Evening star., 1923-07-22
| THE CHAsTE DIANA. BY Z. Bar
rington. New York: Dodd. Mead

THE CHAsTE DIANA. BY e. Bar
rington. New York: Dodd. Mead
& Co.
This romance sets one down in
eighteenth century London. providing
for his entertainment in that time
and place the romance of Lavinia
Fenton, play actress, the original
Polly Peachum," in 1.-THE Beggar's
Opera" by John Gay, the "chaste
Diana" of Mr. Barrington's story In
those days a charming actress, still
chaste, had to watch her step. for
lovers were ardent and bold and bare
handed In action. Abductons were
nothing at all. and rivals stood up
in duelling combat at all hours of the
day. And this Is picture of those
brave days when Gays opera set the
town on fire and the pursuit or pretty
Polly engaged a round dozen of the
young blades of the period. vivid
thing, this, recreating that old Lon
don and It's great folks-the king. the
queen, Bays patroness, the duchess
of Queensbury. Lord Baltimore-the
American prince--the great duke of
Bolton, Pope, Swift, and many an
time. And these elements of the So
cial and theatrical life Mr.. Barring
ton has woven into vital and color
full social comedy that steps over into
the present with the appeal of only
yesterday upon it, yet with the
glamour of its own day imparting to
ii a charm that yesterday could not
supply. The title coupled with the
climax of this truly delightful story
suggests the title of w. h. Maxwell's
"Spinster of this Parish" coupled with
the climax of that surprising
romance.
FOOTLIGHTs. BY Rita weiman. New
York: Dodd, Mead & Co.
A group of stage stories based pri-
marily upon the fact that stage folks
are human beings. no different from
the rest of us, and upon the addi-
tional fact that folks off the stage
are actors no less than are those pa
rading behind the footlights. Super
ficially, the stories are founded upon
various approaches to the play life.
Here is presented the successful artist
at her highest moment, and there the
one whose climax has been reached
and passed. One story deals with the
bedeviled author and one with the
distracted manager A somewhat
common and most interesting Incl
dent of real life Is here reproduced
in the story of the successful actress
who gives up the stage for marriage,
only to find out that the man in the
case was, after all, in love with the
actress and not with the woman. Abb
sorbing stories, all of these. for the
author holds fast to the common meet
making this the foundation of each
of these pictures of stage life.
Coupled with this important feature
is an adroitly familiar handling of
the ins and outs, the ups and downs
of the plain business of the stage and
its dominating elements. Most inter
esting.
THE JEWEL OF SEVEN STARS. BY
Bran Stoker. author of "Dracula."
New York: Harper & Bros.
The recent revival Of the sport of
digging up long dead kings OF Egypt
has had curious minor influence in
its effect on the fashions in female
gear. Oddly enough. this adventure
goes to show that ii has had effect
also on the fashion of the mystery
tale. For Mr.. Stoker has produced
a story that is soaked in old magic.
in strange burial customs. in odd
Egyptian ceremonials looking toward
future existence. In other spooky
habits of the dead. In the familiar
way this story opens with man
unaccountahly wounded in his own
bedroom. Absolutely unconscious for
days. any explanation of the matter
devolves upon his daughter and his