Evening star., 1927-11-12
THE LIBRARY TABLE
Bv the Booklorer

of France and Belgium. In command
of the port of embarkatiOn was MAJ
Gen. David G.. Shanks. who, In AS
They Passed Through the Port. mas
written an absorbing book, fuil Oh
anecdote, on all the activities OF the
port connected with embarkation uur'
ing his two years and half or duty
And not all Of the war was fought Dy
men. Gen. Shanks pays enthusiastic
tribute to the efficient and tireiess
work of women in almost every neiu'
except on the actual firing line. Part
of his dedication is to these women:
ITO the vast throngs of patrlot1c
women all over our land who in camp,
in rest house, in hospital and on our
piers served their country by serving
those who wore their country's uni
form, these sketches are dedicated as
a tribute of admiration" One chapter
is devoted to 1.-THE American Woman
in the World War" but that does not
complete the tale. Other chapters.
such as "Some Christmas Boxes,
"Welfare Work on the Piers" "Mer-
ritt Hail." "Welfare Work at Camp
Merritt" "Welfare Work at Camp
Mills" "a Hostess House in War
Time '.The American Red Cross
and Sweaters and Knitted Garments,
are chiefly concerned with the work
Of women, and throughout the whole
book their participation in the home
service of the war assumes large
proportions.
Some of the best anecdotes of cas-
They Passed Through the Port" arc
about the ways of women when they
work, all with a touch Of admiration
on the part of the author. There was
the wealthy New York woman who
secured permission from Gen. Shanks
to send some canned heat" to her
brother in the trenches there was
prohibition against sending intlam-
mable substances by the usual chan
nels), and when the general was eN-
pecting small package which could
be intrusted to an officer in his state
room a whole lighter load arrived,
designed to supply the regiment OF the
brother, who was a colonel. Tie
methods of Mrs. William n. Draper,
vice chairman of the New York Chap
ter of the Red Cross, were so en-
peditious that, at the time OF the blow.
ing up at Halifax of a French vessel
Of explosives, she organized a. rellei
train. so quickly that the captain ac
companying the train had not tims u
90 home for a change of clothing
The women in charge of the Y. W.
c., A. hostess houses of the camps
were often made the cOnfessors and
intercessors for soldier boys who
found themselves in difficulties be
cause of misdemeanors. An ltanan
boy at Camp Mills sent an y ; note
to a hostess as follows: Dear Mrs.
Clark: 1t gives me great pleasure 70
inform Won l am in the guardnouSe
at Hoboken. My God, Mrs. Clark,
didn't intend TO do nothing wrong.
can't YOU help me? This is the name
of the feller you want to write To-
Mai. Gen. Shanks-hell let me out
sure" Hurried weddings at hostess
houses lust before embarkation were
freouent, and one story Is told IN the
words of a hostess of a pass issued Dy
cen Shanks almost at the last mo
ment to "a starry.eyed young sohoo'
teacher from Ohio and the soldier 10
whom she had been engaged for three
years. SO that they might marry De-
fore he left. A comb had to be DOT
rowed for the bride to make toiiet'
and the wedding took place IN tne
cbeeking room. Altogether, the I'M
nression gained of the author OF TINS
hook is of a very human personally
and one not at all inclined TO the Vlem
that we live in an entirely mdh'liiaoe
world"
Some Of the most popular hits OF
Rill Nye are quoted in "bln wye: TIE
own Life Story" continuity py rIan
els Wilson Nye,. Bill Nye was very
bald and once explained TO Ne"a,h
audience that Walt McDougaH' tne
cartoonist, who accompanied ms VIZ.
ing, had deprived his likeness VI nan
in order to save himself work. When
nr ioint lecture tour with James
Whitcomb Riley, he would begin the
Performance with the statement, u
will talk to YOU in my inimitable wa!
mntil I get tired, whereupon Mr.. Riley
will entertain you till you get tired:
His comment that "Wagner's music
is better than it sounds had wlo'
circulation, When he removed u
New York, he took a house on Statei
island, which he called the schioss
and letters written from there ht
signed "E. Wilson Won NyJ."
y II \ y
The taste of Samuel Butler in put
ting his own family into mover anO
there representing them as sucn aito
gether disagreeable people has otter
been questioned, often denounced: II
Samuel Butler and His Family Reia
tions." a relative of the Butler family
Mrs. II. S. Garnett. takes up the
defense of the family and tries &c
show that Canon and Mrs. Butter ano
SamueIs sister, who was the proto
type of Charlotte in "The way or al
Flesh. :" were not nearly as unpleasant
To live with as Samuel represented
them to be. She does not succeed very
completely. for the polite letters OIL
the canon and his wife to friends ane
relatives prove nothing about the sort
of home they made for their son. MRS
Carnett admits, at least by implication
that they were narrow. unsympathetic'
even harsh, toward their son. VINO
turned out to be a genius, ana ina
the elder sister was "a woman U,
indomitable will. entirely self-centereo
and domineerng, and she ruieo tne
family with rod of iron. !he pic
ture remains about as 1t IS In Ine
Way of All Flesh"-a family lie
founded on dogmatism and intolerance
rather than on kindness ana the
spirit of real religion.
'InG common Illc VI NhSAiNos oh'SH .
peasants and Indians. in the noun
tains and valley villages. in huts, II
fields. on the streets. on the highways
is treated with literary art and In
tuitive understanding by D. II. Law
renee in Mornings in Mexico he
gives series Of pictures. each sug.
gesting something of Mexican life and
Mexican character. Here is caravan
winding it's way in to a market town
on a market day: From the valley
villages and the mountains the
peasants and the Indians are coming
in with supplies. Dark-eared asses
and running men. running women.
running girls and running lads.
Twinkling donkeys ambling on fine
little feet, under twin great baskets
with tomatoes and gourds. twin great
nets Of bubble-shaped jars. twi"
bundles Of neat cut fagots OF wood,
neat as punches of cigarettes, and twin
net sacks of charcoal"