Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1922-09-16
Reviews of New Books

"A Critical Fable.r Anonymous. An
Account OF tho Times and whimsi-
cal digressions on the poets OF to-
day. Boston, Mass: Houghton
Mimi Co.. Park street. (slo
Ono might incline to l!ken "A
Critical Fable" to Byron's English
Bards and Scotch Reviewers" but It
Is not to bc assumed tho author was
actuatcd by the personal animosity
that impellcd Englands great poet to
his notable bitter satirical effusion
Tho Critical Fable" 10 altogether
humorous in Its satire. and while
punsent Is devoid Of animosity. 1t
deals with some OF tho present-day
poets in an airy and persuasive man
ner that aims to sustain the claim OF
the anonymous author that he Is a
Poker of Fun"
| Some impression OF results may be
impaired by this excerpt from the
authors revealing Introduction. pre-
scented ut largo in prose- rhyme: I'm
the volume before you. you will md
twenty-one' modern poets popped OF
tNiAN q iNaeA oiA - PAAR heN
spared them no Quib and no palm
what 1 give is a cursory view Of them
run through a sieve. As ] rattle my
poets about faster and faster, each
man shakes more certainly into a mas
} ter; to my thinking. at least, for
their rich native favor gives thcm al
so abundant a claim on my favor tina,
I'm willing to leave them for sixty
odd years. and let my grandchildren
foot the arrears
Variously literary sleuths alread,
are on the trail OF the anonymou,
author. and the guesses 80 for record
ed include Louis Untermeyer, Christie.
pher Morley, Conrad Aiken and Writer
Bynner. 1t is doubtful IL any OF these
selections will DO Endorsed by
many readers. although general sus
picion will incline to some Bostor
prodigy. No doubt his identity will
be penetrated in due time. as Is tht
case in most instances OF thiI
character. But the book will prov,
none the less interesting should tn,
name of the author never be revealed
5 Received OF the publishers.
! Letters to q Djinn." By Grace Ear
ing Stone. New York City: TIL,
: Century Co, ssS Fourth avenue
(s1.75.)
This is a fascinating narrative CIV
ing the reader the color and flavor o.
. alluring, romantic. ar-away places IL
the Pacific-Tahiti. Malaga, Ceylon
Australia, New Zealand. 1t u a serie
of letters with the charm OF intimacy
, the stimulus OF spirited dialogue. an,
the carefree style OF a jolly CORE
spondent. 1t 10 also tho narrative o
, love story that develops merrily q
! the letters fly back and forth acros
the world.
The writer OF the letters printed Il
the book appears as a sort OF woman
Grant. a young and attractive Ameri
/ can girl, on an adventure OF rescue
she is to bring from Singapore a sic
: woman to her family in Australia He
letters are Addressed to a conndant s
G New York, who she hunorously IN,
f AGNES, appears before her as a din
!. with good counsel whenever she Is !
= trouble.
Il Grace Earring Stone, the author.
s the wife Of naval officer. He
d mother. Grace Owen. was tho srea'
e granddaughter Of Robert Owen, found
= er OF the ideal" community OF Ne
& Harmony. Indiana. Grace Zarin
p Stone was early put in the care OF a
d actress aunt and was on the STAG
y herself when she was six years oil
" She later studied for the stage in tn
: country and Europe, and toured II
II South Sea islands with the Theatres
y company OF her actress aunt. takir
II in Australia, New Zealand, the "siaee
stations" Malaga. etc. returning /
l. way OF Suez. This trip probably SUI
4 piled the background for her Letter
To A. Djinn."
d Received Of the publishers.