Evening star., 1924-04-06
FORTY YEARS IN WASHINGTON.
BY David 5. Barry. illustrated.
Boston: Little Brown & Co

IFTY years ago there came to
- Washington in tho train Of
the new senator from Michi-
gan. Isaac p. 'Christiancy, q lit
tie boy for whom the senator had Sc
cured place as page in the Senate
That was David S. Barry. From page
70 newspaper correspondent and then
to the office of sergeant alarms in
the United States Senate, David Barry
has spent an almost unbFoken forty
year term at the Capital city, the
larger part of that time within the
Capitol itself. An exceptional oppor-
tunity, this, for gathering at first
hand g. store of facts and impressions
concerning one and another of the
outstanding figures that, within this
long period, carried forward the busi-
ness and sustained the traditions of
the Senate OF the United States. BY
way of Forty Years in Washington"
Mr. Barry permits us to sit in before
the long moving picture of conspicu-
Gus and distinguished .consressmen
that carried on from the end of the
Grant administration to 1920, the end
of Woodrow Wilson's presidential in
eumbency This is picture of per-
sons and personalities. Only SO much
of political event as is needed for
standing ground is offered. There is
here no reaching for psychological
foundations or political exposition.
Instead, just this senator or that one
a5 Mr.. Barry saw him at certain i'm
pressive moments of attitude and ac-
ton. The effect is irnmediate-that
of a. brilliant procession Of men and
affairs. And often Mr.. Barry renders
some point even more vivid and vital
by Slipping over into the present for
contrast and comparison. Speaking
Of the old days of senatorial oratory,
for exam pie: Senator WolcDtt was
almost the last of the real orators,
because they are now virtually an
extinct breed. The Colorado senator
had a voice that was a yeritable silver
trumpet 1t was futl, musical, reso-
naht. and his reading was so wide,
his mentality SO active, his wit so
ready, that eloquence dropped from
his lips as IL does now from Senator
sorah's." So for one super-quality or
another we come here into an tnti-
mate touch with long line OF i'm
pressive figures of whom we get
fresh and highly interesting view.
The book, in addition to its full store
of information, is timely book, for
we are at the moment needing re-
freshment and restoration in respect
10 our confidence in the essential
We are in debt to Mr.. Barry for this
particular contribution, for this par
rtcular treatment of matter that he
IS 50 exceptionally qualified to pre-
sent
SAM SLICK. By Thomas Chandler
Halliburton. Edited by Ray Pal
mer Baker, Phi. D., author of "A
History of English-Canadian Lit
erature to the Confede ration" etc
Now York: George III. Doran Com
pany.
Thomas Chandler Halliburton, 1.-The
father of American humor," but for
the war of independence would have
been a citizen of the United States.
Along with many other strong 10y
alists, the family of Halliburton, after
the revolution, moved into Canada.
Thomas Halliburton was born in Nova
Scotia In his youth he studied law,
became late in life a member of
the Canadian legislature, finally
Judge of the supreme court. Some
what late in life ne moved to Eng
land, where he died. His sketches
of Nova Scotia life were widely read,
especially in the United States, where,
according to William Dean Howells,
Thomas Chandler Halliburton had
dominated for three generations the
humorists of the United States, He
created the quaint character, Sam
Slick, who has not only served as
model for ether humoriSts, but who
mas also 10 tHe general
stock of humorous sayings that have
passed into the body of the English
language. Here DR.. Baker offers
the most famous and the most char
tons work through the various
experiences of Sam Slick, Halibur-
toms celebrated clockmaker. With
these selections DR.. Baker has given
3 critical survey of the work of this
man, whose first book, "A General
Description of Nova Scotia" appear
ed a hundred years ago. A most in
teresting photography, indicating the
spread and depth of this humorist's
influence, is also provided here by
DR.. Baker.
GERALD CRASsTON's LADY. By
Gilbert Frankau, author of "The
Love story Of Aliette Brunton,"
etc New York: The Century Com
pany.
Marriage as a bargain-so much for
40 much--is yehemehtly- denied and
rejected by romantic youth, untried
IN m2trimony. Prosaic maturity, on
The contrary, out of it's experiences, |
generally accepts this as fact. Since
romantic youth passes inevitably
INTO sober age there is constant
reinforcement of the idea Of a mu-
tual business obligation within the
marital bond. Mr.. Frankau bases this
novel upon that assumption. The
husband here has the business gift,
personality. He lacks back ground. |
The lady is all back ground, with
nothing to support it. They unite
forces Family line and influence are
her contribution to the partnership.
Material ease is his. The story is
projected consistently and frankly
under this initial impulse. Its real !
content, however, goes deeper than
this mutual material advantage. The
deeper story projects the attitude |
md he1l IA Wiz ttf l.sh tn
the marriage that exists inside the
eKternals that led to it What is my
part in the more intimate partner
ship here? The story, while holding
fast to the fact that II is a story, |
gives in effect the contrast between
these two in their seizure of this
fundamental question. 1t projects, in |
substance, two standards Of ethics
applied to the one question, two or
ders of personal moral obligation.
Lady CraRston accepts the business
engagement and then proceeds to
puHcture it with all sorts of senti-
mental demands that have nothing in
the world to do with the straight
Sounds most familiar, this. How
ever, apart from this touch of woman
psychology, the story. simply al such,
is dramatic and interesting. Its
theme is a substantial one. The ac-
lion is promoted by the characters
roundings. their own personal i'm
pulses They s-e OF a quality to
command atteni ion. Their level of
life is attractive. Besides these in
herent dramatic values there is,
dearly, a sincerity and finish OF
"One Of the most D0iu9ble @
Hill -rHe~sre khrf hvS Synnooro1 r.,