Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1923-08-04
BY THE BOOkLOVER.

iued VI the Ho'ei, hoht oi
Women" by Clemer .ne, one of
the younger generate o, British fc-
ton writer's. The scene is an exclu-
sive boarding school. high class" in
every way, of which Miss Marsham,
once vigorous educator of certain
type, but now in her decline, is head
mistress. Authority Is passing from
her hands into those of her secretary,
Henrietta Vigers, and OF the most
able and popular teacher of the
school, Clare Hartill. These two
women are, naturally, rivals. A young
teacher. Alwynne Durand. only few
years out of school herself. is In
VOWED in an infatuation for Clare
Hartill, who, through her complete
egotism and refined cruelty-her
vampirish nature. as Elsbeth, the
rather stupid and altogether old
fashioned maiden aunt Of Alwynne,
puts it's practically the villain of
the story. Most of the school girls,
as well as Alwynne. are suffering
from morbid subsection to Glare Har-
till. some because of their own emo
the popular thing to be under the
domination of Miss Hartill. The
character Of Glare Hartill is drawn
with remarkable skill. She is a
woman to whom devotion from some
one is daily food. and her rather
exotic charm and really high intel
admiration and adoration-from
women. Men have never liked her.
But she never keeps friends. Hav-
ing once reduced her victim to sub
servience, she becomes bored and
practices such tyranny and cruelty
that the devotee. according to her
character, is either reduced to despair
or suddenly RECEIVERS from her lnfatu-
alton. The first happens in the case
of little Louise Denny, a gifted child
ahead into classes with girls three
years older than herself. When Louise
fails in competitive examination
her nerves give way, and Clares
heartless treatment following the
failure drives her TO suicide. Alwynne
is more fortunate and Is saved from
Glare by a masterful plot of Roger
Lumsden. who loves her, assisted by
the not very skillful efforts OF ELS
beth and even more by her own fun
damentally sane nature. The novel
is a study of a special type of neu-
roticism which can prevail only. so
Clemence Dane evidently believes.
where women are living by them
selves in community of their own.
o-educational country school is
briefly introduced into the story in
order to show what a wholesome
school life should be.
The extreme misery of the personal
life of Dostoevsky is revealed in his
Letters and "Reminiscences" With
many debts of his own. he also as
sumed the debts of his deceased
brother. in order TO clear the lat
ters memory, and paid the last
creditor a year before his death He
lived most of his life in
small. wretched apartment. furnished
sparsely with rickety furniture, and
here he wrote his novels, between the
visits of collectors who threatened to
drag him to a debtors prison and Ats
of epilepsy, which left him nervous
wreck.
Dostoevsky's wife was his constant
business affairs, secured time for the
payment Of his debts. acted as his
stcnographer and his nurse. Without
her the tragedy of his life would
nave bttH COM pirNe-
W j. Client has long been known
| as one of the leaders of the socialists
of America and a prominent member
| of the socialist party. He was Victor
Berger's secretary when Mr.. Berger
was in Congress. He has just pub
| l.shed a book entitled The Reds
Bring Reaction" He explains that
! because of the extreme swing of the
socialist party toward communism
and bolshevism he long ago repudi-
ated the party. though he still sees
no reason for regulating his earlier
nrincipIes. He says: The convictions
born of lifelong experience in the
working class movement can not be
overthrow by the recreaney of
group or party me cause
| temper of the book is shown by these
extracts (abridged) from the con-
Guiding chapter: Capitalism pro-
noted political democracy. Bolshev-
| ism openly repudiates popular rule.
! Capitalism permits its opponents to
| live and move and have their being.
Bolshevism is largely occupied with
putting it's opponents out of the wav.
Capitalism does not convict the In
dividual offender by secret accusa-
ton, but by public trial. according
to long established forms Neither
bolshevism nor any of its sister creeds
has any scruples about the means so
long as it gets its man..
y 4
George Brandes. the Danish critic,
saws that he was convinced from the
start that DR.. Cook was an impostor
in his claim to have discovered the
north pole He gives as his reason
DR.. Cooks ignorance of Shakespeare.
At a dinner given to DR.. Cook in
Copenhagen on his return from the
north Brandes pointed out certain
man and remarked: That mans
name appears in Shakespeare. He is
called Rosencrantz." DR.. Cook looked
blank and said: Where does the
name appear?" In Hamlet" re-
asked DR.. Cook That is the name of
one of Shakespeares greatest plays"
said Brandes. Have you never read
ito" No" said Dr. Cook indifferently;
"one cannot read everything"
w. H. Hudson, the naturalist, who
died in London on August Is, 1922,
was singularly reticent about the
facts of his life. Even the date of
his birth seems to be in doubt The
Encyclopedia Britannica has no ar
ticle about him, and Who's Who"
gives no biographical facts. He said
of himself: MY life is in my books"
1t is known that he was born on the
pampas Of South America. His father
Twas a. Bostonian and his mother a
New Hampshire woman, but In spite