Evening star., 1926-05-16
IDA GILBERT MYERS.

IDA GILBERT MYERS.
AN AMERICAN AMONG THE
RIFF. BY Vincent Sheean. IL
Illustrated. New York: The Cen
tury Company.
A PTRE adventurer sets out
~ here to see for himself that
"A ADD. elkrim who, leading a
4 4 new revolt of Islam, Is caus-
ing both France and Spain so
much of trouble in northern Africa.
The Rif, mountain stronghold of
Add -el * rim and his following of
fanatical Mussulmans, is the desired
objective of Mr.. Sheean. Now for
any Christian to project himself into
the jealousy guarded land Of the
Riff is a business of high hazard
But danger appears to be one of the
prime inducements in this undertak-
ing. And II begins from the highly
dramatic moment when Mr.. Sheean,
alone. slips into Morocco, where
France and Spain are fighting the
troublesome and seemingly uncon-
querable tribes
From that moment forward there
is no period or condition of actual
safety for this explorer. and there
are many emergencies of actual i'm.
Ndh6Gls lICSC
points Of peril are not emphasized by
the man himself. Rather do they
take their place as necessary parts
OF the story that runs along with
the daily experiences Of Mr.. Sheean.
And the story, a very simple record
and at the same time a budget OF
pure drama. photographs the Rif in
It's natural features Of mountain and
plain and desert, and sets out in life
like detail this or that outsta nding
character among the Rim. When
he had reached the headquarters Of
the Riff leader and had come face
10 face with the great chief Abd-el-
krim, then the expedition for this
daring man had come to an end.
Mr.. Sheean tells his story in an
easy fashion, touching il off with
many CLEANS OF humor, with much OF
clear portrayal of places and people
and the many incidents that marched
along beside him on the way TO his
goal. Here is not only a fine story
on a live and important theme. but
there is here also substantial body
of information upon a subject that
is vague and unreal in the mind Of
many a reader The book sums.
first, to good historic value. then to
fine portraiture. to prime adventure
and to real literature.
x X
ANIMALS OF LAND AND SEA. BY
Austin Clark, curator OF the Smith
sonian Institution. New York; u.
Van Nostrand Company.
IS A NIMALS OF LAND AND SEA-
is one OF the issues OF the
Library of Modern Sciences" In
content it is a broad and unified out
look upon animal creation. Within
this organization of animal life certain
divisions point and emphasize certain
aspects OF the subject. These depart
mentS of animal existence give the in
terrelationshipS existing among them
as whole. The discussion covers
also the relations of the animal world
TO plant life. its relations to man as
well. This all sounds scientific and,
to the average reader, corresponding
ly dull. If, however, under such an
impression you lay the book down you
are going TO miss a lot. For here
is another one of those rare savants
who is willing TO come out from be
hind the screen of deep-hidden learn
ing and cryptic speech for the sake
of telling q world of interesting and
useful truth in words that are as
plain as a pikestah.
The work starts off with the story
OF boy going fishing. and from this
reaches out and off into mans neces-
sity for a biological knowledge that is
of immediate and vital necessity to
his own wellbeing. A delightful
story. all about Willie's fishing trip
between this small boy and so much
OF the surrounding world of animal
life. A chapter on Human Food"
doesn't appear in it's title TO offer
anything very new. But it does offer
just that. And so the discussion. or
story. goes on, covering mans place in
this animal scheme of existence. BY
land and sea the romance grows.
rounding to n substantial body OF
knowledge from the special point OF
view chosen by its author.
The end reached by way of scientific
fact and story and discussion. all sup
plemented by a rich stock of illustra.
tions. the reader comes out of the
experience deeply impressed with
mans relation to this under life-as
we have a fashion of calling it-and
with his complete dependence upon it
for his own existence. A most desir-
able book. by virture OF its authorita-
llNc dnG bS lHC
charm of its projection
THE SUCCESSFUL MR.. BAGLEY.
BY John Francis, jr., author of
THE Triumph of Virginia Dale. -"
Frontispiece by John Goss. Boston:
l.. G. Page & co.
U,THE SUCCESSFUL MR. BAG
LEY" is the second novel of this
Washington writer. Like its prede-
cessor, il is a story Of youth, as any
proper romance should be. Both of
Mr.. Francis novels are drawn from
the present. Both are projected in
the pattern of reality. The novel In
hand is in effect a study in irresponsi-
biity. It's theme is SO broadly appli
cable as TO permit the reader to Sc
lect from under his own eyes the
counterpart of it's chief character.
Webster Worthington Bagley. Here
is good-looking. ingratiating. likable
chap, one who is devoted to his own
comfort and ease. Young Bagley.
bent on a good time in so far as his
working job is concerned. never stands
near the top of a good business record
and never perilously near the bottom
of it. lie slides along the level of
pdSSdDlo ehOit' putting tHo UcSl OIL
himself into play. But, after a while,
young Bagley falls in love, of course.
The real story gets on its way with
young Bagley the head of a house.
Here the old methods prevail. Indeed,
not often will you come upon a person
in fiction so consistently developed
along the lines of his nature and early
start as is Bagley himself. 1t is this