Evening star., 1925-11-15

the sense of beauty that all possess
in some measure.
The Emigrants," by Johan Bojer.
Norwegian, takes it's place among
stories of the Middle West by Garland
and Sandburg and Anderson, by Sin
clair Lewis and Zona Gale and Tark-
ington and Theodore Dresser. Mind
you, as a writer about the Middle West
does he have this place. Outside this
field he Is a greater artist than some
Of these.
THE NAKED MAN. BY We're Hut
Crimson, author of Sea Wrack, >"
etc. New York: The Century Com
pany.
A MAN stripped to two primitive
hungers-such is We're HutChin-
sons Naked Man" A passion for
the beauty of the soil out Of which
spring green growths and fair har-
vests, over which trees cast their
rain and sun and wind take equal
chance making open headway. But
this man is shut In coal mine every
day In the year. So, his hunger for
beauty Is likely to lead straight on
to starvation itself. Beside this
secret ardor for the open and beauti-
full world there hides another hunger
"a child made Of himself. perhaps to
capture that which he has so hope
lessly missed. But the wife of this
miner is barn en- woman. older than
himself good woman, but old and
barren. Such is the foundation of a
story that never for a moment steps
outside the metes and bounds estab-
lished by this basic situation. To
be sure. for a moment the man steps
out Of tho mine and settles on top of
the ground. And the barren woman.
SO wise to the secret desires of her
man. sets trap for the appeasement
OF his second hunger and having done
this she betakes herself away 10 OBJ
scurity..
But the open land is a trap and the
woman who bore him a son is a more
subtle trap and-well. on the ruth
less matter goes without a turning
to the right or left for some little
easement Of this man so starlkly naked.
so clearly damned. One actually
writhes under this terrible novel
through his urge to impose something
ameliorating between this defenseless
man and writer SO implacable In
sincerity. A great novel that haunts
one with its bitter irony. Great in it's
conception and equally great in its
austere simplicity. Not many will
like 1t because the most of us like TO
be smoothed and eased away from
thinking about the truth of life or the
truth Of art. A few, however. will
read this book more than once for the
power of it and for the dark beauty
Of 1t. A sister to the author of IF
Winter Comes" but bigger sister
than the other author is a brother,
from the writing point of view.
THE POWER AND THE GLORY. BY
Gilbert Parker, author of THE Seats
OF the Mighty" etc. Illustrated.
New York: Harper and Brothers.
PLACE names weave a chain of his
tory across the United States.
From these names we go back to ex-
plorer, trapper, settler. missionary. to
Indian tribe or place or custom. From
these we go back to the names of the
old home towns in the East and be-
yond this across the sea to many
European points Of departure for the
settlers Of the New World A map
is beguiling thread of history. Take.
for single instance. the name of La
Sale. From Chicago west to the
Mississippi and all down this river
to Its source, the name recurs over
and over again in country and town,
in city street and hall and hotel One
La
Sale and indeed over many another
whose name. like his. repeats itself
over the land in lasting memorial.
Gilbert Parker's new novel is a ro-
nance of the great La Sale Here
history Is turned to drama with La
Sale as its chief figure. Here is
the little court of New France, From.
tenac at its head, representing Louis
XIV and bent to the further glorif-
cation OF this monarch. Here are
courtly scenes in the wilderness. En-
mites. jealousies. intrigues, like those
at the great court at Versailles, are
rife here. La Sale comes in for A
snare of opposition. But sustained
by the King and Frontenac, he goes
out into the West exploring the New
World for the glory Of France. Ad.
venture. hardship, danger. the sudden
ambush. the open attack, the slow
gains In the midst of great personal
loss, and then the tragic death of La
Sale. All this comes out here in the
close appeal that drama is able to
give to history, when the drama is in
the hand OF practiced story teller.
A nne novel based on an important
period of history. In this day of re-
vival for the historic novel, The
Power and the Glory" steps out as a
leader Of special point for the Am.
cIICdn reader
NEW JERSEY AND ITS BUILDERS.
Compiled by James o. Jones Com.
pany. Published by the New Jer-
sey Biographical Association.
J'HE hundreds of men who from
colonial days on to the present
nave made the State Of New Jersey
what 1t Is in industry and wealth.
in character and influence, come TO-
gether here in picture and biogra paic
sketch. This Is substantial and i'm
pressive volume designed for general
reference. It's place, therefore, is in the
library, the newspaper Office or other
point easily accessible to the student
or special investigator There is here
a general sketch. touching the high
ana essential points of State history
IN Doth its local and national aspects.
beyond this are accounts of the ex-
panslon of the State in various kinds
or enterprise. And behind each of
these stand the men upon whose
ability and combined effort the enter
prise originated and expanded. Manu-
Iacturers, inventors, statesmen, politi-
cians, professional men, financiers and
pain good citizens meet here in COM
mon honor Of the high place of this
commonwealth. A sketch Of the coun.
.ies OF the State and d special out
LOOK upon its greatest cities go along
with the records of these many State.
makers A highly useful volume to
those for whom it is designed. A
deeply interesting one for those who,
possibly without direct land definite
purpose chance upon this pointed
story or the man side of progress,
Whether 1t be the progress Of the town
OF the state or the Nation or the
world. A book Of this kind rounds
up the clear fact that. after all. It is
the contribution Of the individual that