The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-07-23

and morally. You cannot meet Ber- nard Shaw without realizing at once that he is not as other men. There is something strange and unusual about him. You guess at once that he eats differently and drinks diff ferently, thinks differently and dreams differently frcIn the rest of us. The aspirations of such man; his admonitions and his doctrines are intensely interesting, but their importance to the world is limited by his detachment from his fel- lows.
 intellectually. of course, H. c. Wells is immensely superior to the common run of men. The glory of Bunyan and Charles Dickens is that they stood at the street corners and thanked God that they were as other men. Wells has many affini- ties with Dickens. He does not pos- sess Dickens glorious humor. He has never been able to realize that even in mean streets life may have it's thrills, but he belongs essentially as Dickens belonged to the English lower middle class. Wells Is an ar ticulate man of the people. And this Is the fact that gives him peculiar importance in the modern world"
 Mir. Dark says that Arnold Ben nett springs from the same class. But there is vast spiritual differ ence between the two mon. Bennett writes with com mposure. Wells writes with enthusiasm. Bennett is a critic. Wells Is crusader"
 Two of the four volumes of "The Outline of Science" (edited by Prof. J. Arthur Thomson, q. r. Putnam's Sons, publishers, New York city) have appeared-and if the other two volumes to follow can be judged by those which have gono before rare treat Is in store for the reading world.
 "The Outline of Science" is sub titled "A Plain Story Simply Told" and the work gives the intelligent student-citizen, otherwise called the man in the street." a bunch of intel lectual keys by which to open doors which have been hitherto shut to him, partly because he got no glimpse of the treasures behind the doors, and partly because the por- tals were made forbidiing by an un- necessary display of technicalities.
 The aim of the work is to give in plain language an outline of the main scientific Ideas of today. It puts you in touch with what you want to know.
 The advance of science has been so rapid, and It's place in modern life has become so dominant that any work which aims as this one does to give even an outline of it's prog ress, must of necessity cover a wide diversity of subjects with a conse- quent range of knowledge. The outline of science will enable the reader to keep fully abreast of scien- tific progress.
 "The Dragon in Shallow waters-
 None other than Amy Lowell has pronounced The Dragon in Shallow Waters by G. SaclSville- West co. F. Putnam's Sons, publishers, New York city), one of the most remarkable novels of the age.
 "The dragon in shallow waters be- came the butt of shrimps." How true is that old Chinese proverb that V. Sackvell- West chose for the theme of her latest novel. And what a terri ble and appealing story she made of 1t! The two gigantic figures, one blind. the other deaf and dumb, who glory in destruction and brutality, and the two lovers who love all tha. is beautiful. as Miss Sackville- W est has drawn her characters, seem as symbols of the grossness and beauty of life. At times the former are all most too horrible in their realism Miss Sackville- Vests imagination Is so magnetic we are held in a tense grip from beginning to end of the story, which somewhat suggests the work of the modern Scandinavians in it's stark realism.
 variations" by James Hunexer (CharIes Scribner's Sons. publishers, New York city), gives the cultured a very delightful treat for midsummer.
 The three dozen articles in 'vari- ations' cover wide field In art literature, music and their associ ate muses. and they represent Mir. Hun- eker's ripest judgment and most graphic style. Hardly a name in the seven arts" from Balzac to tho present day, Is missing, and each is placed by him unerringly where he belongs in history. MT. Huneker had his hobbies, yes. his gods, and these he rides or worships. with all the zest of his ardent nature, and whetb- CT. it be Flaubert (his god of gods), or Baudelaire. Maupassant or Yer laine. George Moore or Walter Peter. Chopin or Wagner, Brahms or De- 1bussy, Czanne or Manet. whether the reader agrees with his estimate or not. the individual and his work are made to stand forth glorified or naked by the illuminating Hune- kerian imagery. Master of smile and metaphor and susceptible to all shades of beauty, no man of his time could make his meaning stand forth more plainly in figures of speech.
 Clare Sheridan's American Dairy
 Nothing more charming for mid- summer reading could possibly be se- cured than My American Diary" by Claire Sheridan (Boni & Liverighr, Inc. publishers. New York city).
 Charmingly gotten up," with wou- derful illustrations, and told in her unique way. Clare Sheridan's My