Evening star., 1922-04-16

Founder Of the American He0
Cross. By William e. Barton, au-
thor of 'The Soul of AbrahanH1.in-
coln," etc. Boston: Houghton MIL
fin Company
~ LARA BARToNS life stands as
III monument to personal char
NJ acter and individual achieve
ment. The crowning point of
this life work is, of course.
the American Red Cross. While the
inception OF this Institution is Euro
pean, to Clara Barton belongs the dis
tinction Of extending its functions to
cover peace as we'll as war, to follow
fire, famine, food, with succor and
relief. An outline of the origin and
development of the American Red
cross is given. In this connection the
biographer sketches a chapter on
"The Perils of Success" pointing,
finally, to the fact that iewould have
been better If Miss Barton had earlier
given up the burden of office ana Ia
bor But this resolute woman could
not realize that times had changed.
that the day Of the lone hand had
passed, and so she held on too Ions,
perhaps, for her own good. This sell
contained spirit had. however, achlev-
ed greatly without other support
than her own indomitable will. A
school teacher in New England, she
later established a free school in New
Jersey. From this she passed into
the position of government clerk,
and from that to the field OF battle,
Iwhere during the civil war she gave
distinguished and self-effacing serv-
IN frta hac2m
the recipient of high honors for
which she had rendered good serv-
| ice. Throughout the life-story Is
one of encouragement to women. or
| inspiration to them. The book de-
! serves a place-a place of honor-in
apart from this ultimate position, a
book for enthusiastic reading by
those who loveAto pay honor Where
honor is due.
ROMAN ROLAND; The Man and
His Work. By Stefan Zweig, trans
lated by Eden and Cedar Paul.
New York: Thomas Seltzer.
"The first fifty years. of Roman
Rolland's life were passed in incon-
| spicuous and almost solitary labors.
| Thenceforward his name was to be-
| cusSon. Until shortly before the
! apocalyptic year. hardly an artist of
| our days worked in such complete re-
| tirement, or received SO little recog-
milton. Since that year no artist has
been the subject of SO much contro-
versy. His fundamental ideas were
not destined to make themselves gen
| orally known until there was a world
| in arms bent upon destroying them.
IL The Significance of Roll
lands life work becomes plain only
| when it is contemplated as a whole.
i . Il
| encounter great dangers: it was a
gradual revelation, tardily consum-
| mated. The foundations of this splen-
did structure were deeply dug in the
| firm ground of knowledge, and were
| laid upon the hidden masonry of
years spent in isolation" From this
point of introduction the author
! moves swiftly and securely forward
in sympathetic. complete and bril-
liant study of the life and work OF
| the great French writer and the grea,
| man who during the war suffered the
name of defeats" rather then to re-
linquish his faith in the worlds es-
| sential brotherhood. The first of this
study is purely biographical. Beyond
| this 1t IS descriptive and critical of
| Rolland's enormous literary output -
| dramas, heroic biographies, novels
| philosophical discussions and the
| treatment of social problems risin:,
| directly from the war and its cond!
| tions. American readers know this
| writer chiefly from the long and
! splendid novel Jean Christophe." OF
this novel Stefan Zweig gives an H.
Eliminating critical study. This biog-
| rapher is himself a brilliant writer
| with distinguished work to his ac-
count. And this study of ROLAND
partakes in large measure of the
| qualities that insured to NJ Zweig his
own personal literary success. A
book to study and to treasure for
! those who are learning to know Ro-
main ROLAND.
NIELS LYNNE. BY ]. Peter Jacob
sen. Translated from the Danish
by Hanna Astrup Larsen. New
York: Doubleday. Page & Co.
| This is not a story, not an adyen.
ture. not a romance-in the usua]
| meaning of these terms. 1t is rather
a record of the spirit 1t is. also. a
! surprisingly beautiful piece of writ.
| ing-simple, transparent. chaste, like
some classic building "Niels Lynne
Is said by those who knew Peter ia.
cobsen to be in its essentials the ac.
count of this great Danish writer's
own life. 1t goes back to the boy OF
! dreams always dreaming that he
{, was to be a great poet. It follows or
| through the bewilderment and denial
! that mark the life of every imagina
tive boy. 1t takes later account OF
affection fiaunted. of friends falling
| away, of general l-disillusionment and
| grief. Then. these external things
gone, the record deals with the mans
building upon his own resources. with
| the success that follows self-depend-
| ence, with a late love lyric of mar
ried life. An exclusive work. satisfy
! ing at every turn to those who linger
| over these self-analyseS. to those who
| are charmed with the music of beau
tiful prose.
| ACROSS AMERICA WITH THE KING
i OF THE BELGIANS. BY Pierre
Goemaere. Translated from the
French by Beatrice Sorchan. New
York: e. P. Dutton G. Co.
This book has charm calculate
to make it last long beyond the
enthusiasms of the occasion giving
| rise to it. Pierre Goemaere. member
! Of King Alberts suite. appears to
| have enjoyed every minute of his
| journey across the continent. This
! account brims with the joy and zest
Of the experience. We Americans
foreigner saw US. even though we
are conscious. now and then, that he
| has US all wrong-"wrong" usually
| on the side of friendliness and an
everything. That pleases us. AS
| writing this is individual and spon-
taneous work. touched often with
genuine humor and, more often still,
with seasoned observations and judg-
! ment A most pleasant and profitable
hour lies here for any ones taking.
THE EVERLASTING WHISPER; A
Tale of the California Wilderness,
BY Jackson Gregory, author OF
"Desert Valley etc. New York:
Charles Scribner's Sons.
The evidence Of this romance goes
| to show that its author has living
knowledge of the great wilderness,
which. in a sense, stands as the prime