Evening star., 1925-12-06


Bagdad. It's an odd experience to
find ones self thrilling to adventure
In far countries under no more of q
stimulus than the examination of a
book on one of the sturdy States of
the Union, that book designed for
the stolid porings of plodding search
ers out in libraries of some plain
item Of immediate and probably
transient concern.
UNDAUNTED EXILES. BY Eugenia
S. Bumgardner. Staunton: The
Mcclure Co, Inc.
THESE are Russians eXiled from
their own country by the boshe-
visit. They are, therefore, of the class
Of professional men and women. musi-
clans, writer's. scientists, former land
owners. Congregated in CONSTANT
nople and it's nearby places. these
homeless Russians became people Of
absorbing interest to this writer, who
was at that time in the East engaged
in work for the Red Cross. One can
see a thousand situations and a thou
sand stories of dramatic content here
1t is some of these that this author
has drawn off from the daily life of
"Dauntless Exiles." Here are pictures
Of men and women who. in the old
days. were conspicuous In Russian life
and affairs. Today they are following
any occupation that will sustain them
under the most narrowing Of circum-
stances. Here are descriptions of the
relief measures that have been organ
ized in behalf of these people. And
here is portrayed the gallantry of these
-0f1l -I.. Ion , =,
days work done. turn about in activ-
tiles of reciprocal and unsefish help
fulness to all. 1t is this uncomfortable
spirit, this quenchless gallantry. that
these stories emphasize. 1t is this
that makes these scenes so vivid in
their poignant appeal. The art of the
story-teller goes hand in hand here
with the deeply aroused sympathy and
the warm admiration of Miss Bum
union there has come this sympa-
thetic and dramatic collection Of sto.
rieS and scenes.
THE VIRTUoUS HUSBAND. BY
Freeman Tilden. author of Mr.
Podd." etc. New York: The Mac
MILAN Company
pERHAPS a better title would have
been The Dissatisfied Wife ;.
since the thesis eXpounded is that
mine out of every ten married WON
en- in the United States. if they aren't
too busy TO think, are terribly dis
satisfied with their husbands. and
don't know why" II is. however, the
story of Jim Buck barrow from boy
hood TO marriage-to two marriages
Ihe hrSt one proved a failure chiefly
because the two united in wedloCk
had two separate and sustained no.
tons OF what marriage means Each
working in accordance to his own
belief, the pair ultimately found them.
selves as far apart as the divorce
court could set them. A second mar
rage, not 50 glamourous in its be
ginnings, presents the real union that
is supposed to be involved in the in
stltutlon of matrimony. a very read
able story-lifelike and convincing
based upon the fact that no girl, prac-
tlcallY no girl, marrieS under the
domination of the single tenable rea
son Tor so doing-that is. for the pur-
pose OF perpetuating the race to the
extent of her ability There is prob.
aoly no industry in the world SO nj
te.ly barren of preparation as is the
industry OF marriage. No wonder
that dissatisfaction is the chief con
tent OF the marital state. since both
men and women live upon the han.
hazaro and false foundations of its
existence. Half laughing, because
that Is his way, but wholly serious
Mr.. Tilden here gives in perfect
realism two concepts of marriage in
Its purpose and projection AS lit
tie IKE Il sermon as a really good
story can be, the novel is, never
theless. a good deal OF sermon.
BELOVED ACRES. BY John H
Hamiin. Illustrated by Charles
1.assell. New York: The Century
A CALIFORNIA ranch backs this
story of a young girls success
where the other members of her fam.
lily had failed. 4 compla isant mother
appears TO leave things to the young
folks- The father, dying, left the
ranch so heavily encumbered as to
make Its sale an apparent necessity
The two sons were willing, because
each loathed the farm and intended
to be something beside a ranchman.
1t was the daughter, however, who.
out OF a passionate love for her father
and the acres SO beloved by him,
pleaded for a chance to see what she
could do where the others had failed.
The story deals with the capability of
this girl, with her genius for hard
work, with her good sense. and final
lY, with her saving of the ranch tc
her family and her fathers memory
II one feels at times that the girl re
sorts to her feminine powers of an.
peal and cajolery to gain her ends,
rather than to a man-size order of
action, or to a plain and grubbing in
dustry--why, such an one reflects
that the job was altogether too big
for the girl in the first place, and
that, in the second place the author
has made story that will please the
, average young girl down to the
ground as she reads of the things a
| girl can do when she really tries. One
could concoct quite a SiZa BILE moral on
this kind of story. But he's not going
to. 1t is excellent entertainment for
| the age to which il is directed And
| if ii leads girls to rely on ca jolery in.
stead of on-but this is just what we
are not going to talk about.
| + \ y
THE WOLF MAN. BY Alfred Mach
ard. New York: Edward J
| Clode, Inc.
| HARDLY a conceivable theme car
! provide more of hazard for the
hero and more of excitement for the
| reader than that of an escaped con-
vict desperate in his resolve not to
| be captured. Such is the motive OF
| this adventure which, more plausi-
| bly, than is usual. can be truthfully
! named a pure adventure. Real pur-
| suers and imaginary ones hound
the fleeing man. Actual men and
things more terrible even than men
| seem to be. join this conspiracy OF
| capture. Ingenuity and real inno-
cence pit themselves here against
a public ardor of easy suspicion and
| ready, hostility. A good deal like