ha