Evening star., 1923-05-13

York: d. Appleton & Co.
7HIS is the story Of Pidge Mus
ser and Dicky Golden. The
others-Pidge's father. young
Melton, Fanny the factory
girl, Nagar the Hindu. Miss Claes.
moro oriental than English in feeling
and vision-these are but lines
stretched for the outfaring of Pidge
and Dicky into life. THE Public
Square," weekly magazine, and No.
81. the green house in Harrow street,
are but points of contact for these
two points of separation also. Dicky
is reader for life than Pidge. His an
cestors have pioneered well for him.
His roots are in the cleared ground of
inherited stabilities, material well
being, normal satisfactions. Pidge's
roots, such as she has. are air
growths. The girl has long way to
go before she can catch up with
young Golden, longer way before
she can catch up with herself. In the
meantime she is hauled and mauled
around and battered about through
that period of personal pioneering
that high-hearted girls never escape,
never seek to escape. Young Melton Is
the instrument of this period OF
schooling and disciplining for Pidge
Most intuitive and interesting Is Mr..
Comforts work at this point. Every
woman, reading here. will wonder
over the delicate acumen of this un-
derstanding man. Young Melton is
nothing. nothing at all beside Rich
ard Golden. No matter. There is
moment when the young Meltons are
all in all. the Richard Cobdens neg
ligible. And Dicky Golden goes his
way-to Africa. to India, where he is
nd
his old friend Nagar of 81 Harrow
street. New York. now working with
Ghandhi in the great gospel or passive
resistance to the inroads OF western
civilization. And this part Of the story
is different in color and texture ana
drift from the other part. This comes
out of the eastern hemisphere of Mr..
Comforts nature, while the other is
clearly of the west Two complete
halves to this man. and both of them,
each in It's essential and distinct ma
ture. contribute to this story in
lovely and dramatic synthesis. BY
way OF the war and France Golden
gets back into the west richer for
while he does what he has to do in
its behalf Then. the war over. back
10 New York. And more waiting for
Pidge Musser who. at home, Is giving
in the way of human growth. Out OF
innumerable contacts, big and little.
the girl is growing to the measure Of
a finely beautiful woman. There Is
now. and Melton's baby-no. not
Pidge's baby. 1t is just a part of the
girls schooling. A girl to know. this
Pidge Musser. But she needs to grow
some yet. for Richard Golden is some
thing for any woman to reach. Then
the end of the story. This is big
story-big in its knowledge Of life. In
its deep significance. in its spread OF
action and influence. 1t is big story
In the simplicity Of an art that can
project so vital and profound a thing
in the pattern of life, where we, too,
have our immediate interests and ac-
tivities. A fine achievement for one
who has already achieved much in an
exceptionally high order of fiction.
THE COAST OF EDEN. By Robert
L. Dufrus. author of Roads Going
South" New York: The Macmil-
Ian Company.
This story has the excellent quail
ities of good substance and unpre-
+sn0qs tent Rann is the s.qTy Of yeung
Californian. Despite training and
what are called the advantages Of
education. this young man held on t
ambitious Americans and yearned. in
stead, for quiet things. for the chance
to think. for the feeling of the world
Of beauty around him. for long trails
these these far places might bring-like
his father. who in the sharp speech
of his mother had accompltshed Just Just
with Jean. Dugan. and Jean was was
thinking about marriage Not young
Ballantine. Love to him was an
no place in it yet for house ..anel and
furniture. a cradle in the sitting
room. a perambulator on the porcn.
Holding his love for Jean IN s,- suS
nd
Sork, where an uncle could put him
In the way of his mothers notion OF
success He did succeed, accordihs
to her. He married a giri whJ" sirI who
Vas looking, not for husband put
for a fling Of experience and releaSe
from the inhibitions of respectapisS
Young womanho3a: mani 9asbion s1; IN Mr. h Duffus
taiIs the story of this youth who went
siIirting the "coast of Eden insteaa
of entering. it. because, up 10 lad a
life that was chosen for h1m lnsteau
~ living his own life. However, IL
turned out all right. and, pernaps,
the long time n,,ite ana Masted sne io GOOD Work
and a good story or suos'ah'i"A N
convincing KIM.
THE CLINTON TWINS; Ana d..Sha11 vbaG
stories. BY Archibald Marsnai,,;
snthor of "The Squire's Daughter.
etc, New York: Dodd, Mead q 70.
Like so many other Engnsn aa
thors. Mr.. Marshall creates genera
tinns of characters The Clintons are
oi'1I of this s. class. Already do we knoW
more than one of this family. an
presented to US in the quiet lsi,s manneF nnrl[
that stamps Mr.. Marshalis "orh tn
his tht Carefully considered way Of deal.
ing with characters, for from !.
readers come into the company OF
people who actually breathe ana ana
think and talk and behave like other
living beings. Joan and Nancy, the
twins, are worth follwoing around;
for they are inventive children and
talkative ones. And. after all. no
ID a child when 1t is let alone, as