Evening star., 1924-05-04
INNER DARKNESS. BY Ethelda Dag
gett Hesser. New York: Harper
Il Bros.

n FIRST novel whose author Will
IA bear watching. For, it is
IA clear. that here is writer
with whom the storys the
thing, one to whom readers do not
stand as the prime objective. one OBJ
Gvious to the existence of best
seller" lists. Having chosen the
theme, having selected the human
element to bring it to life and hav-
ing provided d place for the develop
ment, this author appears to have
considered her part of the work done.
To be sure, this is not, as matter or
fact, the way of it. What she mas
done to produce the effect is to iet
the story grow by way OF the par
ticular characters assigned to carry
1t forward. They shape the actloh
out of their own natures WORKING 70
gether in a particular set OF clfcuIh-
stances. These reactions produce lhe
outcome. No apparent lnterlereHtc
on the part of the author. \ narrow
setting. A farming community ~
miliar to almost every one one -
family-father, mother sons, aaH
tiers. The new school teachef--S 'uns,
pretty, and, out of her Eahi' an
seIfishness, a good deal of a Fpliop,
, Without knowing IT, OF couI rha
the men fall in love with hN M
the father and the oldest SOY Oh tMhls M
big family. And she falls in love, 100
with the father, most: VITA III. So
some Besotted, the father MAKES :"
disclosure to her for the sake OF az
surfing her of his essential freeooIl
to take real wife. At once @ the
mother of the family becomes tne
central figure-condemnea Oh mt
ans unforEivable sin. net once nu.
twice. What would you nave uo!e.
wonder if YOU would. Jutt conceoins
for the sake of the situatlon the III
possibility of your eyer yer rtlrS ,nrS IL in its
austere devotion to its avn choice ol
theme to its own fidelity to tnat
theme set out in certain human chai
actcrS.
NV DIPLOMATIC EDCCATI0N. BY
Eorval Richardson. Ne" ioi ~
Dudd. Mead & Co,
Habana. Copenhagen, Rome. SAM
ap,o and IiSbon-these are the scnoolS
through which, as secretary or lega
tion. Mr. Richardson passed IN tne
achievement of hia diplomatic educa-
tion. 1t is of these posts that ne
peopIe have written of these places
and from similar point OF view
MANY of them have written plctur-
esquely and appealingly. But very
special interest rises out OF the Ieau-
ing of this book. Casting about io[
: the source of this unusual degree Oh
interest, one finds 1t, or thlhks ne
does, in the confidential relation that
the author at once sets UP TOT Hlni-
self and the reader. He begins win
a frank and very amusing account OF
his preparat tion for this Work, OF MS
examinations here at Washington:
There is at no time any SHADOW OF
assumption in any direction All
through the account he is so engaS-
ingly modest, so content to stay az
the level of common interest that ne
really succeeds in presenting more
than one celebrity, more than one
historic place, in terms of plain hu-
man comprehension and appeal. The
book is filled with information OF a
substantial quality 1t is also full OF
life and color and pictures. Delight
full.
AT A VENTURE. BY Charles A.
Bennett. illustrated by Clarence
Day, jr. New York: Harper & Bro.
TT looks as if any one might do it
might he as entertaining over
almost nothing at all, as Mr.. Bennett
Is here All one has to do, or so it
appears. is pick up right off the
street, or out from the window, or
from any other where, whatever by
chance one may come upon. For
Instance, Mr. Bennett finds reformers
of various Kinds deeply interesting
and SO they prove to be under his
hands. And there is the church and
religion ana editors ana view eT =
to name at random. He sees hnance
as d "fairyland' and SO projects it.
He takes shot at some of our vir-
tues and touches upon few of our
shortcomings. Not many of the
latter, however. He is clearly not
the kind that goes adventuring after
human frailties- Having chosen, hit
or miss as he has chosen, the rext
thing to do toward taking on a part
at least of his power of entertain
of conformity-the same old way of
looking at everything, the same old
way of talking about everything,
the same vapid way of disposing of
eyerything-and there you are! A
stimulating, wideaWake person, this,
browsing around among common
places which at his touch promptly
become uncommonplace. If one, try
ing to turn the trick himself, could
enlist a picture maker like Mr. Day
to give punch to his Subtler emana-
tionS-there is no reason in the world
why he, too, should not put over a
captivating book about almost noth-
ing at all--thoSe nothings at all that
pretty much sum the whole matter in
reality. Probably not SO easy as il
looks, this being Interesting.
CHEAT-THE-BOYS, By Eden PhiI1-
potts author of "Evander." etc
!, New York: The Macmillan Com
:, pany.
Another story of Devon. by Eden
Phillpotts through whose novels peo-
pie all over the world are coming to
have faCe-to-face acquaintance with
this beautiful west end of England
According to his familiar way, MIR.
Philipotts here sets the human drama
down in the midst of one or another
Of the industries and occupations of
Devon. This time it is the apple cul-
tpre and the cider manufacture of
this locality that lend its homely
atmosphere to that of the natural
charm of Devon itself. Cheat the
Boys is the name of an apple. per-
feet to the eye. but sharp and biting
/, to the tongue. Gilyan, the heroine of
this tale, is like that, too, SO the
name is given to her also A beauti-
ful girl, sought by all the young men
roundabout. PICKLE, vain, treacherous,
TOO, this girl. And so, in the familiar
RhiIlpotts complex-an expertly in
terwoven thing of place, industry and
human qualities-the story Moves
forward out of it's own momentum to
the tragic destiny of Gilyan. Not all
rioom here, however. For, according
70 his habit, this author lightens the
eaoom of life-just as life itself does
with many intervals wherein one
forgets the dread inevitable through
the homely beauty of the passing
present
rHE LONG WALK OF SANTA DIOUF.
By jerome and Jean Tharaud.
Translated by Willis STEEL New
" York: DuhfeId & Co.
Wv way of Samba Dieufs long walk
.rd innumerable adventures, set down
Ss~e. these authors link up much of
fbA French colonial native life of
ksrSca In the French mastery of
.iear sight and fit speech and austere
nF CT