Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-06-19

transm tied with these benefits the
obligation to preserve them at the
cost even OF turning us all into plain
and deliberate falsitiers. Take almost
any one Of the "oughts" that provide
spiritual pabulum for the people Sit
down alone with il in the strictest
honesty. Face it. Leave. for the
minute, the acquired idea of duty, OF
obi, cation. of old teachings. For In
stance: Do you love your sister? Per
haps, your father? No. YOU do not.
Yet you say YOU do, because all your
life long you have had ingraiued the
duty to love your family. But love
doesn't come that way.
For good or for i'll. there is Il grow
! Ing honesty Of approach toward many
| CT the fetishes OF existence. Andy
| Brandt's Ark" is q daring and Cour-
| ageous story based upon the new shat.
| terms Of old ties or the new honesty
7 toward such ties 1t is Il story Of
| family life, the story of a woman,
clear.seeing and honest. again pro
jected into the family lopS since left
and again seeing the little tyrannieS
Of that small kingdom ruled over by
the elders; again seeing the small
iealousies, the petty h!ndranceS set
! up against every natura! Impulse;
again seeing Il group of aliens ana
enemies mak'nS use of the slogans
| of filial devotion and parental unSeh.
! iShness. A passionate recital, often a
turbulent and muddy one. hut one,
nevertheless, that. i'll kind ii not in
| special feature, is nowadays creeping
! out into the open from here and
| there. Stern reproaCheS VIII not hold
J these disclosures back. OStraciSm by
| the guardians OF society will not ST.
| lence these writers and takers. Old
| shibboleths will no longer do. To
| change the tide OF truth-telling that
| is flowing so strongly in the present
needs. not repression. but a new con-
seriousness CT the deep foundations
| that must be renewed To make bet
| ter truth than now stands for those
| foundations.
GEORGE ELIOT AND HER TIMES:
A Victorian Study. BY Elizabeth
s. Haldane. New York: ID. Apple
ton & Co.
HAS George Eliot really had her
day? Has she gone out of fash
ion? One hears very little of her
nowadays. 1t is Michael Arlen and
Thomas Burke and Aldous Huxley and
others actually moving about in the
literary spotlight of the moment that
appear to count. This recalls again
that wise man. Cabell, who AYERS that
literature endures only through the
arduous efforts of the handful who
profess and follow the best in creative
work.
However. in respect to George Eliot,
there is substantial and distinguished
consideration of this writer. Not only
does the study include a Geographic
sketch. but, one by one, it analyses
with keen critical insight each of
Georg Elfot's novels, classifying them
besides in accordance with the purpose
and fulflllment of each. Better than
this. even, is the authors summary
Of the Victorian period as this infiu.
enced the novelist and was, in turn,
influenced by her work. Here the re.
latioi of her work to the spirit and
aspirations of the period surrounding
her are carefully traced. Besides, the
standing Of the Eliot novels, sepa-
rated from the'present by so years. is
appraised. Out of these estimates the
author aims to strike the true aver
ase between early adulation and later
neglect and depreciation. The real
aim here is to set out the abiding
qualities and achievements of this au-
thor. SO that there will remain to
readers a truly great writer, a classic
writer. seen through the proper per-
spective of her own epoch, and freed
from the hasty and worthless opinions
of the present crowded and largely un-
considered days.
THE ARDENT FLAME. BY Frances
Winwar. New York: The Century
PAINTERS and poets from Dante
down have risen to the inspiration
Of Francesca da Rimini's story. And
it appears that the old spell has not
lost it's power, for here is slip of girl
who. in this whirling day of mocha MICS,
dares to venture upon a retelling of
the tale that belongs to the treasure
of Ion past. And the girl is JUST.
fled of her daring, for here, without
any shadow of doubt, is a romance Of
sumptuous design and color. 1t is the
old story of the guilty, but natural
passion, of the pair who for centuries
now have stood for tragic and I'M
happy love the world over. 1t is
gorgeous picture of Italy, pagan italy
of the thirteenth century, as lustful
and alive and compelling as 1t was
well toward / 900 years ago.
Something about Frances Winwar
A Sicilian herself, born In Taormina,
she spent her first years playing
among the ruins of this lovely spot
about which artists and travellers rave
in paint and print. Ruins centuries
old were 10 her a story book of old
conquests and defeats while Sicily
was Icing fought over by the armies
Of the world of those old days. Like
| other children, she played hide and
seel: within the broken walls and
| towers Of Moorish pattern or Norman,
of Geek design or Roman. And many
a les md came out from these retreats
| to feed the eager heart Of every child
for the s.ory. And, so the story goes.
there is in the blood of this courageous
adventurer in fiction a strain of old
| crusader stuff. For Sicily was the
beaten highway of the fighting knight
hood Of that day, going out to rescue
| the Holy Cit from the proclamation Of
the infldel Nh"tever the deep source
of this novel, the quality of it's writer
Is above challenge. And here you
have d long page Of history, tumutu-
, Gus in action, brilliant in color, yet re-
! duccd to Il book length of sheer Ell
joy11ont tJr the reader.
Il Il y
ZONES OF FAMOUS AMERICANS.
b. Chesla c. Sherlock, editor Bet.
ter Homes and Gardens" Volume
/ II. Des Moines: Meredith Publica-
tfons.
"HOMES OF FAMOUS AMERI-
CANS" covers project
whose nature fits it for full and spon.
taneou3 reception. Amy man and his
home are more or less insepa ra bic.
Especially is this true of the distin-
guished man. For 1t is the place and
character Of the home that have
served in large measure to determine
the activities and to set the influence
Of this prominent man or that one.
We have here the house. the home, of
many an Amer can. distinguished In
one or another field of useful genera
activity Here is the home of George
! Mason, patriot and statesman of Revo
lutionary DAYS, GunstOn Ilall. Va