Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1925-09-27
THE SMITHS. BY Janet A. Fair
bank, author of "The Cortlandts of
Washington Square," Indianapolis.

The BobbS-Merrill Co.
Authors stand out against a pretty
general prejudice on the part Of the
public when they make the same
characters do service for several
novels, or even for two. The plain
reader has a notion. whether well
founded or not. that no made-up
character has the substance for such
endurance and that no author, besides,
has the art to keep it alive for more
than one novel stretch. All wrong,
maybe but such seems to be fairly
common feeling on the part OF read
ers. But those who use this plan
John Galsworthy, stephen Mckenna
and many others-appear to have so
strong a liking for it that they ignore
the protests against 1t. Mrs. Fair
bank has made use of this heir appar-
emit, dynastic plan in THE Smiths.
Ann. who in this novel becomes wife
and mother and grandmother, appears
as a child in an earlier story. Inc
scope and cast of this later novel sug-
gests a possible Saga of the Smiths.
The background Of the story, as Well
presents d mother and son Slgnln-
canoe This background Is the city
of Chicago from it's small and acct
dental beginnings to its present
prideful splendor and strength. An
undertaking, you see, this develop
ment of a great city and a family In
heritance The fine point about 1t is
that 1t is a most artful book, It's
modest and matter-of-course bearing
suggesting not at all the magnitude
of the work. 1t Is only afterward,
when one is out of it, that he realizes
what an able thing has been done in
all this seeming simplicity. And one
ventures the opinion that this Ann
of THE Smiths" can hold on for gen
erationS If any one can, for she is a
dependable person and most enSaS-
ing one withal. The whole story-1tS
various people, its vital background
is something to read, something, too,
for its author to feel warm-hearted
over.
TALES YOU WON'T BELIEVE. BY
Gene Stratton-Porter. author OF
"F'reckles," etc. Illustrated. New
York: Doubleday. Page Company.
This book is made up of innumer-
able tours of discovery as day by day
we walk the woods with Gene STRAIT
Porter To people OF a certain
make there is no keener JOY than
finding in nature-in bird or flower, or
creeping thing-some strange haplt
of behavior or appearance that seems
10 link up all life with the life of man
himself Among a hundred joys of
this kind l remember yet my sur
prise and delight when the blackbirds
in the park carried their breadcrusts
TO the water bowl and put them In IL
TO soak, walking up and down mean
while like an expert cook waiting Tor
lust the finishing second OF perfec-
ton. 1t seemed uncanny to me that
their wisdom was much like mine. A
hundred similar experiences have
made me cautious of claim for the
great animal, man. 1t is things or
this. kiad, much stranger things, too
that We come upon in these outfar1ngs
with Gene Stratton-Porter. A most
,1npretentious adventure-just walk
ing out here and there, in the woods,
by the lake, through the meadows.
but astonishment is at every hand.
And this is the value of Tales You
Won't Believe''-that the wonderment
lies right at hand, if you but look.
That this diary is not so much some
thing to read as it is something to do.
And such a fine and clean and whole
some doing it is, besides, coupled with
pleasures that no other kind of pleas
tlre can surpass. Every page of this
hook bears evidence of the happiness
that lies in an intimate peaceable
friendship with all out OF doors.
VATLING'S. BY Horace Annesley
Vachell, author of Fellow Travel
ers," ETC. New York: Frederick A.
Stokes Co.
A clear romance-one, too, so well
founded and sustained as to stand
distinctly clear Of the rabble of cur
rent novels. The love story itself Is