Evening star., 1927-06-12
IDA GILBERT MYERS.
LIFE or EUGENE FIELD. BY
Sason Thompson. New York: d.

LIFE OF EUGENE FIELD BY
Slason Thompson. New York: ID.
Appleton Il Go.
TEGENE FIELD is known al
L most exclusively as the poet Of
childhood--the well beloved poet
IL of childhood. But there IS an
other Ifeld-the brilliant news
PAPER writer, the political expert, the
ardent fan" Of sports, smiling phil
osopher, Incompatible friend, surpaSs-
ing good fellow and companion of in
exhaustiblc charm. 1t is from each OF
these approaches and contracts thi
readers are here permitted to en-
large their acquaintance with this
SimOn-pure American in the field OF
letters. SlaSon Thompson was the
long time friend Of Field and ii is
from the intimacies incident to that
fact that this story of Fields life is
drawn. Letters and notes between the
two pass back and forth here in
laughter that serves invariably the
end of the best Of friendships. Con.
fidances, revealing the grace OF
Eugene Field's spirit. step into the
open of these pages. The confidence
OF all in the quality of the poet $ work,
the admiration that SO freely sur
rounded him. the genuine love that
supported him-theSe are among the
tfibutes which the good friend here
pays to the mj:l whom everybody
loved. The story closes with an esti-
mate of Fields work from the liter
airy and critical acumcn of Edmund
Clarence Stedman. an appraisal that
sets the man apart from professional
humoriStS through the fact that
through all Field wrote there ran a
vein OF the pure gold of human SYM
pathy." The secret of Eugene Fields
popularity while he lived and his hold
upon American readers of genera
tiCn that knew him not in the flesh,
and so are not interested in the quipS
and comments of the day, may be
summed up in a single phrase-he
was American. English was his
tongue, but his heart was wholly
American. His point of view, his
wit, his irreverence for popular idols
of the mart, the field and the forum
were all American; but above and be-
yond all his faith in Woma 1iind and
motherhood was universal" A beau
tiLul story calculated to enlarge the
outlook upon Eugene Field, and to
deepen general affection for him.
x x
JOHN GALSWORTHY AS A ORA
MAT1C ARTIST. BY r. II. Coats.
New York: Charles Scribner's Sons. |
John GALSWORTHY, having be
come a classic in his own life.
time" provides exceptionally interest |
ing and Illuminating material for the |
study of his work in its classic" con- |
tent and influence. And at hand is a
most intelligent examination of Mr.. |
Galsworthy as playwright and dra-
matte artist generally. BY virtue of
the plain and straightforward treat |
ment of the subject. Mr.. Coats has
added materially to the means of ap-
preaching this naturally remote man;
has offered a useful closeup of this
genius of the stage. The auth ~
places Galsworthy near to Ibsen in
his naturalism, to Shaw in moral
earnestness, to Brieux in his preoccu-
patton with the maladies of society.
Yet he is himself alone in psyche
logical insight, social passion, artistic
economy and restraint. And in play
after play these qualities and powers
are given concrete proof and emphasis.
And toward the end Mr.. Coats points
upon the prevailing restlessness and
complexity of Galsworthy's world.
Here the sunny tract and smiling land