Evening star., 1926-06-15
NEW BOOKS
AT RANDOM
J. C.. NJ.
AND DIVERSIONS
E. ". Lucas. G.. p. Putnam's

WANDERING AND DIVERSIONS.
Z. ". Lucas. G.. p. Putnam's
J Sons.
You can't eat your cake and have
1t. too" Oh. yes, you can. in one
situst tion at least. even though other
| wise the adsge runs ninety nine one
hundredths true to form. Take
the Summertime a. the possible "a sc
in point. Whom II come. round
and all the world besides goes
a-touring, then it ia that the stay.
a,.home may point In triumph
to happy hsw in this sweep
ing and dogmatic saw. For
though foot.tied in seeming. it ia
nevertheless given him to fare away
10 any place whatever that throws
out to bim the lure and the bidding.
And there is pure delight in this
kind Of adventurina. Under the com
fort Of his own treee he may see the
! world In o blessed easement Of mind
and body. Soft shsdows play around
his feet. Leaves above him whisper
10 one another their fmmemorisl Sc
crets. Neighboriy birds busy st their
house.k eeping give him an occa sionsl
| friendly chirp. Or. If he so choose.
takes his way abroad. About him
electric breezes play. Not far away
a tub Of refreshing GOODNESS waits.
F2aiment II scs nted TO the irreducible
| minimum. To these good gifts need
, be added only that OF transIatink
! words into things and the wide world
comes In TO meet him. No heat, no
noise. no rushing hither and Won. no
frantic grs bling for bis OF knowledge
that make only inextrics BILE confu
sion TO the mind. None OF these
familiar elements OF Summer torture
for the wise traveller stretched In
his long chair under the shading
trees. Surely this hap ppy wsnderer
confounds and confutes that cocksure
adaEe Of limits tions and frustrstion
So, when the Summer days come
around ell this wise man has 10 do
is 10 select the land of his desire
and the right one to Keep him com
psny.
Right here is a prime opportunity
an ever Iuring land and quite sur
passing companion. France the one
e. V. Lucas the other. There Is as
much 10 be said for the second eie-
ment in this combination ss for the
first. This guide must be the waywlse
man into whOse substance OF mino
and heart has filtered the very spirit
of the place he II to show one. Its
seasoned history must be his posses
sion and its meIlowed traditions. The
essential soul of the land itself must
lie within his hand as he leads here
and there over its hills and plains
over ite forests snd streams. What
its plain people have gathered out Of
the soil must be at the threshold o1
his mind no less than what it's Erea
ones have achieved for It's glory. Ant
he must be tho easy talkine man
this guide. translatinG new places into
the homespun of everyday thought
Under nding walks beside him and
Humor stands at his elbow. No. W.
are not wandering from the MATES
in hand We are. instead talking
about Mr.. Lucas. who ia carrying
out here 9 motor trip through France
for the benefit of that man stretchet
at esse under the tree. ready TO Sc,
out on his Summer journey Goins
by way Of motor ma kes decided sp
peal. Riding through parts Of the
country where rails do not run, stop
| ping at will where no stations wait
talking with men in the fields Or or
the streets Of strange old villages
| these are some Of the charms that
belong to this particular outfaring.
Out from Paris 60 the two in the
quite special joy Of having no definite
route laid out. 'ZigZaSs in France
the tree were looking for the way,
of the professional Summer tourist
ihe would promptly repudiate this hs p
hazard plan. Happily he liz not. sc
he settles down in an added degree
Of contentment. And the friendly
guide talks about the peasa ntr.
around them, and what it means ant
has always meant to France. H<
talks softly Of the war memorials the
walk so constantly beside them
Down from the north into the south
country. down to CarcassOnne and
Msrseille and back again to the
north where the Maid Of Orleans he,
for 500 years held sway over MANY
succeeding kings and powers. Not
40 much Of definite and orderly his
tory goes into this genial monologue
If. however. the two come upon the
birthplace Of q great artist. or TO q
town holding a great picture. then Mr.
Lucas becomes eloquent indeed. II
is worth while to hear him talk OF art
a theme OF dear content to him and
one OF deep devotion. Along these
ways he has much to say of the old
wine centers OF Fra nce-Of the great
vineyards. each In its special quality
Of production. OF families that fou
generations have contributed honor
ably to the revenues Of France and
to it's exclusive reputat ton the world
over for supremacy In this industry
Along the wav the man under the
tree by opening his book little
wider may listen to most divertins
talk by Mr.. Lucas on MANY an invit
ing theme. A rare compa Mon this
genial man Of much learning. And
here he offers the Summer traveller
who stays at home an experience OF
iereat returns In the way Of inforIna
tion that lies Off the beaten track. iu
fresh zeal for this kind Of seeing the
world.
TOURING THROUGH FRANCE
Elizabeth Shackleton. Penn Pub
fishing Co.
Another journey through France
by wsy sof motor, demonstra ting In
an equal enthusiasm the Joys of this
mode of seeing q country. Here ID
about the only point where these two
books come together. though they do
most excellently complement each
other. This traveller Ia by no means
as casual in manner as Mr. Lucas
taking nothing for granted where
he takes so much for sranted. For
the new tourist in France here Is a
book of exceptional value where the
Lucas book is intended In the ma in
for those who are generally way
wise to the country. Here f. an am :
IL