Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1923-07-17
NEW BOOKS
AT RANDOM
BOOKS IN BLACK OR RED. Ed
mund Lester Pearson. The Mac

BOOKS IN BLACK OR RED. Ed
mund Lester Pearson. The Mac
milan Company.
There had been other plans. One
had touched upon the Canadian Rock
les in the company of a wayside
mountain man. Another had veered
toward following in the wake of the
buccaneers under the seamanship Of
the last of the pirates, belated in his
final sailing. Both of these plans,
however. and, in fact, all of the 9TH
ers. bespoke effort, activity. And just
then a spell of weather" had settled
down upon us. You know-the WASH
ington kind that in midsummer fries
out from flesh and bone the last drip
pings of energy and ambition that
cooler days may have stored up. Moth
ing at all to be done in this case ex-
cept to sit by, pondering, more than
likely, on the bad arrangement that
specifically designed and prepared Tor
the tribe of tabled salamander. One
day, just walking along still grous-
ing over this particular piece OF poor
management, l came upon half-
open door. Rather It came upon me.
too. For here was familiar path.
/ had walked il no end of times. But
never before had there been door
to it. Besides. there was nothing
here to call for a door-no house, no
inn. no shelter of the usual sort to
invite entrance or provide exit. Like
Alice, 1 simply had to go through
that door. Unlike that amazing child,
however, ! had to drink from no lit
tie bottle either to stretch or shrink
myself to a proper size for admis-
sion. This was just an ordinary door.
Through 1t / could see long alley,
walled and canopied with greenery.
twilight shade upon it. Its LEAKAGE
wet with rain or dew, was tossing In
robust play with the gusty wind that.
sweeping through, met me in BOY
ish challenge of comradeship. l could
hear from within cool streams chuck
ling and chattering about their ice
cold home in the mountains. could
hear birds whistling in Joyous give
and-take of comfort and content.
What a spot to hit upon! Just to slip
in here out Of the heat and the glare
no other plan comparable TO TINS
one at the moment.
~ **
1 stepped through that door into
the very topnotch of bodily comfort.
And. Just around the corner of an
outthrust Of tangled and dripping
vines, i came upon person. He was
lounging at ease, talking and laugh
ing, with no one at all. so far as l
could see. Yes, he said he was
laughing at a good joke, several of
them. This set me back bit, for
had said not single word out
loud. though. What's the joker" was
the very question that my mind was
asking. Yes, he was laughing, so
he went on to say. at the jokes which
writers-all along the writing line
have played on an innocent and un-
suspeoting public. ] sat right down
on the grass then, for / knew that
no mountain climbing, no chasing OF
buccaneers, could fit the situation as
would the company of this idler
under the trees. At the moment he
was chuckling over the hoax, The
Spectrist School of Poetry" Seem
ing actually to taste the joke, he
went on to tell about the creation
the furore of damfoolishness over
the now poetry, Witter Bynner and
Arthur Ficke. with a mellowing din
ner for inspiration-some years ago,
this-and the name Of a popular
dance on a theater program, La
Spectre de la Rose" for suggestion,
then and there performed the act of
creation. Elaborate principles, laws,
methods. effects and ultimate in
f1uence, clinched the matter Moth
back for the appropriations, the
homage. the general claque of the
devotees. And IT all came in full
measure. From here this easy and
clever hoax built upon the passion
ate and undiscriminating acceptance
Of Russian literature. "Feodor
Vladimir Larrovitch; an Apprecia-
ton of His Life and Works" is the
soberly convincing title Of this satire
on a form Of literary affectation. 1.-THE
Cruise of the Kawa' came next, the
most influential hoax Of them all. so
he i said 1 edged away away here The
me. For 1 had read 1t in perfect
good faith-oh, ever so far along
really came to. only when millions
Of assorted nuts" falling from the
trees pelted the soil Of the Filbertt
loaves of fresh bread" tumbled from
the breadfruit trees. How 1T does
bruiSe ones vanity to be fooled, es-
pecially to be fooled in matters of
intellectual import,
From the literary hoax to the lit
erary forgery is no distance at all
And right here this loafing man slip
ped over to the story of Thomas
Chatterton. born IN Bristol in the
eighteenth century. When Thomas
was just lad, only about fourteen.
he formed an armorial blazon and a
genealogical chart in proof that plain
Mr.. Burgum was clearly of the line
of the noble house of De Bergman
This tickled the good tradesman to
the measure of five shillings trans
ferred to the pocket of Thomas. Fired
by his success. Chatterton, in the re-
naming four years of his life. made
out of whole cloth 1T Powlie," the
serious work of a studious fifteenth
century monk. This, a clear hoax.