Evening star., 1926-05-30
IDA GILBERT MYERS.

AZURE, etc. new 1Ork. IeOTSe II.
DOran Co.
" HE doctor goes on with the
clinic. AS he has already
done more than once. he here
Il again moves out into litera'
ture. And, as is the doctors
hatit. his equipment for this adveEtur'
ing Is that which he has gathered pro.
fessionally from the study of men and
women more or less under the domin-
ion Of disordered nerves. Assuming
that the majority Is to a degree undef
the same nervous handicap, the doc
tor here takes on the role of neurolo-
gist in literature as we'll as in medi-
cine.
The, growing public favor Of the
biography has attracted the question
ing eye Of the doctor. Why this sud
den growth of general interest in the
life record of John and James and
Susan? A dull matter this routine
record was not so long ago. Every
body receiving consideration from
writer's was, regardless of special quail
ity. set down under the drab roofage
Of birth, youth. marriage. begett1ng,
diving. Not a dull matter any longer.
For nowadays the biography mas
taken on the charm of romance. It's
subject is the center around whom
people and events gather, or from
whom they recede. according to the
effects of his own Out-reachlng deeds,
Of his own spiritual radiations, of his
own substance of character. Here,
too. as In the novel. there is the nat
urnl interplay Of personality and cir
cumstance. the rise OF events from
level to level of growth and develop
ment and effect. Such, sketchlly' Is
the new biography. SO deservedly pop
ular with serious readers and artists.
The. doctor talks about it as a source
from which man gets moral, physical
mental and emotional assistance; ne
sees where others have failed ana
why: he recognizes avOidable obstacles
and handicaps: he learns the value OF
health and its relation to happiness;
he suffers vicariously. or enjoys OBJ
jectively with the subject. His own
life. therefore becomes happier ana
more complete because Of his intimate
sojourn with a successful predeces'
sor.''
Beyond a general discussion of bi-
osraphy. the doctor undertakes q spe-
cial clinic of certain writer's ana tnose
of other professions-war and editor-
ship. Some of these are home grown.
Others are brought in from the out.
side. All come under the scrutiny OF
that whatever a mans theme IN
authorship or word of mouth may as
sumo to be, the actual theme Is the
writer or speaker himself. The author
spins tales innumerable upon single
hero-himself. Poets sing of them
selves. Warriors recount their own
deeds in summaries of war. Every
body in the world is his own hero.
Everybody talks about himself. There
is no other way. All the characters
Of a novel are pieces OF the author'
of course There is no other way. so
all writing is in essence biography.
Therefore, it is quite properly unoer
this inclusive theme that the doctor
makes groups of Interpretations.
And a host Of interesting people file
by-Lafcadio 41earn, Henry James.
Sherwood Anderson, Anatole France,
Sainte- -Beuve, Conrad, Thomas Burke,
John Keats and others. For war.
riors. Lord Wolseley and Robert E.
Lee. Then Edward Box. Joseph
Pulitzer, Edward Mitchell, J. st. Loe
Strachey.
And upon these the doctor exercises
his professional dexterity Of mind and
hand. Besides, an impressive knowl-
edge of books and their writer's comes
to his assistance. A critical sense
the border line between health and
ailment steps alongside. And then
here is the most outspoken of men.
Influenced not at all by the conven.
tions of thought and speech. Well.
the doctor makes the purely literary
critic operating under certain rules
and shibboleths appear like a most
useless piece of literary furniture. A
greatly inspiring and helpful doctor.
this doctor of literature.
HOWARD PYLE: A chronicle. BY
Charles D. Abbott. Introduction
by n. C.. Wyeth. New York: Harper
& Brothers.
4 LIFE story that will appeal espe-
"A cially to artists on the one hand
and to children on the other. while
it is bound to be Of clear interest to
the general reader. This is the story
of a great American illustrator. It Is
also the chronicle of hard work, of In
defatigable zeal as teacher and Of high
standing as inspiration to fellow art
lists and craftsmen. To children How.
ard PYLE Is a teller of old tales in the
spirit Of youth itself. To boys in
particular does this man and brother
stand out as the minstrel of q heroic
past. The founder OF an American
school of art, Howard Pyle adds this
achievement to an already overflow
ing life Of effort and accomplishment.
To such full life Charles Abbott gives
sympathetic and affectionate care.
His effect is to re-create the person
alitv of the artist in the mind of the
reader and to project in vivid fashion
the activities and interests of this
tea 80 D,v1A Ase
letters add here to the general effect
of immediacy and reality. Many Of
the artists own pictures are repro
duced here also as an added value to
an already substantial book of many
kinds Of value.
* X * u
THE OLDEST GOD. BY Stephen Nc.
Kenna, authow of "An Affair Of
Honor" etc. Boston: Little, Brown
& Co.
"A English castle that was calculated
Sitting about the fire-lit room the talk
ran on the gruesome question Of
where the devil got his cloven hoof.
Serious people in the group, scholars
and elders, wandered to the theme OF
paganism and Pan, predecessors Of
Christ and Christianity. And the two
systems Of religion came UP, some
what htfully, in application to the
views and objects Of modern life. The
talk grew, taking on a curiously pene-
trating4 effect with the advent Of
stranger coming in as one comes in
for rest or shelter on a longer journey
than this stopping place implied.
The story progresses by way Of a
Aoa~ AA-k HSr>II 1R
this Christmas gathering. 1t seemed
as If there was a secret individual
purpose on the part of the younger
element to try out this religion of mas