Evening star., 1923-12-02
THE STORY OF THE BIBLE. By
Hendrix Willem Van Loon. H.
lustrated. New York: Boni & Live
right

A MPLE proof is already on
~ record that Hendrix Van
Loon possesses the gift OF
story telling. He knows how
to pick telling scenes and events. He
knows how to project these in live
words that seize upon the interest
and hold It in that tension OF sus-
pense which stands as the high
mark Of the story teller. The gift
Is in prime working order in THE
Story of the Bible" One is con-
vinced that the reading OF this story
would make natural and reason
able approach to the Bible. now so
generally lacking. To the most OF
US the Bible is. in effect, something
Let down from heaven by the good
God for our mystified guidance
That we do not understand it Is
one Of the proofs of it's divine
origin. Our sole business in respect
to 1t is belief and acceptance. Now
here Mr.. Van Loon tells the story OF
a real people, the Jews developing as
all people have developed, both ma
terially and spiritually. out of the
demands and opportunities OF their
physical surroundings. coupled with
that instinct of human fear that
turns men for Succor to some power
greater than their own. When. in
this history Of the Jews. the author
reaches the time of Christ he holds
to his plan of setting Jesus in the
natural surroundings Of his own time
sued ne the actual story 9r9 OF re ,hs has jews
from its setting Of poetry. imagery
and bewildering ceremonial. In eff
feet, he has made reality stand clear
out of much that is clearly unreal
and essential. A grown person
restoring. 1t Will give children the
main lines in a great story, leaving
it's poetic mystical content all the
richer when the time comes for its
enjoyment and acceptance.
THE JORDANs. BY Sarah Gertrude
Millin. New York: Boni & Live
right.
The story opens-"Until he was six
teen Daniel Jordan had refused to ad-
nit to himself that he hated his
father and mother" The story closes
He felt that his heart might break
for all the sorrowful hating in the
world" In between lies the sordid
story Of the Jordan family, set down
in the ruthless South African compe-
tition to dig wealth out of the gold
and diamond fields. Daniel Jordan is
the hero of this tale. if so sorry a
story can boast a hero. Where his
friends succeeded Daniels father had
failed. The belated recollection of
the young Jew who had been his
fathers partner gave Daniel his
chance for education in England.
Upon his return he took a place in
his patrons office and became a
noticeable Young man, man about ; the thd
flew away when the young lady, un-
der the dogged honesty of Daniel,
was brought to see his family one
goes in the company of this handi-
Illusion and disappointment. Not
pleasant reading. y remarkable
piece of work, however. that never
SHES away from the facts, that al
lows no liberties 10 be taken with a
theme that is in its essence one of
can setting Of this story appears 10
have been AS faithfully portrayed in
its crude elements as has been the
story itself. AS picture. remark
able; as pleasure, anything else
UNCLE JAMES SHOES. BY Doris and
Samuel Webster. New York: The
Century Company.
This is a theme that spreads far.
Waiting TO step into the footgear
Of somebody else is fairly general
pre-occupation. So, one sets out
here with a sense of being quite at
home. with a tickle of curiosity to
see how some other folks turn the
trick Of waiting for dead mans
shoes We know, at last. that it is
a true story-for il turned every re-
lation and near relation of Uncle
James into q nincompoop or hyp-
ocrite. or both. All except one.
Billy Clintock, nephew TO the great
James. In fact. Uncle James and the
whole hullabaloo about him made
Billy sick-so he said. You can see
that Billy is cut out for the hero or
this story. He is good one. A de-
cent outstanding fellow that, IN tne
course of time. put it all over Uncle
James in the way of success And
that came nowhere near eNhauSting
the powers of Billy Clintock. he
proved abundantly able to cope with
romance. with the woolng OF nice
girl and the winning of her joy
Gus story-natural full of laughter
and smiling satire and truth and
good sense.
YOU KNOW WHAT PEOPLE ARE.
BY +. V. Lucas, author OF Ihe
Open Road etc. illustrated by
George Morrow. Boston: Little.
Brown & Co.
Nothing has more Of pure humor
about it than the plain statement OF
some familiar situation or fact II.
Y Lucas reminds us of this in these
unexaggerated observations OF the
man who works himself to death on
his vacation hunt for rest: on the golf
bore fruitful topic); on the telephone
provocation as WELD: on the mother
in-law (this time a mystery ,; on
one and another of the everyday
things that laugh outright In the race
of one who has an answering grip
for the general absurdity Of much
ser;ous business. The smile of this
man curls his lips up. never down:
Genial, as the essence of humor itself
is geniality.
REACTIONISM: The Science OF fo9'
Nv John D, Boyle. New York: G.
p. Putnam's Sons.
Unacademic, plain, personal. prac-
tical-these are the qualities that
mark this outlook upon THE Science
of You" This author here stresses
its consequent behaviors. paying lit
tie attent ton to the formulas that
commonly overload and confuse the
modern science of psychology. The
terms Of this discussion are those Oh
familiar speech, delivered fortnight
" for everybody's understanding.
The authors attitude is of the face
to-face kind, giving the erect OF an
interested and personal conSlderatlon
IF you" Moreover. the study Sums
raining for yourself-for myself
my will" my courage my work,
my faith" my future and SO on
through a scale of self-cultivatton
whose end is q richer existence potn
here and hereafter. An unusual study
Unusual in its point OF view, in its
method of approach and attack un-
usual in its line of development and
in It's clear objective.
RANDOLPH MASON. BY Melville
Davisson Poat, author OF Ran
doIph Mason; the Strange
Schemes" etc. New York: ". +.
Putnam's Sons.
.Aa.. tnInn Dnndnlnh