Evening star., 1923-09-02
Reviews of New Books

tions. smilingly critical comment,
TINS, On the vaEarious poses of the
young know-it-alls. who are at pres
ent messing up the social landscape
with half-baked social theories and
adventurings. Mr.. Goldring holds the
comedy well within the lines of
plausibility. He animates IL with
people quite above the level of the
commonplace and dull. Interesting
folks, these, tremendously impressed
with themselves and with their own
notions about living their own lives"
And because they are of this vital
and attractive quality they themselves
| create the situations that carry the
comedy forward in buoyant Whirl of
action and Self-rcyelation. Excellent
entertainment here, supported by keen,
Intellectual apprec ia tfon and a clever
use of the lighter weapons of satire
and ridicule.
FOR THE GOOD OF THE RACE; And
Other Stories. BY Bert Levy. New
York: Ad Press.
Newspaper sketches gathered up
into book. Worth il. too. Besides.
the book carries a frontispiece, The
Old Hebrew Student" from paint
ing by the author himself. Gifted
twice. this author. Bert Levy is the
special kind of newspaper r:an-
there are not enough of this kind
who is able to wake the dull streets
into vibrant life by way of a thor
oughly human touch at this point or
at that one. Under these. plain things
become clear fascinations-mere traffic
turns 70 adventure, dinSy court
room changes to a stage. the confused
coming and going of the terminal
spreads pageant. the fruit-and-
vegetable carts splash gorgeously
their dull background. the balloon
man Is dancing rhythm OF color. Life
and light and meaning follow in the
train of these writer's who pick up
their profession off the street. Nat
urally, many of these particular
sketches focus upon the theater-
upon a rehearsal. in the wings. on
the road, or this, or that. out of the
fruitful life Of make-believe. Nat
urally. too, many of them emphasize
the Hebrew brand of human nature.
the Hebrew outlook. and habit, and
cast Of mind--inimitable sketches. in
their simple and straight apprecia-
ton in their clear avoWal of Hebrew
reactions to surrounding circumstance
and influence. Very unpretentious
work. thrown off in "a gayety of mood
that makes the best sort of medium
for these varied and passing glimpses
of common things that are. after all.
really very uncommon things.
THE PAROWAN BONANZA. BY 3.
NJ Bower, author of The Voice at
Johnnywater." Frontispiece by
Frank Tenney Johnson. Boston:
Little, Brown & Co.
This is the story of Bill Dale's
adventure in the Nevada gold fields.
Hopeful Bill. the folks roundabout
called him in genial ridicule. But
he laughs best who laughs last" and
Hopeful Bill kept right on laughing
long after the mirth Of the others had
turned into envy. mainly. with only
. Fp n 0f
joy over Bi1l'S good fortune. Not all
good fortune. though-for the news
that Bill had struck il rich brought
down upon him, like bees around the
promoters. hangers-on and many an
other sort of parasitic pest. Then
Bill fell III love \ delightful fellow,
as you are going to see. but too sim
pie. quite, for the double -and-twisted
situation Of mining and marrying.
Between them they almost swamped
him. Still. he did get married and
he did make a fortune. He lost the
latter and came within an ace of
losing his wife. That girl is a clear
turned so that She could hardly see
Bill. And her elcventh-hour repent
ance may have looked all right to that
big hearted man of hers, but it doesn't
suit US. However. it is meant to be
of the right quality and We are not
going to spoil a corking good story of
western mining and adventure 10 go
off on any wfld-gooSe chase after the
elusive heart of n daughter of Eve.
MARK GRAY'S HERITAGE. BY Eliot
II. Robinson. author of Man Pro-
poses" etc. Boston: The Page
Company.
Young Grays heritage" is no more
than the sum of human nature to
which every member of the human
family falls heir. 1t is the setting of
Quak kerdom that projects the story by
Transforming the youth into a brand
to be perpe tually plucked from the
burning. Worldliness, natural enough
to us on & outside even if not al
ways altogether harmless. is the
agency that. obtruding upon the
peaceful life of the Quakers. sets the
problems for Mark Gray sand defines
the course of this romance. 1t is an
interesting web of situations and
events against which character and
the common life of the Quakers stand
out in admirable clearnesS and vital
ity. \ love story winds its uncertain
way 10 a point where. but for the
courage of Il Quaker maiden. Mark
Gray would have been left to desc
late bachelorhood. An hour or so OF
good entertainment here leaves one
with 4 very clear and pleasing picture
Of y0Hng Gray himself and with an
other one. equally satisfying of the
temperament and outlook and daily