Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-02-20
IDA GILBERT MYERS.

YORK: Charles ScrlDnerS SOnS'
y ERE Is a book that embodies a
clear call of the blood. Ad-
venture, ut-faring into
rough places, the hard life,
hunting for the fun OF 1t.
hunting, somewhat. in the service OIL
science-not to be thought or tnat
the Roosevelt sons would miss 'his
straight call from their sire.
And here Is the story or their a9
venture in the Himalayas and rouho-
about. story that Is written. cnaP-
ter by chapter. now by one Oh 'helH
and now by the other.
The first sentence of this record
from any one but the eldest SUI
of Theodore Roosevelt would nave
sounded like a lament. Here IL comes
out like shout of joy. Listen:
when I was defeated for Governor
of New York 1 got an 1nvolun.ary
holiday" And right here the whole
tremendous enterprise had It's start
Not able by himself to do the stu
alton Justice this defeated, but happy,
politician puts himself promptly IN
tune with Rudyard Kipling for the
sake of setting out his destination
and his purpose: Ito.
do you know the worlds white
roof tree--do you know that
windy rift
Where the battling mountain eddles
chop and change?
Do you know the long days patience
belly down on frozen drIs,
While the head of heads Is feeding
out Of range?
1t is there that l am going, WneFe
the boulders and the snow lie,
With a trusty tracker that l know.
I have sworn an oath, to keep 1t,
on the horns of Owls poll,
For the red gods call me out, and
must 60"
There you have the story in its
inception, at least. The rest OF the
book goes into the daily particulars
that developed in the Pamirs. where
lives the Owls poll, great wild sneep.
that Marco Polo in his travels found
and talked about 700 years ago.
Innumerable adventures of various
sorts center around this particular
one-that Of finding strange and rare
animals to bring down and out OF
the country where they are at home.
And these many happenings are not
at all Of the bloodthirsty type.
These boys-of course, they are
boys-have a deep interest in the
birds of the new region, in the ami
mails not included in their program.
their minds back to similar ones
around home" in the plants, in the
pomegranate and the iris and the
pink mountain oleanders that march
along the way beside them. So.
hunting for big game, they, never
theless, build up the landscape around
them and people 1t with the natives
in their strange ways of living and
looking upon life. Plain and methodi-
cal and practical were these trav-
elers in the making Of this book
to tell just what they saw. without
undue flourish in the telling, to set
it down compactly in order to make
room for the important and signif1-
cant things. to give precedence and
emphasis to the new and vital things,
to sum their knowledge accurately
and with all this to tell the story
to tell the amazing story with gusto
and drama and truth. That's the job
they seem to have set themselves.
At any rate, such Is the job they
have turned out in this story that
is stocked with facts, stored with
new experiences. compact of useful
information, vivid in effect. Another
point not to be neglected. Here is
a big story that is told without
shade of strut or pretension in 1t
anywhere A modest story. that de-
ponds upon its substance for its
splendid effect.
THIS DAYS MADNESS. BY the
author of Miss Tiverton Goes
Out" Indianapolis: The Bobbs-
Merrill Co.
A WRITER who through two con-
"A siderable novels has chosen to
remain unknown to readers. Here is
a fact that invites speculation as to
the causes and purposes of such
reticence. as to it's calculated effect,
and so on. Both are novels of excel
lent quality, whose paternity one
might be proud to acknowledge, whose
distinction is of a nature to bring
even the most modest out from hid
ing. However, this is Miss liver
toms" affair.
This Days Madness" is SKINNED
right off the top Of the amazing pres
ent. in a situation rising out Of its
own immediate past. as cream Is
merely the product Of its own milk.
In substance this is a drama Of re-
volt-the now familiar revolt of
young women. It's first phase is
that of rebellion against the earlier
pious submission to the male mem
bers of the immediate family. Its
second phase, less pronounced than
the first one, is a positive stand
of convention SO carefully built for
women by the male creation as a
whole. The romance includes, there.
fore, the two gestures Of women to-
ward ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS in the
family life and an equal independence
in the life of socitey and business
itself. An English family objectifles
this move toward the larger life Of
women. At the head of the family is
an almost omnipotent male, wonder
fully well conceived and objectified.
Around him IN pastures of alteration
and obedience are sisters and aunts,
the whole whatnot of female relations
Just one young rebel has to bear the
brunt Of her own daring in the face
of this stupendous father, In the face
Of host Of rules and regulations
inhering in the very nature Of this
family concern. Upon the determine.
ton Of this girl, upon her persistence
in cherishing her own personal life,
falls the general business of the ro-
nance itself. An exceedingly pains
taking study Of some actually has
resulted here in serious projection
Of social life by way of single group
in which custom and tradition stand
supreme. A fine and colorful romance
issues from a sincere and competent
observation. If there be any fault
to find there 1t is that. possibly, the
theme Is overworked: that the story
is too long in settled grove; that
decided advantage might have been
gained through less repetitious atten-
tons to this English family of such
deep.seated convictions as to the
proper subordination Of woman and
to this English girl Of such adventur-
GUS and rebellious turn. However,
here is serious and competent work