Evening star., 1925-07-18

One of the possible net results of
the maternal relation is shown by
Villa Gather in her novel. THE Song
of the Lark" 1t is not the orthodox
view of poetry and sentiment Mrs.
kronborg, Swedish-American. widow
Of Pastor Kronborg of Moonstone.
Colo. lies dying. She is "a handsome
woman of so years, with body still
firm and white. her hair. faded now
to a very pale primrose. in two thick
braids down her back: her eyes clear
and calm" DR.. Archie, the physician
who has attended her when all her
seven children were born, attends her
, now. The child she loves best, Thea
who is just beginning to attain sue.
| cess as an opera singer, is in Ger
many. Mrs. kronborg longs TO see
| her. and DR.. Archie summons her
| But Thea has just received an un.
looked-for opportunity to go in big
| part in Dresden, and she does not
| come. She urges her mother to live
! for six months, promising that then
she will come and take her back to
, Germany with her. Perhaps Mrs
| Kronborg is skeptical about the hap
! piness of being companion TO an
, opera singer. for she is a keen WON
| an. At any rate, she does not think il
| worth while TO go on living. and dies
| Her other six children are all good
and commonplace. Thea alone has
| the romantiCism and the cleverness OF
! her mother-and far more than her
| mother. Mrs. kronborg. after read
| ing Thea S letter. turns to DR.. Archie
Bringing up a family is not all it's
| cracked up to be-" said Mrs kron
| borg. with a flicker of irony. as she
| tucked the letter back under her pill
| low. The children you don't espe
| Cially need you have always with you
| like the poor; but the bright ones get
away from you. They have their owi
| way to make in the world. Seems like
| the brighter they are the farther they
| go I used to feel sorry you had nc
family. doctor, but maybe you're as
| well off
The news columns have recorded
| the award last week at Seattle of the
! New berry medal by the American
| Library Association to Charles j
! Finger of Fayetteville, Ark, for his
Tales from Silver Lands" as the
most distinguished contribution ir
| 1924 to literature for children by ar
/ American author. The book is col.
| lection of folk tales of South Amer
| ica These tales of strange animal Is
of earth and sea folk, as retold BY
Mr.. Finger, make enjoyable litera
ture for adults as we'll as for chill.
| dren, for whom they were primarily
written The author knows his Soutl
| America. He has explored in the
Andes, in TERRA del Fuego and ir
odd, out of the-way places He lived
| with those he met-with Indians
gauchos. miners and sailors-an ad.
venturer always. And his expert.
ences there led to a close and init.
mate correspondence with w II
Hudson and r. B. Cunningham
Graham. In accepting the Newberry
medal from the chairman of the chill
dren's librarians section of the Amer
lean Library Association, Mr.. Finger
gave this as his idea of the story
| tellers art:
Experience with all kinds of peo
pie. savage and civilized, leads me tC
believe that the chief thing to b,
achieved by the story teller is a sens,
of reality; without that it is not pos
sible to interest boys and girls.
story teller who tries to talk eithel
I'D or down to children will fail TIL,
; Juvenile mind is active, alert, critica
and everything set before it is sub
ject to swift, critical analysis. Lack
ing sincerity the story will be re
iected."
A folklore tale of Denmark in III,
sixteenth century under King Fred
erick III is the material of Selma
Lagerloef's story, THE Treasure" 4
young girl, Elsalill, the only survivo
of a murdered family. dedicates her
Pself to vengeance. Love interferes
Then a ghost as persistent as tn,
ghost of the King of Denmark /,
"Hamlet" comes back to track tn,
chief murderer and to enlightel
Elsalill. Vengeance is finally ac
complished, but at a great sacrifice
Like all of Selma Lagerloefs work
i"The Treasure" is full of symbolism