Evening star., 1926-11-21
IDA GILBERT MYERS.

THIS BELIEVING WORLD. BY
Lewis Browne, author Of stranger
Than Fiction: A Short History or
the Jews" Illustrated. New YORK:
The Macmillan Co.
"A N outline view Of the great re-
~ ligions of mankind, summary
II Of the subject OF comparative
religion. The comprehensive
story begins where the germ
of all religion lies, in mans fears. IL
begins away back when, CONFRONTED
by terrible and ruthless natural forces
the blasting lightning stroke, the
driving deluge, the devastating Wlno'
he drought, the heat-savage man
sought to propitiate the awful being
behind these manifestations. There
magic began, growing by slow de-
grees to that which Is now recog-
nized as religion. In simple ana
logical development from such a be-
ginning there grew the religions OF
the ancient world-of the Celts and
Babylontans, Of the Egyptians. Greeks
and Romans. In another division the
author tells what happened In 1ndla
% bring about Brahmanism, Bud
lhism, Hinduism. Then, in China, he
describes Confucianism Taoism,
l1uOO0ISH1, LII FeTSId dIC LILC z1OA Oe@S
trians to be accounted for, and In
Israel lies the story of Judaism.
Nearer home is Europe with the story
of Christ and our own religion. Be-
side this is the record of Mohammed-
lnism.
Reading this long story so graph
ically rounded out Of many parts, one
thinks Of it's high value not alone as
- Il; ;ctn o1,d y1oQ nf all rQI1Er-
ions, but as a distinctly humanizing
md broadening influence as well. To
be sure, its value as history Is posi-
i've and deep. That, probably, is its
prime purpose But besides this pur-
Dose one likes to think that there runs
hat other one of making us respect
he beliefs of others as we exact VEN
ration of our own. A common root
has flowered all Of these various re-
figions. External circumstance has
shaped them into differences. Why
not. out of this study so clearly placed
our hands, throw off some of the
Intolerance that seems to reach its
height in the special religion of each
ime and place and people? A schol-
,rly study that is calculated to ex-
nand the spirit as well as to inform
the mind.
X X
ALMOST PAGAN. BY j. D. Beres-
ford, author of 1.-THE Monkey Puz-
zle," etc. Indianapolis: The Bobbs-
Merrill Co.
pEOPLE like to read about them
selves, just as authors continue
to possess an irresistible and undi.
minished urge to write about them
selves. Therefore a story about
everybody is much more generally ac-
ceptable than is one Of strict exclu-
sions and narrow reach. Well, here
is a story about all of us, since each
Of us Is blend of Puritan and pagan.
Not all in the same degree, to be
mixture of the narrowness Of the one
and the freedom of the other.
This Is the story of Henry Black
stone, high-minded, conventional
gentleman. who wrote novels Of just
about that pattern. One sided novels
that yold only half the story, or less
for the Puritan did the writing. One
morning when Henry was in the for
ties he had a real jar-he was a
grandfather. Sooner or later all the
men get that shake-up. Looking in
the glass, Henry saw a grandfather
staring back at him, most dissatis-
fed person to see. He was waking
to the fact that he hadn't lived at all.
yet He was on the down grade, q
grandfather. This Is the story of
Henry's Weakening. 1t is in essentials
almost any mans story. too. For al
about that time every man comes to
life, sometimes in a most disconcert-
ing and disastrous energy The pagan
at play you see, recklessly knocking
down the stabilities that the Puritan
so laboriously achieved. Henry the
pagan is really the theme of this
story. Henry out for adventures Of
the heart and soul. A decent man,
mind you, who makes no outbreaking
moves. Only the wife and children
those astute monitors of men-and
the lady herself sense the new Henry.
trying to catch up with the neglected
side of himself. This is a high-minded
author as well. who in q quiet and
keen discernment seizes upon mans
Indian Summer Of emotion and applies
1t to q fine and lovable example Of
such second Towering. A smoothly
penetrating story. convincing by its
restraints, an interesting story SO
aptly sensed and constructed as to
give a more sympathetic understand.