Evening star., 1924-11-29
The Library Table
BY THE BOoKLoyER


events Of the story. In "Kenilworth'
Scott made permanent the fame of
the Elizabcthan castle, where the
Earl Of Leicester murdered his young
wife, Amy Robsart. Compton Mack
enzie's "Plasher's Mead" is gabled
corridored old house, surrounded by
meadow and garden, against whose
lovely background thwarted young
love seems supremely sad. Archibald
Marshalfs 'Watermeads" Is ram
bling old hall on rambling old
place Of meadows and woods, where
doors, windows, fences and gates all
clamor for the carpenters care; and
the family is as rambling and i'm
poverished as the place. There are
also Trollope's "Orley Farm" and
"Framley Parsonage" Emily Bronte's
"Wuthering Heights" and j. ID.
Beresford's House In Demetrius
Road
Z. II. lTorster's novel, "Howard's
End" describes another delightful
house which, in spite of various
tragic circumstances which become
connected with IL, is a haven of rest
Tor various members OF a family
Helen Schlegel, on visit to the Will
coXcs of Howard's End, describes the
place in q letter to her sister, Mar
garet, who aftcrWard, much TO her
own surprise, becomes a member Of
the Wilcox family. She writes: at
is old and little. and altogether de-
iightful-red brick . . From hall
you go right or left into dining room
or drawing room. Hall itself is prac-
tlcaily room. You open another
door in 1t, and there are the stairs
going up in sort of tunnel TO the
first floor. Three bedrooms in q row
there, and three attics In u row above.
That isn't all the house, really, but
IT'S all that one noticea-nine win
doWs as you look up from the front
garden" But the house itself is the
least part Of the place; the best part
lies outside, as Mrs. Wilcox, who has
inherited 1t from her family and loves
IL, very well appreciates. There are a
big wych-elm, leaning little over
tho house; also ordinary elms, oaks.
pear trees, apple trees and vine
mere are also O. lawn, where the
WILCOX sons play croquct: garden.
where Mrs. Wilcox picks dew-cov-
cred flowers in the early morning,
and meadow which causes Mr.. VII
cox and Charles to suffer from hay
fever. The charm of Howard's End
is saddened for it's occupants, how
ever, by the knowledge that "all the
same, London's creeping" Over be-
yond, eight or nine meadows from
the house. is a line of red rust-the
cheap houses Of a new cheap London
suburb.
Former Gov. Chase s. Osborne con.
ieSses IN the first chapter of his book
on madagascar that he has given 1t
the subtitle Land of the Man-Eat-
ing Tree not because he necessarily
decides that this tigerish tree really
exists or whether tho blood -curtiling
stories about 1t are pure myth" but
because he hopes thus to capture the
interest OF the reader and focus his
attention on one of the least known
spots OF the world. II is an exceed
insly interesting book, In which the
author draws on his own observa-
to1s and the writings of those who
nave preceded him. In d lively, en-
tertaining style he describes the
physical features Of the island, its
native races, now disappearing before
the march Of civilization. NaIaeasy
folk lore and customs. and the French
government of the island. There are
chapters on Madagascars Robinson
CruSoe, Robert Drury and on Capt
Kidd and his pirate republic The
narrative IS entertaining, ahounds in
color and Is interspersed with the
shrewd comments Of Il trained OBJ
server.
Among the good stories told By
Alexander Woolcott in Enchanted
Aisles' is one in his chapter on THE
Speaker Of the Evening" in which the
Rev. NJ. Wolsey Stryker had the last
word al religious service. In Utica,
y
and the services lasted eight days
on the last day. Sunday, DIR. Stryker
was to speak last With foresight
based on experience he got the two
speakers who were to precede him to
agree To 20-minute limitation. The
first kept his bargain fairly we'll by
speaking for only 80 minutes, but the
second spoke an hour and half and
sat down happy at having given
good measure. There was an
anxious pause. DR.. Stryker walked
forward. He looked coldly at his
predecessors. He looked compassion
atcly on the wilted rows before him"
He spoke gently as follows: This
congregation looks very much dedi-
Gated. So l will say nothing to you
Cticans beyond suggesting that you
all go home now and read that chap
ter in the New Testament which tells
Eutychus fell out Of the window"
x 4 4 =
After 80 years Of prescription Ber-
nard Shaw's play, Mrs. Warrens
Profession" is at last, SO reports the
Living Age, TO appear upon the Lon
don stage. 1t has been produced in
the United States, France, Russia and
in Germany, where Shaw has always
u, e
hos long been published in book form,
q rigid censorship of the stage coIn-
ing straight down from Shakespeave's
day has till now forbidden its pro-
duction. The event has brought from
Mr.. Shaw this characteristic COM
ment: This news is only too true
Now that / have reached the vener-
able age OF IS I'm the odor of sanctity,
the lord chamberlain lets loose on
mo terrible play written 80 years
ago, when 1 was a young tiger fear
ing neither God nor mana play
which 1 was depending on him to
keep locked up SO that 1 might end
my days in peace. 1 canot forbid it's
performance, because 1t is as true and
needed today as in 1894, but my per-
sonal feeling as to the license is Bet
ter never than Late
=
First Aid to the Reader" might be
a good title for the volume "a Read
er's Guide Book" in which May Lam
berton Becker has brought together
the lists of books on a great variety
of subjects, which were originally
published in the Literary Review of
the New York Evening Post and more
recently in the Saturday Review Of
Mrs. Becker has an almost
uncanny book sense. Her lists are
brief, they are up to the minute, they
are confined to books that are read