Evening star., 1922-12-24

ANNE SEVERN AND IhE rahbD
lNGS. BY May Sinclair, author OF
"Mr. Waddington OF Wyck." etc.
New York: The Macmillan Com
pany.
@HE Fieldinss-father, mother
and three boys-are much
too instrumental in the ac-
tion here, to come under the
head OF any conventional notion OF
background. And. yet, that is what
in effect, they are-the background
which throws from its vital surface
the development of Anne Severn IN
personality and character from little
girl to grown woman. And this de-
velopment marches, without devla-
tion. straight to the point where Anne
Severn has to choose whether or not
she will take Jerrold Fielding as a
gift from his own wife. This is the
last moment. The book is made up,
for more than half its course. with
the interests and preoccupatlon OF
this group of growing children--the
Fielding boys and Anne. At the age
Of ten Anne fell in love with Jerrold
and steafastness Ia the cord on which
the whole of Anne Severn is strung.
This IL the dominant trait which MISS
Sinclair is at pains to bring out IN
Anne. just as in each OF the others
she sets some single keynote Of char
acter. The story moves on to the war
time. That over. the third Fielding
boy. Colin. is home hell-shock IN
valid. deserted by his wife. Anne.
also home from the war. takes over
the care OF Colin. running farm OF
her own besides. The oldest boy is
in love with Anne, but not Anne with
him Anna lovea Jerrold and finally
Jerrold wakes up to the fact that he
ia in love with her. Then that ut
terly impossible woman. his wife. Of
fers him to Anne because she wants
ito make him happy" And what does
Anne do? 4 slender story in action.
but in its mental and emotional reac-
tions strong story. carried forward
in the characteristic certainty Of the
May Sinclair novel.
THE HOUSE THAT DIED. BY Henry
Bordeaux. author of THE Will to
Live" etc. Translated by Harold
Harper. New York: Duffield & Co.
This story stands. in body. a literal
justification of its title. At its heart
is mans murder by his own brother.
Back of that. its cause. is the brothh-
er's passion for the dead mans wife.
And out of the subsequent alliance of
the guilty pair springs tragic drama
or punishment that involves both the
generation before them and the one
behind them. Finally, by way of the
force of suspicion. fear. horror and
hatred Of the two. the house Of the
French peasant. Convert. moves out
into nothingnesS One knows just
how Henry Bordeaux. having set the
foundation Of this matter. steps clear
of its development. with never a ges-
ture OF interference. The inevitable
relation of events. the logic of human
actions. the relentless course of fate
all here in the story OF the house
Of Couvert--set high up in the noun
tains that shut of France from Swift
zerland.
THE DUST FLOWER. BY Basil King.
author Of The Inner Shrine" etc.
illustrations by Hibbard V. =.
Kline. New York: Harper e. Bros.
Everybody has to unload his pack:
now and then. to let up on rubbed
shoulders and to loosen the pull on
strained muscles. And. under the
relief OF such easement. he is likely
to play little. to frisk around a bit.
This is what Basil King has done in
for the moment. his mission for the
brotherhood of men and his plans
for general amelioration of the fix
that the most Of us are in. M King
stretches himself in the relaxation OF
pure story telling. 4 young
house Of his promised wife. swearing
that he will marry the f1rst woman he
meets This. he does not quite do.
for. as we recall. the first one is a
washlady with Mondays job under
! her arm. or some one equally impos-
sible. The second is a spinster of
i SO forbidding front that even this
mad youth dare not make the ven
ture. Slumping down upon a park
bench. he finds sitting at the other
end of it. girl-just plain. poor.
, evidently much-distressed girl. This
. is the one. He does marry her and
| does take her to his fine city house.
! where the old butler stands between
! her and the other servants on the
one hand. and his master on the
other. For the crazy young man
| wakes up-and there is everything
tion upon which Mr.. King works out
romance. a gravely sympathetic
romance. that almost-not quite
convinces one of its plausibility.
Plausible or not, one likes 1t for what
Mr.; King makes out Of this girl.
for its other qualities of appealing
| invention. Just a mething
made out of whole cloth-if it is a
good story. it is about the best there
is in the way of something to read
; for the most of us.
| THE LAST MILE. BY Frank Meal
lister. New York: doubleday. Page
| & Co
A realistic story. built in general
Quent disillusionment of the ex-serv-
ice man: The motive power OF this
| matter is furnished by the efforts OF
| LIEUT.. Ralph Broadhurst to fit him
| self into the scheme Of home affairs
to which he has come back. The
4 foI to af1 10
and as familiar as the returned
soldier himself. One is qualified to
check up the facts through each
step in its course. There is. first. the
bright expectation Of a home vel
! come. followed by surprise and dis.
is given. There is resentment over
seeming neglect and indifference
| There Is. finally, the settled grievance
toward an ungrateful country. The
| new outlook that the soldier has
| gathered from his tremendous adven-
| Former pursuits are distasteful-and
| generally. the ex-soldier is in a bad
| way. All Of this the author works
! into the vivid experiences OF young
| Broadhurst. 1t is all inevitable. AL
| a part of the world necessity to keeI
and especially to theindividual. de
| serving better, as he thinks-it is
malign purpose exercised against him
| in particular, and his class in general
| The story is absolutely lifelike
| Therefore it is not a pleasant story
| since any strenuous effort at read
| justment is of necessity a painful
| process.
THE BLACK WOLF PACK. BY Dan
| Beard, national scout commission-
| er.B. 8. A. Illustrated. New YORK;
| Charles Scribner's Sons.
| This adventure gets its start
through the fact that one day, o!
uure accident Donald Crawford