Evening star., 1922-03-19
THE EMPTY SACK. BY Basil King.
author of "The City of Comrades
etc. New York: Harper & Bros.


etc. New York: Harper & Bros.
~IMPLE in form and believable
in content, this romance en-
bodies the three distinct lines
of thought that particularly
engage the interest OF this noVehs.'
Social inequality Is one OF these "A
common brotherhood is another. ihe
third is that question-no more than
a. question as yet-of communicate"
between minds separated either oy
earthly. space OF. by space that IN
cludes material life and the lie Oh
the spirit The first of these gives
the story it's substance and direct'on'
1t covers the picture Of the man VINO
spends his active years In ialLniu.
service, to be left. finally, witnDut
hope for himself and his fanny. inIs
is according to the low OF moueln
business efficiency. rms draineu tn%n
is "the empty sack. unable 10 tdke
a. place of uprightness in the socias
scheme. A son, seeing the ease OF
taking money from the bank, IN Wh-ch
he is employed. does take money 10
tide over the immediate iais amy
stress intending honestly to make
good the thing that he has done; he
is caught. and. in his fear and pc
wilderment, shoots the oficer sent 10
take him.. The appearance OF iesa.
Justice is applied to the boy. he Is
condemned and executed. If there Is
a more dramatic and poignant picture
than that of this boy. caught IN tne
social scheme of things. one wonders
where it may be found. II Is not
sentimentalism that makes ones tears
fall over this boy. 1t Is the unoer
lying consciousness that any social
scheme capable of creating sltua,
ton of this kind in an honest and
hard-working family Is damnaoie
scheme, the shame Of great ana
enlightened country. the secoho
thread of this foundation lies IN me
heavenly comradeship of Bob Col
lingham, the great bankers son, Tor
the convicted boy. Incidentally, ne
provides the mans share in the ros
nance of which the whole IS maae.
At the moment of the lads execution
there is, in his spirit. great IL
Elimination in which his mother stands
At that moment the two meet. going
out of the world together. This ana
another incident of like character
suggest the writer's interest In
personality continued beyond what
we call life. In it's emphasis, in its
balance and proportions. the book Is
satisfying as workmanship. as art.
AS a story it is vital and sig.
nificant-cne that takes hold ana
shakes one to his innermost over the
things that are done in a beautiful
world. Page by page it is absorb
ing. plain story of what might
happen, of what does happen. In the
midst of our great civilization.
MYSTERIOUS JAPAN. By Julian
Home etc. illustrations from
photographs. New York: Double
day. Page & Co.
Julian Street has turned out a cap
tivating book about Japan. chiefly be-
the country, and promptly owned up
to it. With the abandon of boy and
much of that young animals Curl
osity. as well. he seized upon what
ever came along and as 1t -sme
along. setting it down while LAS
distinct sense of partaking =, this
exciting adventure. The spirit Of the
whole is the spirit Of Abroad at
Home" complies sharing Of expert
ence with those who have to take
their travel in their own easy chairs.
Mr.. Street took the country in the
natural way-first skimming off the
top layer of Japanese facts and ap-
pearances-the lovely look of the
land itself, the beauty Of the hamlets
and towns nesting within it. the way
of the people in the common run OF
everyday events-thsir housing and
eating and sleeping. their amuse-
ments. their religion, their trahc.
etc. And as he went from point to
point. this delighted traveler-for he
frankly owns up to great delight
kept up running line of contrast
between what he was seeing and
parallel interests in the western
world. From the fascinating surface
Of things Mr.. Street dipped, not too
far. into touches of history, into
glimpses of tradition. into the origin
of custom-all explanatory IF the
ritual Japanese life. The tsstk is
perfect appeal to the reading raveler.
since 1t is an exact counttTpart OF
provided he had been fortunate
enough to have the experieSee. This,
except, of course, the authors excep-
tional powers of observation coupled
with his exceptional gift of communf-
cability.
WHY LINCOLN LAUGHED. By Rus
sell H. Conwell, author of Acres
of Diamonds" etc. New York:
Harper & Bros.
This author knew Lincoln-knew
him face to face-a point which
gives exceptional value to the book
in hand. He tells a most interesting
story of their first meeting, when he.
a young officer in the Union army,
went to the President In behalf OF a
young comrade who had been con-
demned to death for communicating
with the enemy-a wholly innocent
affair such as was seen between the
German and allied armies across No
Mans Land at the truce of Christ
mas time. From this meeting dated
the acquaintance and friendship that
are, in part, embodied in this study
Of the big and gentle humor that
marked the spirit of Lincoln. Love
and loyalty and devotion animate the
incidents and episodes of which this
book is made up. To these is coupled,
also, a keen interpreting power that
surrounds the laughter of Lincoln
from which it sprang. A worthy
book of no great pretensions-per-
haps all the more worthy for that.
Somewhere in it we find this: HE
was larger than his task. wider than
his party, ahead of his time as an
be a spiritual force without material
limitations. He began to grow at
his death and is conQuering now in
lands he never saw; is ruling over
nations which cannot pronounce his
name. Such individual influence is
nature. Can we find a measure for
such a man?' The source of this
book in friendship with Lincoln. in
companionship with him, stamps 1t
with peculiar value as part OF the
literature of Lincoln.
WATCHED BY WILD ANIMALS. By
Enos A. Mills, author of wild
Life on the Rockies" etc. Illus
trated from photographs and from
drawings by Will James. New
York: Doubleday, Page & Co.
many observations of wild animals,
that thew watch him quite as care