Evening star., 1922-10-22
Reviews of New Books

| building up of means of communica-
| tion: the economic growth, resulting
| in international relations: the sum OF
these conditions at the opening OF
that have been made since the close
of this war The study begins with
| a general survey of the whole Latin
American region during its early his,
tory. 1t moves then to Spaint and
Portugal in order to define the con-
! reach westward into the new world.
| with their reasons for so doing. Then
| follows an account OF the romantic
period of discovery and settlement.
The era of exploitation and oppres-
| sion growing out Of conquest and
, settlement brings out the logical Sc
quence of the struggle for independ-
cnce. Then-the story of each OF
the nations. The book is a model of
concise statement and compact ar
| rangement 1t Is storehouse OF sig
nif1cant and authentic Information.
Reading lists and maps go along with
the text, indicating the textbook use
for which the study is designed. Hap
PLY, however. this is not textbook
of the cut-and-dried sort. 1t Is
for this vital quality not only Is the
general reader in debt to the author.
but the student. as well. is under
lasting obligat on to him.
PLAYING WITH SOULS. BY Countess
de Chambrun. author Of '"Tte Son.
nets of Shakespeare" etc. New
York: Charles Scribner's Sons.
One may read this as story. 1t Is
good story. Or he may take it as a
study. It is a better study. What
about the children OF divorced pa
rents? What is the effect of divorce
upon them? This novel picture. con-
cretely. and with dramatic intensity.
some of these effects. This is the
story of an only son who. according
to familiar court decision. was to re-
main with his mother for a term of
years, after which he was to go over
| to the father. The mother. during
these early years, made fine job of
spelling the boy. A conceited little
cad. who thought it smart to raft
, upon his father under every sort OF
approached when the boy was to live
with his father. The father. ro-
mantle man. wanted the liking OF his
son. So, he presented himself as the
fathers friend. for the sake Of grad
ual acquaintance and affection. An
uphill piece Of work. to gain any re-
sponse from that sort OF boy, save a
response based on the hope of selfish
gain. The story turns. slowly. very
slowly, toward the upgrade of decen-
cy on the boys part. One feels that
half a lifetime is needed for any ef-
feet on this particular boy. So. at the
end one gets an effect Of hurrying
and crowding in order to make this
slow growth fit the limits of novel.
However. 1t is a remarkably sensitive
and sympathetic study on theme
which, in real life, has innumerable
exemplifications.
CARNAC's FOLLY. BY Gilbert Parker,
anfhor nf 'The Right of Way.''
etc. illustrations by Walter Lau-
derback. Philadelphia: ]. P. Lip
| pincott Company. .
! BY way of "Carnac's Folly" one Is
: permitted again to share with Sir
. Gilbert Parker his deep and COM
! municable interest in the big woods
| Of the north and in the life of the
French Canadian lumbermen. This
region and this life stretch behind
tion between two rival lumber kings
shifts the action back and forth
| from the old life of the woods out
into the new movement of modern
industry. John Grier. one of the two
Is the father of Carnac. whose folly
for dreams that rejects the turmoil
of money-making around him. Car
macs special folly, however. Is a
secret marriage, contrived against
the lad and held as menace thereafter
to any of his ambitions and plans
Just one of the debts. this, that youth
is always paying for the mistake OF
| being young. 1t is under this handi-
i cap that the development of Carnac
proceeds. The story Is. in large part
that of youth going forward. in spite
of it's blunders and failings. to a fair
and in general esteem. A political
career, ideal in vision and plan, OBJ