Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-07-04

</Y WHAT a Marco Polo" says
n the English lad facine
NV upon some huge yarn ir
frank unbelief. What
American boy in similar situation
Both are avoiding the short and ugly
word that, passed between men, lead:
to prompt and vigorous repriSal.
Something like 500 years ago Marco
Polo, just a boy then, went OF into
the East on a trading venture with
his father, Nicolo Polo, and his uncle
Maffeo. For more than 20 years the
young Polo remained in the Orient
Coming back finally TO his native city
Venice, he in no time at all gained
there q most unSavory reputation
nothing less than that of being the
son and heir OF the Father OF Lies
himself. Such marvels as he had &c
relate! Vast lands stretching half a
world across, inconceivable to the sea
hound Venetians. Hordes of warlike
people ravaging endless plains in con
quest and slaughter! Treasure untold
Courts Of sumptuous splendor. Kings
of fabulous domain. Strange ways
and customs. Curious animals AMI
plants. And the people listened. as we
NAV nowadays, in polite acceptance, oil
utterly unbelievable inventions. Marco
Polo gained a new name at the hanos
of his fellow citizens, Marco Polo OF
the Millions" And new figure was
added to the frequent Venetian carni
vals-a clown of gross exaggeration IN
dress and behavior to amuse the popu
lace and tickle them to laughter. This
harlequin was Marco OF the Mil
lions"
Then came a war between Venice
and Genoa. rival cities. The gaIleys
Of the VenetianS were overcome
Dragged backward into the port OF
Genoa, their bright banners trailed IN
the waters of the sea In sign OF de1eat
their commanders and lighters ana
crews became prisoners of war. Mar
co Polo among them, for three years
eased his prison life by setting down
his story, as 800 years later a great
English prisoner wrote his history or
the world. In course OF time POLO
manuscript out of his own hand be-
came the pursuit of learned men
Progress, under the lure OF eXplora
ton, discovery, trade, revealed the
fact that Marco Polo was not the pre-
mier liar of the ages. That. rather. he
had been in the main a man OF truth
giving essential facts concerning a
rich and lusty life of the East that
the Western world had not even
dreamed And the pursuit Of Polo be
came ever more ardent. more thor
ough, better substantiated by the
character of events swiftly succeeding
those of the great sixteenth century
awakening French SavantS, Italian
scholars, English investigators bent
their powers to translating and cor:
roborating the main substance OF
Marco Polo's life in the East:
According to Manuel Komron,
Marsdens English translation OF the
travels is best suited to the use OF
English. speaking people. with TINS
translation he has produced q thing
TO elicit the gratitude OF readers ana
the praise of those sitting in the seat
of literary judgments and verdicts.
He has saved the great story. The
current of main events satisfies by
the straight sweep OF its movement.
The spirit Of the whole Is vigorous and
thoroughly alive. happily, Mr.. Kom'
rolf has, in behalf Of readers. discard
ed the lumber Of notes. annotations
and references, with which the pure
scholar delights to fortify himself.
Clear. clean pages invite us. Again
for the readers sake, he has trans
lated puzzling archaic forms into cur
rent terms. An amazing gain, this.
With these advantages and a Hne
power of co-ordinating elements into
an organism, he has produced a no.
table work.
And out Of the finely clear projec-
ton steps Marco Polo-not the adj
venturer, not the romantic figure or
tradition, not the poet. nor the cru
sader, nor the courtier; instead. a
plain man Of business, interested
greatly in the material situations
around him. Curious about the nat
ural features of this strange world,
alert to the benefits Of kingly favor,
but, above all, a sturdy business man.
who would make great Roadway now
adays, as he seemed to do also in
those old days. A big story, moving
straight and simply through the af-
fairs of one man who, 900 years ago,
blazed the trail for modern travellers,
and who gathered many facts that
time has verified and that today are
Of great use to the world as q whole.
A beautiful book to take UP and look
at, for the publishers have done their
part. too, with insight and dignity
and excellent artistry.
AFTER NOON. BY Susan Ertz, au-
thor Of Madame Claire" New
York: D. Appleton & Co.
THE Indian Summer romance has
inherent incapacities for popu-
lar. appeal. Love-that love between
man and woman--is so much a matter
of the eyes and the imagination that.
as a rule, only youth and beauty may
hope to serve acceptably in the dra-
matization of this Elusive besetment.
But there are exceptions to this gen.
orally inclusive rule. Here Is one.
After Noon" is clearly an exception.
To be sure, 1t is only a story. Its
counterpart in life might be sought
the world over without success. Still.
1T is pleasant to read a charming and
almost convincing romance. even
though one be practically certain that
there Is no such thing in reality as
after noon" love. And by what
means has Susan Ertz put this i'm
posture across so completely? Just by
q single act Of creation. Here is q
writer who has made a man, who
has made him out of such simple
stuff. who has fashioned him so art.
fully we'll, that one takes him and all
that he does in q q,xte childlike conf
aence and trust. Be cause he is most
'ovable to start with, because he is
cast In the role of both father and
mother to the twins left on his hands
when his wife ran away for an easier
Job, and because he filled this double
role with infinite Affection and intui
ton and grace-jus.: because Of al
this it Is entirely believable that a
woman with any sense at all would
love Charles Lester, even at the ven
cradle age Of "A, or thereabout.
Charming at every point and all
along the way. this story. To be sure
one grows vexed with the new wife
She is somewhat Of a fool not to see
entirely what she has been lucky
enough to secure. So she behaves
just like woman. urging for assur
ance and reinsurance. being some
what of a nuisance--if you ask me-
to a man shy of matrimony and ap
preaching 1t with shades of misgiving
However, II is working pretty well