Evening star., 1924-10-18
The Library Table
ny THE Bo0KLovER.

In their arguments and an occasional
protagontst may resort to epithets,
but at least superficial good nature
is the rule in practical discussion to-
day. In the days of Washington and
Jefferson. when opinions clashed over
anairs OF Government, good nature
was considered a mark of indiffer-
ence or cowardice and few were
either Indifferent or cowardly. Vir-
ginla planters, who. over their toddy
bowls and card tables. discussed the
differences between the Federalists
and the newly arisen Republicans,
needed to choose their words with
caution or they were likely before
the evening was over to find them
selves choosing seconds for duel.
In Joseph Hergesheimer's novel, "Bal-
isand." which gives a striking pic
ture Of life in the Virginia Tidewater
during the administrations Of Wash
ington and Adams, Richard Bale of
Balisand feels that nothing in the
weak new Nation, which he has
fought to establishh, Is safe and per-
manent, except Gen. Washington.
Equal to his devotion to Washington
is his hatred OF Jefferson. Just the
thought Of Thomas Jefferson. or.
rather, Of his principles, inflamed
Bales anger"
When Bale goes to the house party
given by the Todds of Todd Hundred
TO celebrate the engagement of
Gavin Todd to Lavinia Roderick of
Henrico County, he admonishes him
self rigidly that there must be mo
politics" for Gavin Todd is a fol-
lower of Jefferson. Then the second
night of the party. over the wine after
dinner. Gavin Todd declares: 1t goes
h- nL fn 70 h iac orr ,vrnh -hoI
wants a monarchy where he's mon
arch he doesn't seem to realize that
his service-and 1t was very credita-
ble--is over. He has no ability for
public affairs: he can't fathom free
people. He's after power and a
crown" Then Richard Bale feels a
familiar sensation overtaking him
"one he had had cause to regret. 1t
seemed to him that all the elements
Of his body were congealing in the
intense cold-like water in the act Of
turning into ice-of a black rage
Without moving a muscle he says
with ominous coldness: after this,
Mr.. Todd, when you speak to me of
Gen. Washington, see that it is at
least with the form of respect"
Gavin Todd does not believe in duel
ing, but on this occasion he is mar
rowly saved from a duel by the in
X
The hostility growing out of this
political difference and a greater hos
tility on account of that universal
cause Of trouble. a woman. endure for
over a decade and then these two
meet again. Richard Bale. a broken
man physically and socially, perma-
nently out of public life, but arrogant
and hating as ever. and Gavin Todd
the successful Republican-Democr
.xultins in JeTerson's election. con-
honor" and the long postponed duel is
fought
The chapter in Horace Green's
Life of Calvin Coolidge" to which
readers of the book will turn with
most interest is the one on the Boston
police strike. Opinions vary all the
way from the view that Gov. Coolidge
had everything to do with breaking
the strike to the view that Mayor
Peters was the man of action while
the governor sat on the fence. from
which he climbed down at the appro-
pirate moment to assume the credit
which he did not deserve, and that his
friends built on this incident the
Coolidge myth" and started him on
his way toward the presidency Mr..
Green gives an exceedingly judicious
account of the episode, distributing
the credit with apparent fairness
among the mayor, the police commits
sioner and the governor. To public
opinion Mr.. Green gives first place for
breaking the strike, but he holds that
the public opinion of Boston, of Mas
sachusetts and of the United States
was localized by the ringing words of
Calvin Coolidge: There is no right
70 ~ ,ive .
anybody, anywhere, at any time"
X +
A very mixed menu is provided by
W. j. Locke in his last novel. The
Coming of Amos" and one likely to pro-
duce mental indigestion. An English
painter with a French name, an Aus
tralian trough diamond son of mis-
sionaries and nephew of the painter; a
Russian princess, a Spanish villain and
a few minor characters are all jumbled
together in setting of Cannes. Rome
and England. David Fontenay. the
painted, is middle-aged. blase and epi-
cure. does not like to be bored-and
Amos bores him badly. Amos is big,
gawky, blundering and has Australian
manners, which to his fastidious uncle
seem no manners at all. Princess Nadia
Ramirof is just the conventional Rus
sian princess living in exile on her
jewels: she has, Of course. been ill
treated by the bolsheviki. Ramon Gar
cia- the villain, is blackmailer, a
thief and a general crook. as. of course,
a villain should be. The painter, Amos
and the villain all fall in love with the
princess, Of course; that is why she is
there. Only one of them can marry
her, also Of course, and she postpones
her decision until the end of the book
for the sake Of suspended interest.
This column has recorded from
time to time the new ventures in
the field of book reviewing The
latest is the New York Herald -rrib-
une's Sunday supplement entitled
Books" 1t promises to be a val
liable addition to organs Of liter
ary criticism, since it is conducted
by DR.. Stuart P. Sherman. who has
left the professorship of English
literature in the University Of Illinois
to become it's editor. Prof. Sherman
critics of the day. He combines the
equipment of full knowledge of
classic standards with open minded
and eager appreciation Of all that is
really good among the moderns. The
recent tendency is distinctly toward
signed book reviews and all Of the
more important reviews in the early
numbers of Books" are contributed
by competent critics. including Prof.
Sherman himself, Hugh Walpole, Carl
Van Doren, Henry B. Fuller, Harry
Hansen, Harry E. Barnes, Montrose
]. Moses, Gregory Mason, John Ers-
kline and Elinor wylie. What
promises to be an especially valuable
feature is department devoted to
the reviewing of children's books.
This page, headed "The Three Owls"
is edited by Anne Carroll Moore.