Evening star., 1925-01-25
Reviews of New Books

all the same, there is enough or truth
In this somewhat extravagant use
of the fact-and- fiction blend TO ac-
count for the anger In which we
women are bound to rush to meet
the story. The whole is projected in
a realism so exact as to make eau
tious woman drape veil over her
mental mirror as she reads this tale
OF the tyranny of woman over man.
THE FABRIC OF THE LOOM. BY
Mary S. Watts. author of Nathan
Burke" etc. New York: The Mac
milan Company.
In the midst OF situation, part
of it. one is unable to Judge entirely
either its character or its effect. The
good judgment calls for a certain de-
tachment, for the absence of d par
taking personal interest. The pic
ture held up for Judgment here is a
certain phase of American life. To
secure detachment for its appraisal,
yet to provide enough Of understand
ing to insure mething OF sympathy
this author makes use of an Ameri-
can woman who has lived many years
in France, but who returns to her
old home with daughter who has
been educated entirely to an accept
ance of European ideas of education
for young girls. 1t is from this
standpoint that the picture of Ameri-
can life grows in The Fabric of the
Loom Contrast is the illuminating
agency here. The woman is in pos
session of a set of values quite diff
ferent from those in use about her.
The girl is set off sharply from the
free behaviors of her companions by
the reticenceS and formal manners of
her training. Around them is the
type of smart American society.
Here are the free and pleasure-loving
young folks. Here the young matrons
to whom marriage is no bar to new
romance. Here is the active, useful
woman, as busy losing her husband
as she is in promoting social we'll
being. Here the business man whose
function is to provide the money.
They are all here. Finally, the pic
ture fades off with not unusual
pair, off on the other side of the
world, engaged, as fugitives, in the
sorry game of paying the piper for
an over1oyous dancing on the thin
ice OF broken marital conventions.
Not quite SO well woven, this fab
ric," not quite so fine and smooth
in texture as this authors usual fruit
Of the loom turns out to be. A good
story, but not Mary S. Watts best
story.
THE MAJESTIC MYSTERY. BY Denis
Mackail, author of Summertime"
etc. Boston: Houghton, Mifiin
Company.
London newspaper men-young
tremendously busy and ambitious
off to Brighton for day or so of the
sea in easement of bodies and brains
all done up with the hunting of news
A party of theater folks in the same
hostelry, the Majestic. Good stuff
maybe, for couple of press men to
nna I~h
the play producer is found dead, shot
to death in his room in tee Majes-
tic. Here the story begins, and here
the reader begins as we'll to know
what 1t is TO go right along with
these two young men who, in the self
constituted role of detective, just
show one what can be done In picking
up evidence of crime out Of any old
thing. 1t is hot trail, because, you
see, it Is one that Is fairly Uttered
with proofs which one of these two
has positive genius for falling upon.
An easy-going. smiling chap this, at
whom one laughs a good deal of the
time. The laughter, however, Is not
OF the derisive Sort; rather one of |
enjoyment over the mighty lark of |
detection that is going on. Delight |
full all the way through, DESPITE the
fact that there is a dead man whose |
taking off has to be accounted for.
THE SMOKING FLAX. By Robert
Stead, author OF The Homestead |
ers," etc. New York: George H
Doran Co. T
Can man be a mother? He GER
tainly can and. in this case, is. To
be sure, the family record, II it were |
at hand, would count the man and the |
llttIe boy of this adventure as uncle |
ana nephew. But the family record |
is not at hand and the daily facts In |
the case make nothing less than a
mother out of Calvin Beach in his
love for young Reed and In the good |
companionship that carries on be-
tween them. A couple of pilgrims
these two, running away from mys- |
tery ana shame-the mystery of |
Seeu Dlrth, the shame Of Calvin |
Beachs dead sister. However. when
we come upon the two we are not |
asked to partake OF sorrow and |
gloom. Rather, to go trudging along
with them through the wide vest
no" playing Indian, now PLAYING
tramp, now playing any delfghtfuI |
lniie calculated to serve the PURPOSES
OF food and shelter. And We 90 ON |
Joyous and excited, all-tilI finally
we come upon a farmhouse. And in |
IL is FARMER greatly in need of help |
Ior tne harvesting OF his fields. So.
We al fail to and 1t Is at this place |
'iiat the whole story gets on its way |
ON Its way of making a place In tba
hearts of these kindly common peonIe
Tor the little boy and the man. too !
MAKING place, too, for the dawn
ana noon time of a pleasing romance.
al developed easily and naturally bv
way OF the work and the good air
ana the sound sleep and the occa
slonal presence of the Young or,
VINO Is away in nearby town earn
more attractive living than
III "oFk provides. The joy of the |
y however. rests in the mother
ing OF Reed Beach by a great hie
sroWn-up man who loves the hox- tn
a most beautiful way
The FLAME OF HAPPINESS. Bv
6 ward. PHILADELPHIA:
Heorge w. Jacobs & Co.
hen young woman marries a
man man Tor the sake of ESCAPING fror.
the man whom she reaIlv ,,,isL rom
Ilarry--Why, then, there Is a d..1 -
e! out for all hands. In tba
% pace, she sets herself Ioh
than she can handle. SEQ tba
oaiiy press for proof. In the saos
she puts UP a big propositinn
loi tne Kindly man who takes bar -,
1atto, Cd tners OF her own yaciJ-
Id non and bad faith. The otbar -,
the desired one. is really neeii.;hIe
po'h IN fact and in fction-or yn,,Id
oe except for the purposes of 49,
elouoIe. Again, consult the news 1ae
e.loehce: Such is the thread ~ this
seory. 1t runs along brightly @ ans
capaply quite in the pattern Of tbtama u
zee itto me outside. Except that ont 1n
With mo mate. matter as a rule stops onIv
dtffarent .rophe. In novel It is
OF moral literature and In at ll.erest