Evening star., 1922-02-19
Reviews of New Books

then. you will go zestfully along the
ways and byways set here by writer
are matched with sincerity of purpose
and honesty of avowal. A flaming
experience that could not be confined
to conventional metes and bounds.
A DAUGHTER OF THE MIDDLE
BORDER. BY Hamlin Garland, au-
thor of ulysses S. Grant; His Life
and Character" etc. New York:
The Macmillan Company.
This reads exactly like a romance
like one of Mr.. Howells' unpretentious
stories. The common doings of yeSter-
day and today, the common people
roundabout, the outlook upon everyday
things. tender solicitude for a certain
very dear mother-these are the chief
preoccapations OF this story, Not far in
actual people-Roosevelt and Burroughs
and many another. One finds himself, on
a particular day. in the studio of l-o-
RADIO Taft-the real dorado Taft. And
here. the fact grows that this is a little
history. not fiction at all. The Wisconsin
town is on the map. One could reach
X on sure-enOugh train. And the in
terest all the time grows as the convic-
tion of reality takes shape in the read
ers mind. The question is, why do not
more people write these simple chron-
icles of fact? Maybe it is not possible
very likely it is not. The author him
self SAYS somewhere here. 81 have
very limited talent'-and that may be.
granted he is right about himself. the
cause of this beautiful and satisfying
work. How good it would be if more
writer's had a very limited talent"
Having read this book. and having
missed "A Son of the Middle Border"
the very next move here is to gather up
that particular account as a supple
niSnt to the one in hand.
THE GEORGE SAND-GUSTAVE
FLAUBERT LETTERS. Translated
by Aimee l.. Mckenzie. Introduce
tion by Stuart T. Sherman. New
York: Boni 4 Liveright.
These intimate and affectionate let
terS between George Sand and the
great author of Mime. Bovary' con-
stitute. in the main. one prolonged
argument-this side and that-upon
all the outstanding questions that be-
longed to the particular period in
which the letters were written. That
the letters are controversial lies in
the deep temperamental differences
between the famous correspondents
One loves life. the other. at the best.
suspects it. One is a citizen of the
wide world. The other is a recluse.
Among their many differences they
Wv Soihc toSctHcE III WHOle-HedFteu
admiration for each other. These
letters-free, deep in friendship,
Jealous of Individuality. but generous.
withal-these letters are a perfect
and illuminating reflection of the
reality of these two. Aside from this
personal revelation as the prime i'm
portance of the correspondence, there
IS a constantly shifting picture of the
period in which both had so famous
| part A most interesting analysis
both of the literary period and of
the influence of these, its two shining
examples-is made by Mr.. Sherman IN
introduction to the letters themselves.
GUNS OF THE GODS. By Talbot
Mundy. author of '.The Ivory
Trail" etc. Illustrated by J. Glenn
ent Coll. Indianapolis: The Bobbs-
Merrill Company.
In Guns of the Gods Talbot
Mundy is what he has already many
times proved himself to be-a cork
ing story teller. Something comes
writer to pass the reader on into
an increasing excitement of perfectly
absorbing adventure. 1t is reasona-
pie stun, too. in the main. One goes
in full-heartedly with hone of the
common need for apology at being
caught in this sort of enterprise.
quite as one expects, this story
takes him out into India again. The
gorgeous and mysterious landscape
unrolls easily under the hand of this
of the tale is set by the East Indian
himself and the British admins
traitor, with an American mining en-
gineer and his wife contributing sub
stantially to its particular color and
design. These. all of them. circle
about the central figure, Yasmini,
whom in another situation Talbot
Mundy has presented before. Yas-
minis fate is the matter upon which
all lines of action converge here.
Conspiracies bulk about her. A hid
den treasure contributes hugely to
her Importance and to her personal
insecurity as well. The desert Of
fers her safety and gives the au-
thor besides, chance to stage an ex-
citing fight followed by a gorgeous
partner and mate-an old, old cere-
mony, carried out here in dramatic
simplicity. The thrilling adventure,
from start to finish. runs to meet
the moment of tumultuous climax
like the big outburst of the or
chestra at the final moment.
HOLY FIRE; And Other Stories. BY
Ida A. r. Wylie. author of 1.-THE
Shining Heights" etc. New York
John Lane Company.
The majority of these stories
there are nine of them-derive from
| the war. But they are not war
stories. Rather has the author used
this event. in it's approach. or its
course. or it's end. to bring out the
truth-of-being from this person or
group. So, these are high moments.
/ Dramatic action and reaction ,domi-
nate the stories. all of them. Each
one moves quickly to it's end Each
is substantial thing. appealing to
one out of it's general truth of con-
tent and out of it's superior work
manship. Which are the best? All of
them. "Melia No Good" is very hu-
man. touching story. "Prettyman's S
Fourth Dimension" has originality
of handling, if not complete origi-
nality of theme. Both Of these would
fit a screen admirably. Perhaps they
have already done so. In a word, if
You like whole book of good short
storfes-here it is, without any pos
sibility of denial
ROSA MCNDI; And Other Stories. By
Ethel NJ. Dell, author of 1.-The Way
of an Eagle" etc. New York: G.
p. Putnam's Sons.
This Rose of the World is a devasta-
ting creature. such as romantic writ
ers invent. now and then, for the
swift destruction of the human male,
World-wise from top to toe, Rosa
Mundi. to the eye, is guileless child
, walking straight into the protective
chivalrieS that every man. in secret