Evening star., 1925-09-13
IDA GILBERT MYERS.

AaA1HN oANoSi<D. Isy GIlSn SlaS-
gov. author of "The Shadowy
Third etc. New York: Double.
day, Page & Co.
A SPREAD of barren farm land
~ provid es the background
a against which the action of
n this romance is set, the spent
force of it's exhausted soil
Shaping the meaSer existence of the
actors themselves. A story set in a
section of Virginia where acres of red
Drown hroomsedge, pricked here and
lhere with scant patches of green to-
bacco, tell the tale of soil worn to
death In a 200-year struggle to sup
port, unaided, a single product. A
gloomy contrast, this picture to that
earlier one when the whole of Virginia
was one vast field of rank verdure,
when tobacco was the currency of the
colony, when later it stood as the
prime material substance of the great
State itself. In those bright Virginia
days tobacco was king insolent in it's
surety, even when Popes threatened
It's patrons with accommodation,
when the crown declared it's use a.
capital offense, when one Swiss can
ton included its verboten in their YER
sion OF the Decalogue. In those days
nobody knew that the soil could die,
that 1t could lose it's vital force to
make things grow Nobody had then
heard of diversified crops. And even
II one had known, his faith in
hings-as-they-are would, as it does
with us, have supported him in the
easy and comfortable desire to let
well enough alone. So, gradually,
we'll enough slipped away into very
bad indeed, till now, at the opening
OF this story. the sinister gloom of
brown broomsedge has settled deep
upon the farm lands roundabout and
has, besides, shut off the vision and
stified the ambitions of the people
themselves.
Gloom, therefore, is the keynote of
this tale of Virginia farm life, a gloom
that, rising out of the soil itself. gath
ers in smothering fog around the
common life of the neighborhood. Out
OF toll that barely meets the daily
need, out of long hours that admit no
moment of pleasure. out of the en-
Veloping smother that permits no out
look wider than a hands breadth,
there emerges a common life that is
unspeakably dreary and repellant
Not even Hardy himself, that genius
at welding atmosphere and circum-
stance into a weirdly. fateful whole,
could find fault with the effect of un-
broken gloom that Miss Giasgowis
adventure in realism has created in
Barren Ground
The action here hinges, of course
upon the gallant. effort of one at least
TO break out Of this prison of unto
ward circumstances. This one is the
girl, Dortnda, who, starving for hap
piness, feeds avidly upon her one
chance and then flies into the secure
hiding place of a great city. In a
rouple Of years Dorinda returns to the
old home, prepared to redeem the land
TO its native potency. This she does
In the most approved of modern meth
DDS. Thereafter the story is of Do
rinda as a successful and prosperous
woman. Yet one closes the book un-
satisfied. More than likely one is ask
ing too much. Perhaps all that could
be expected of Dorinda under the
early grind Of circumstance and
thwarting was to grow a body and
some material success. Maybe 1t is
too much to look here for any great
growth Of the spirit. Miss Glasgow
knows better than we do, for she was
on the spot, and to every detail of
that life she gave a rigid inspection
and a most literal report. Still there
Is disappointment in the fact that
after all of Dorinda.'s effort and good
achievement she herself, the real she,
does not come up to the mark. A
little thing, yet we judge and are
judged by little things; makes Do
rinda a disappointment. Her last act
here is one of bribery; her last words
here appeal to the boy, John Abner,
for his fealty. Bear with my fan
cies now, John Abner. When l am
gone both farms will be yours" Too
badl However, as a bit of stark real
ity, the story scores. Besides, as a
new note In the literature of the ro-
mantle South, it is bound to gain a
wide attention. AS reading, just read
ing for happy intercourse with the
world and its people-oh, it is not for
that at ALL Read 1t as art, If you will,
but leave it If entertainment is your
pursuit.
THE LORNING MYSTERY. BY JEFF
frey Farnol, author of 1.-The Broad
Highway" etc. Boston: Little,
Brown & Co.
NTOWBOY Becomes Earl'-so the
~ newspaper headlines bit of
news that whenever it appears un-
failingly rouses interest and stirs the
spirit of romance. At infrequent
points all along the course of Amer
lean history, England has called one
and another of our settlers out of
their democratic obscurity to return
to titles OF nobility at home. And
the romance of this incident is al
ways of strong appeal Such an incl
dent sets Jeffrey Farnol off on this
new tale of mystery. Out from Vir-
ginia young David Loring sailed
for England to take up the heirship
OF Loring Chase. But upon nearing
port disaster set in--the body of
young David was washed ashore. At
least somebody was washed ashore
and no less than three persons de-
clared 1t to be David himself To
be sure these three-or two of them
certainly-were greately interested in
having the drowned boy David. From
that moment of identification right
through to the end of a tale that
is in part deep mystery and in part
pure romance, Jeffrey Farnol. with
the assistance of Jasper Shrig. de-
tective. has the time of his life in
a. complication of matters that con-
tain as much of problematic to-do
as they do of genuine Farnol enter
tainment. There are no half meas
tFes here. The adventure has dash
and swing and gay -adornments to
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