Evening star., 1923-06-10
THE REAL sIoRY OF THE PIRATE.
BY A. Hyatt Verrill. author of THE
Real Story of the Whaler," etc.
New York: u, Appleton & Co.

This is history, not romance. It Is
doubtful. however, If any romance could
project stranger or more exciting mat
ters than are held here In this sober
historical accounting OF the pirate in
his rise, his rneteoric career and final
downfall. In the early days the profess
sion was perfectly legitimate one. The
Phoenicians were pirates, and so were
the Greeks and the Romans and the
Morse Vikings. A bold man in those
days having secured a ship, went
a-pirating much as the knights ashore
mounted their steeds and Jared forth
for adventure. Splendid seamen and
great fighters were no doubt born Of q
business that passed gradually into dis
repute and that came. finally, to be
classed as wholly outside the law. From
course Of these marauders of the sea.
Along the way innumerable tales gather
OF these bold buccaneers and their
amazing exploits. One finds here the
LoIlonais. And following this is an ac
count of the notorious Morgan. "the
worst and greatest Of the sea robbers.
Here is the true story Of Kidd. the be
loved pirate of everybody's childhood
The South Sea pirates and the Barbary
of the most interesting Of these exciting
records has to do with the LaFittes-
Jean and Pierre-who. a s a matter of
fact, were patriots rather than pirates,
although they fell under the punishment
that in their day was measured out to
lawless seamen. It is possible that
there may be a romance based on this
stirring theme that is more thrilling
than this authentic report. One does
not think so. however. Indeed, it would
q IA n a
citing story than is made from this his
torical survey OF the pirate in real life.
DESOLATE SPLENDOR. BY Michael
Ssdleir. author OF privilege" etc.
New York: G.. p. Putnam's Sons.
romance of high quality whose
background is the English land tradi-
ton and the precedence OF the eldest
son in perpetuating that tradition.
Against this background is drawn
complex set Of human motives. One of
these. sinister in its effect, is mothers
love for the son younger by few hours
than the twin who clearly takes rank
as the elder. Coupled with this love is
time becomes an obsession working out
in lines Of melodramatic effect. Despite
the slight overstrain producing this ef-
feet the high quality of the work is not
let down. The desolation suggested by
the title combines with an element Of
actual wickedness here to give a depth
of gloom to the major part Of this ro-
nance. In lighter vein, though never
really light at any time. is the love OF
young girl for her guardian, who is the
eldest son Of this dark house. The girl,
too. becomes included in the strange
mothers wrath and hatred. And very
real dangers surround her. The charac
ter Of these hostile plots. The intensity
OF this mothers feelings and the meas
ures she employs to satisfy them move
the story back into an earlier period nf
| both life and literature. But il is all
very splendidiy conceived and projected.
SO that even though one feels himself
to be a little out OF the present. he is
nevertheless. carried along captive by
the strength and originality OF this
plan and by the high degree of fnish
! in which it is executed.
SWINGING LANTERNS. BY Eliza
beth Crump Enders. New York:
D. Appleton & Co.
The distinction of Swinging Lam
terms" and it's clear interest lie in
ing, Intelligent and sympathetic wom-
an tells what she herself gathered
of China in a year of first-hand ex
per.ence with that country. Just 3
SWIMMING OFF the top of things Chi
nese, and this is all that the author
claims to have done. Sensitive and
communicable. however. she is able
| in this superficial contact to draw
off vivid pictures of some char
acteristic feature Of the country. the
ance of the people at home. their
customs. their occupations. their per-
sonal attitude toward the stranger
and outsider In the good company
of this writer one goes sightseeing
| in Shanghai and Soochow and Peking.
each peculiar to itself. all different
| IN form and spirit from one another
with her one takes the river trip
to Nanking and one across country
to the hills in the west. all along
the way seeing hundreds of char
| acteristic and interesting scenes.
artistry here, all of which is based
primarily, on the unpretentious plan
! of passing on TO readers the curious
and interesting experiences through
which the author herself passed in
this twelve months in China.
THE RETURN OF FRANK CLA-
MART. BY Henry c. Rowland.
author of 'Duds," etc. New York
| Harper & Bros.
This romance OF modern smuggling
| leaps ahead Of the present activity
OF the rum runners and builds its
| complex action around a gigantic
scheme TO introduce narcotics into
| this country to the vast enrichment
OF the leaders OF the enterprise. The
| adventure moves back and forth be
| tween q lone spot on the coast of
New Jersey and New York. on one
side are the conspiratorS. low and
| desperate fellows working for hire
at the hands OF capable and un-
scrupulous leader. On the other side
are those who, under the law. are
trying to discover the plot and get
a hand upon the ones responsible
| for it. Among the latter is Frank
Ciamart. himself once on the outside
M bot Sx,
| suspend the action now and then,
holding it in the uncertainty of some
thing like suspicion against Clamart
In between these two forces is a
certain rich man whose support each
Is trying to secure. Upon this founda-
tion the author has built an uncom-
! monty substantial romance of crime
and mystery and swift changes. and,
finally, a romance that ends. as a
proper romance should, with the hap
piness OF an engaging pair of young
/ folkE. 1t is, however. the hunting
down and putting to rout the opium
squad itself that, together with the
personality and character of Frank
| Clamart, give the adventure its keen
Zest Of interest.
| THE SHAME DANCE; And Other
Stories. By Wilbur Daniel Steele.
| New York: Harper G. Bros
| A dozen short stories. any one Of
| which demonstrates the authors con-
| structive skill in the art OF short
story telling. Together. they serve
| to emphasize this fact while they at
the same time. give abundant evil
| dence Of Mr.. Steele's originality Of
| outlook. Of an uncommonly keen SEN
| sitiveness to the drama of a situation,
OF an imagination that Is rich and
vivid. Owing to the themes chosen
for this group OF stories the effect
! of them, taken together, is exotic, and
yet. at the same time, this element
Of the alien and the strange is linked
to the readers deep interest through
the unity of the common human ma :
$l1ra uhich at hatfnm Shanau