Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-12-19


~ RESIDENTS. like other men. are
classed as strong and not SO
strong In the first class Grover
4 Cleveland stands. No one ever
questioned the courage Of this
man. and President. lie allowed no
doubts 20 gather as TO his position
on any important public question.
Determined. even obstinate, some say
in his views and decisions. Grover
Cleveland closely takes place with the
national administrators OF strength
and power. 1t TX profitable for Ameri-
cans to study their Presidents, since
these have responsibilities and de-
mands UNNECESSARILY greater than
have any other persons whatsoever
within the Republic. How they meet
these. how they stand up under the
endless tides OF criticism~-fOr every
body criticiZes the Presidents, never
Winding the almost unbearable bur
dens that they carry--how they com
port themselves toward the multitu-
dinous demands OF the country--all
this is subject for study that every
American should follow. Grover
Cleveland makes an excellent theme
for ouch study. And right here comes
along q book of prime interest deal
inf with the years when this boy was,
as matter of fact, President IN
the making, though he nor any one
else suspected the tremendous per-
sonal things that were going on
around him. This book covers the
q years of Cleveland's life in Bur
falo. Coming on foot into the town,
headed for Cleveland, because II had
a. name like his own. ne stopped
with relatives for day or So out
STAYED on for almost 80 years. And
here Is brisk newspaper account VI
what happened to him day by day IN
the town of his adoption. Just IKE
all the rest of the boys-a little
stockier maybe, a little more reso-
,ute-but no different, after all
PLAYED and went fishing and grew
the same as the others did. Then ne
studied law in the somewhat casual
hut wholly effective fashion OF the
dav. After a while he had q Zee
400. In the course of time ne, as
citizen. began to look around the
town. 1t needed things, Ike gooo
na.yor to straighten up crooked mat.
ters. It needed a pure water supply
and brand of city politics httle
Iess muddy, too, and so on IN many
~ the interests Of the town there
needed a good deal of making over
Into all of these things Grover CleVe-
land went along, with MS growing -
law practice and fair amour. VI
AN older brand Of play IMAM Jus
fishing. Well. you know the resi- VI
the story-the move TO Albany %
governor of the Empire oIaI1 en-
the later move into the w hl.e s.,,.ass
twice The very definite usefulness
~ his hook is that it gives In grapnic
u,ays certain important years III tne
,;tc of one of the strong Presidents
- tho United States. This chapter OF
Si.tn,, In the life of Cleveland IS lot
.,.a ars+ time available. 1t stands as
49, author believes it to stand
s,,hs+a ntial contribution to American
historv. it's projection a true ser'lce
to the American people
1,cuT FINGERS. BY Frank Loiu'
AlI I..a,onanohs. Bobb9Merr1n co.
r 1cHT FINGERS. the story Oh q
l. sbonlifter and her son. is different
THAT nav account in part Tor tne
FASCINATION of this new mover oealtns
,,-ith the criminal class and It's hghts
ord shadows, but not altogethel.
Ir,a nk Lord. the author. has peeh IN
the nast an assistant district attorney
In New York, a deputy police conlnils,
sioner in charge of the detective
bureau of the metropolis, ana parpie
oor,n,issioner. He has played MS
mart In falling law-breakers ana Al
getting them out Of jail. lie Know
9ha criminal and his class as 1e"
authors know them. .,e .,u
Light Fingers is not a scientific CTS
cussion of the treatment OF prisoners
though in 1t the philosophy Oh me
behind the bars and IN the open
breaks through the narrative Will
sically stated, but with a bed. rock Va
truth. Light Fingers Is chock tull ol
action as we'll as OF Doidly utaW i
characters. 1t is brim full OF senu-
raant hut not of sentimentality. TO
read it Is to sympathize WIN the
courageous, gay, debonnaire ringers
Teaubeau. To read 1t Is to unoer-
stand more clearly the force or en-.
vironment. the compelling power Oh
circumstances and conditions. with
ont exalting the criminal-great or
srnall-Mr. Lord shows him a human
being. not altogether different from
others. There Is an optimism IN thls
new novel that pictures human beings
as differing in varying degrees OF
excellence. rather than in varying de-
grees of evil. Courage, capacity LOT
gratitude and love are shared Wild
other human beings by those VINO
have been stamped members or tne
criminal class. But not all CRIMINALS
have these attributes. any more tLah
thew are possessed by all those who
nc Va never darkened prison cells. Nor
does Mr.. Lord suggest that the wor!o
side of Jail is made up OF CRIMINALS
who have not been caught.
The story Of Fingers Is told by her
con. Sam. illegitimate. the result OF
a crime against a shoplifter. Sans
hoyhood is one of quick moves from
one mart Of New York to another.
made necessary by his mothers pro-
Yession. The inevitable happens.
Fingers is Jailed. Sam is adopted py
a. farmer and his wife in the North
west. The tale shifts from life among
millions to the storm-swept open
spaces. When he returns to New
York 1t is to aid his mother. again IN
prison. The alternatives Whlch race
him are the theft of sufficient money
to win a pardon for his mother vi
tn leave her behind the bars.
"TJaht Fingers is u novel OF un-
usual charm as well as virtlity. Its
literary style is unusual. 1t has the
virtue OF sharp contrasts. 1t has
breadth. It stimulates. To say that
this novel is decidedly worthwhile is
to paint In pale words a story that
merits high praise. u. u L.
X X x
ESSAYS IN MEMORY OF BARRETT
WENDELL. BY his assistants.
Cambridge. Harvard University
Press.
THIS book of essays is sourced In
l. the admiration and affection that
Barrett Wendell's assistants In his
Harvard work felt for this great
teacher, this distinguished man of
letters, this well known writer, A