Evening star., 1927-10-30

ing american WF1IGT-D6Es
/ haps those of any other liv-
ing writer anywhere" The
real critics have decided. the great
reading public has cast Its vote. and
at this early date since its issuance
the same public has, no doubt, eaten
up God and the Groceryman" and
are crying for another story by this
most popular writer. Interesting, it
seems to me, to look in upon Wright
himself, instead Of going into the
description of story already so wide
ly known. Grant Overton has studied
this author in his own intelligent and
sympathetic way. So, let's listen to
him for a minute. How does he go
at this business Of story making?
Makes a plot, Of course. No. he
doesn't make a plot. when I start
to write a novel, the first thing I do
is to figure out why am going to
write it. Not what is the story, but
why? I null this over q while, and
when it is pretty straight in my mind.
l write out an argument. No plot,
you see. No Incidents, scenes-noth-
ing at first but the argument, and this
argument is the heart and soul Of the
novel. The novel Is merely the argu-
ment presented through the medium
Of characters, plot, incidents and the
other properties Of the story" At
first no characters are named, only
distractions like greed, impiety,
selfshness-such as Bunyan used.
Later these qualities become people
with names and circumstances upon
them. Coming back to God and the
Groceryman" you will see that it is ir.
religion. the ineffectiveness of the
church, the separation of business
and piety, the isolation OF the reli-
gious life and its weakness through
such isolation--you will see that this
sum Of modern existence in it's bear.
ing upon Gods love and Gods will
provides the argument which still
stands as the foundation of a Harold
Bell Wright romance. The people
and their course of action, the char
acters and the plot come later to give
flesh and blood to the abstract nature
of the theme. And the people like
the method. At any rate, they like
the novels, no matter what the higher
criticism may have to say to the con-
trary. An interesting man to start
with--hailing from New York State,
going West for his health. painter
and decorator along the way, pastor
of Disciples Churches at several points
throughout the passage toward the
West. Left motherless at 10, the poor
boy, the poor man and through it all
the sleazy thread OF ill-health, down
right sickness" Two years at a little
college. Then the haphazard wander
ing. the tramping afoot outdoors, the
small painting jobs, the hardships of
ciimate-then among the Ozark
Mountains looking for what? For the
chance to live, first of all. There he
found setting for some of the stories
ne was to write. "They were far off
then, those stories, below the horizon,
out OF sight as were so many other
things that were to dawn on his life
when he should be thirty" Now
along with God and the Grocery.
man" are twelve other romances.
each best seller Reading about his
courage and grit youll be glad, as /
am. that Wright is a best seIler-no
matter what the higher foolish.
ness" as David Starr Jordan names
the higher criticism, may have to say
on the subject.
TURNPIKES AND DIRT ROADS.
BY Leighton Parks. D. D., rector
emeritus of st. Bartholomew
Church in New York. New York:
Charles Scribner's Sons.
MOST books are in hurry. They
have to be. Their business is in
the main to reflect the current of life
just passing by. The aspects of this
rushing current are so u4ultitudinous
and varied as to set a racing speed
upon writings whose immediate urge
is to keep up with the times. Once in
a long while, however, there comes
along book that is in no hurry at
all. 1t loiters and fingers and pauses
at will, unmindful, quite, of the tumult
outside, oblivious OF the pushing,
elbowing world from which it has
stepped aside. Such a book is "Turn.
pixies and Dirt Roads," 1t is, in effect,
both mood and reminiscence, casting
back to the South before the war in a
remembering that is not melancholy,
not quite that, though approaching to-
ward the sadness that lies in the lost
years of everybody's life. Here is the
old South, warm and genial and friend.
~. Passionate, too, and rebellious
against imposed power even though
that power were armed with essential
rectitude OF political vision. This book
OF such ample leisure and mellowed
mood goes back in a most reasonable
setting out Of the differences that
came to separate the North and South,
differences that now seem not to have
dealt with basic principles Of govern.
ment SO much as with Immediate
method and expedient. In the cor.
rective perspective of the ameliorating
years figures that were an active part
in that momentous stage of our his
tory stand clearer here than they
could have stood at any nearer point
to the great event. Other figures, less
famous but essential to the picture Of
the South both before and after the
war. come and go here in the changing
lights and shadows that constitute the
passing of the old South and the en-
trance upon a new existence. It is
book that gives to it's survey of a
place and period a deep interest and
a clear charm.
LIFE OF OSBORN Fl. oLDROYD:
Founder and Collector of Lincoln
Mementos. BY William Burton
Benham. Washington. D. c.
A little story, simple and sincere,
- whose content is Of general i'm.
portance. 1t is the story of a spe-
cific object pursued in infinite patience
and industry to its final rich fulfill
ment. This point alone would give
the book good value, even II 1t had
no other quality to commend It. But
it has such other quality. To citizens
OF Washington, Mr.. Oldroyd and the
house on Tenth street. with its store
of Lincoln relics, are as familiar as
is any other institutional part Of the