Evening star., 1925-03-08

absurd little down drawn bonnets out
from which young squaws in war
paint cast questing eyes. Movies and
motors and crashing music are the
accompaniments of youth from Picca-
dilly to Broadway. nowadays. And Ian
Hay skins from both Of these twirkling
thoroughfares. And he appears to be
having the time of his life also among
these lightweights of modernity. A
gay and laughing loiterer, this, who,
nevertheless, in spite of himself or
because of himself, dips a bit deep
here and there in a quite captivating
tenderness OF insight and sympathy.
On the whole, however, these vaga-
hondfngs under the white lights are
made for laughter. genuine laughter
or the sort that wells up from away
down inside of you and demands a
hearing. One almost never. nova
days, laughs over book. For books,
oy the sheer weight of numbers, have
come TO be the solemnest things on
earth However one laughs over this
one. For 1t is such a genial outlook
on the tremendous fuss of living the
lshter moments of the day and night.
CELEBRITIES OF OUR TIME. BY
Herman Bernstein. New York:
Joseph Lawren
A varied and extended career in
journalism lies back of the inter
views tnat make up this volume A
great traveller in his journalistic ca
paclty, Herman Bernstein. A man
VINO mas met many men, that, from
one standpoint or another, have gain
ed celebrity. Here are writer's and
artists, statesmen and politicians,
philosophers and scientists. Here is
an interview with Tolstoy. Here are
interviews with Pope Benedict XIV.
with Kerensky and Trotsky and Kro-
potkin and kovalevsky. An interview
with Roosevelt and one with Wilson,
getting nearer home. The inter-
views included in this book are per-
haps the most characteristic among
the hundreds of talks that l have
had with celebrities in various lands.
L nave made no attempt at fine writ
ing, but have endeavored to secure
from the celebrities their views on
problems which interested them and
me, and on which they could speak
with authority" This seems to be
falr statement of the matter as any
survey of this book will show. A
mere list of the names here-30 OF
more-will suggest the wide scope
or opinions on certain vital matters
that are set down here as something
separated interviews. The book is
dedicated to Edward NJ. House, the
liberal American statesman, who is
familiar with American
and foreign affairs and deeply inter
ested in their betterment."
ROME. BY Edward Hutton. Illus
trated by Maxwell Armfield. New
York: The Macmillan Company.
Take this book with you when you
go to Rome Have it in hand when
you face upon the Forum, the Colos-
scum, the Catacombs, the churches,
the palaces, and all the other embIems
or relics of the great Roman past.
For here the author has gathered
around each of these the history and
the literature, the story and the
legend that serve to re-embody Ii in
the living facts of its individual ex-
istence and of its contribution to the
common life of its time and place.
Pictures, both in color and half-tone,
illuminate the text. and a map. Sc
curely and properly placed. join here
in completing the usefulness of the
book to the traveller in Rome. On
the other hand, If you belong to the
great majority that must take its
journeys by way OF print, you will
ind this book as alive and pointed
to your purpose is If you were an
actual traveller upon an actual road
itself.
JIM DAVIS. BY John Masefield IL
lustrated by Stephen Reid. Phila-
delphia: David Mckay.
John Maseheld sets this bow story
on the coast of Devon away back at
the beginning of the last century. At
that time smuggling was one of the
English outdoor sports, as at the
present moment it is in America. The
story grows by way of a series of ac-
cidents that involve Jim Davis. a lad
of a dozen years, in some of the ad-
ventures of these outlaws. Like any
other live boy Jim was perpetually
nosing around, like a young puppy. in
all sorts of odd corners. 1t was this
that almost made a smuggler out of
Jim in spite of himself. While he did
escape from the active business itself
he was forced, by the things he had
found out, into many a tight corner
that made him feel now and then
most awfully like real criminal. A
plain story-that is as plain as
straight telling can make a story
that is by nature a very crooked
one. Certainly a story to thrill a
youngster with the makings of an
aoVenturer In him-every youngster,
that means.
THE BELLAMY CASE. BY James
Hay jr., author of The Melwood
Mystery" etc. New York: Dodd.
Mead & Co.
A plausible incident in a quite mod
ern political fight grounds the mys-
terry of this story and allows an
other chance for the talent of the
clever detective. Jefferson Hastings.
Inc South gives setting to the tale.
A contest for senatorial honors lies
between two old friends, Joan Bell
amy and Wayne Gilmore 1t Is opIy
with the advent OF Gilmore's new
manager, Stokes Jackson, that n sim
lster element enters the contest. The
instrument of this political manager
Is to be the defamation of character.
familiar weapon. Here ii is direct
ed against the woman candidate, Joan
bellamy. Only a short time after
MS appearance the violent death of
Jackson secures the situation wherein
Jefferson Hastings leads one upon one
skillfully constructed trail after an
other In pursuit Of the murderer. II
is the business of tho mystery story
10 set up as many likely looking
clues as the matter will stand. and
this Mr. Hay does in the manner of
man who has tried practised hand
at this game more than once already
A good story of its kind. A kind. too
that seems to have a strong hold
on readers generally.
BOOKS RECEIVED.