Evening star., 1923-10-21

followed by the British, they revive
scenes here and there, they fight at
| Bladensburg and follow, somewhat
| cast down. the victorious British into
! the Capital City. 1t all sounds amaz-
tngly real. II all looks as much like
| life as If 1t were alive, for magma
tion Is often more real than sight II
| Is a fine adventure, one which any
youngster would be glad to under
! take-one which they may undertake
under the spell OF this vivid story,
supported by a great many pictures
| of Washington and its surroundings
| as these looked century ago.
| THE BALTIMORE ORIoLE. BY Ra-
phael SemmeS Payne. Baltimore:
| The Norman, Remington Com
! pany.
From the human way of looking at
| things the Baltimore oriole deserves
! special consideration. He is such
! handsome and sociable fellow OF
! most winning manners, an lndustrl-
! ouS and ingenious home builder be-
| sides. Mr.. Payne's little book gives
| simple and interesting account of this
( bird. A lifelong friend of the oriolc
| in It's Maryland home, the author is
able to give not only the generally
/ known facts of its life, but many
| points that come only to the patient
| and intimate observer. To this sum
| of personal knowledge he has added
| here what naturaliStS have had TO say
! Guout tHiS particular DlTO anu va I
| certain well known poets have sung
| about II. He, moreover, out of official
I reports gives the Baltimore oriole
. credit for being a help to the farmer
! through his taste for bugs and beetles
! and other .pestiferous plant enemies.
! Accompanying Mr.. Payne's story OF
! this bird is his sketch of the life of
! Audubon, who among all his bird lik-
! ings evinced a special regard for the
! Baltimore oriole. A very simple and
ror s-4. 20 f,,rz
! bird lovers, who care more for bird
! life than for technical facts and cla2-
sifications of text books.
MONTE FELJs. BY Mary Brearley.
! Boston: Little, Brown & Co.
! Rachel Cassilis, already ten years
/ married, is the heroine of this ro-
! nance. The husband, gone out Of his
| mind In a homicidal mania. is shut
! up in madhOuSe. In occasional vol
| untary service 10 d nearby hospital,
! Mrs. Cassills meets Maurice Bannis-
/ ter, blinded in an East Indian riot
| and brought back 10 England for
| treatment when il becomes desirable
! TO send the afflicted man away for
| change and rest, Mrs. cassilts is per
| sudded to accompany him as nurse
| and companion. The good sense and
| motherly symnathy of this woman
! have named her as the choice or the
! sick man. That is the situation mere.
| The authors business Is first, to pro-
| vide for the decent doing away with
| the madInan. Next. 20 give 4 blind
/ man his sight. The latter act achieT ed
| Maurice Bannister finds himself in
| the care of an attractive young wom-
| an for whom his feelings soon TAX
on the cast Of love instead of the
| friendship that he thought he had for
+; her. Rather an ambitious program
F! for first novel. But with a steady
| hand and good sense OF the piausi-
! bilities of situa ton and action this
| author reduces most complex mat
! ter to the simplicity Of a happy mar
| riage. More than unusually attrac-
| tive are the people in this romance
! intelligent personalities with graces
of manner and interests that appeal.
| Pronounced skill of invention and an
| excellent sense or restraint help to
make an interesting story out of what
| might easily have savored of melo-
| drama.
AH-LING: OF PEKING. BY Miriam
| Hartman. New York: George II.
| Doran Company
| Friendship Is the theme OF this
little story, friendship between two
! young girls. one English, the other
| Chinese. The Boxer uprising gives
! rise to an adventure in which All
! Ling proves the ioyaltieS OF friend
| snip to be stronger than the re-
| straints and reticencies or her chi
/ nese blood and up-hringing. lmGnl-
! nent danger to the foreign legations
| Includes danger to the beloved Diana.
To secure safety for Diana is the di-
| rect object upon which this dramatic
little story of courage and daring ac-
ton rests. Tie Chinese setting gives
/ fresh interest to the old story OF de-
! voted frio .dships. The character OF
Ah-Ling another point Of appeal.
| The uEprrtentious simplicity OF inc
| whole carries the story over into the
readers mind, and heart as most
| acceptable and plcasurable thing.
THE ROMANCE OF A ROGUE. BY
Ruby II. Ayres, author OF Ine
| Matherson Marriage" New York
George II. Doran Company.
Not a dyed in the-wool rogue, this
| one, since il Is accident rather than
| design that here turns an EngIisiI
| gentleman into q convicted criminal.
a situation to serve well the purposes
| of a novelist For il provides oppor-
tunity not only TO dramatize the
! answer 10 our anxious questions
| about the released convict, but II Of
| fers a way, as we'll, to let romantic
| invention play in the restoration OF
the outcast to something of his for
| mer estate. The story portrays WV
| idly the hatred and bitterness in
| which this man leaves the prison q
| mental turmoil that is only increased
| by the cruelty that meets him on the
! outside. Since this is story, now
ever, and not a record OF fact, there Is
presented one man, an old musician
| poor and obscure, who becomes the
/ friend of the outcaSt. 4 bit of an idyl,
| the friendship springing up between
old John Christopher and Bruce Low
f, ry. BY way of 1t he meets again the
| woman who had failed him and
! against whom his deepest bitterness
| is turned. The story engages itself:
| chiefly, in reconciling these two ana
! bringing about the happy ending that
everybody wants. Interesting through
out, and at times touchinGly true to
| the not over lovely facts of life and
| human nature.
IN GREENBRooK. BY Merritt r.
Allen illustrated by James II.
Mather Boston: L. c. Page & Co.
This is the story of young MD,
! who, quite contrary to the inflated
| hopes OF ambitious youth, settled
| down, largely through chance. to n
! career in the New England village Of
Greenbrook The true fiavors of a
| throughout. That is the outstanding
| quality of the story. The home-spun
f., Yankee, sharp as a briar. is embodied
| in Elihu Arnold, another David Ha-
rum. Elihu will be counted one OF the
| chief triumphs of this romance. A
| consistent line Of action, based upon
| the goodness and badness of human
| beings carries one forward with in
| terest, through courtshlp, the
| treachery of a friend, the villainy of
i 4 neighbor, the appeal OF little boy
all sketched against the humdrum
| doings and the foreshoTtened out
| look of remote village folks \ sub
! stantial weilbuilt romance OF spirit
| ed action and gratifying conclusion.
! BOOKS RECEIVED.