Evening star., 1927-09-18

Mckenna, author of The Oldest
God" etc. Boston. Little, Brown
& Co.
-~ AVIOURS OF SOCIETY" is
not the latest novel of this
prolific and popular wrIt"l.
~ 1t is. however, the first step
in Mr. McKenna's latest
fronting upon fiction as mears OF
setting the modern social problem.
Prior to this new move, the noVcls OF
this author dealt in the main, with
london society, its various cllques
aud sets bound into a sort of unity
by common individual selfishness,
lack of responsibility and generally
artificial outlook. SOMETHING like 70
McKenna novels have gone into Il
strikingly waywise and brilliant eX'
position OF the slowly accumulati1s
debt that society is pilin:s up against
the true substance of English life.
Readers have been highly entertained
by the striking personalities of the
McKenna men and women, by their
gay charm of manner, by their in
telligence and wit and 1arlnS.
Now, Mr.. Mckenna has turned
suuarely around in a search for some
one to clear up the social Mess that
he has been reporting so long and SO
cleverly. He is looking for some one
to rescue society from the dilemma
and danger of its own fashiohius The
book in hand is the first discovery
in that quest, the first step in part
nership with the realistS.' The sec
ond of the three novels proposed undef
this departure is already out ahu'the
third one is on its way. Here we nave
the strong man, the able ana donlf
- Nf
or business or other public services 10
the common veal. a man. say, IKE
Cecil Rhodes, absorbed in a passion for
greater English empire. Or, say,
man like Napoleon, the genius Of war
or, coming nearer. like Mussollnl,
dictator by way of government. II
NAV be, by way of war if must be.
Here we have the strong man. Am
broSe Sheridan, a great newspaper
force in English politics. of 10 the
colonies on a big business mission ior
his country. This is the story Of that
enterprise, the record of its results
and effects In the company of this
the first of the 'reaists," MIR. NC
Kenna is even more at home than
when he was making such graphlc
notes on the social philanderers with
whom he so long kept company 1t
is a strong story. One applauds me
sheer virility of Ambrose Sheridan.
great when he is right and equally
great when he is wrong-an6 re is
often wrong The novel records
throwing off of the old insincerities
and sentimentalities and turning
toward the realism, particularly IN
politics, that has followed slowly since
the World War.
X X X *
ONE CRYSTAL AND A MOTHER.
BY Ellen Dupois Taylor New
York: Harper & Bros.
"A MOTHER and her daughter. crys- rvs,
"A tal-such is the meaning of the
cryptic title. If you know TINS at
once there will be no waste of time
and no worry as to what the thing
does mean. Moreover, once engaged
here there will be not a second Tor
pause to pick up back bewilderments.
Every step of the way is electric with
winking lights and firework display
and poppings and genuine explosions.
That's the authors way. That Is, II
fs her way here. This is first mover
SO it. is not easy to say what the next
one will be, however much one may
doubt her ability to hold again to the
pyrotechnics of ''One Crystal ana
Mother" Chicago is the background
of the matter. The newspaper is its
general medium for advertising the
idiosyncrasies of the group in hand.
The special agent for such display is
a Young women of the staff of a GER
tain news sheet. That's the story
that Young woman. No matter now
honest may have been her intent to
.'write up" this, that, or the otner
one. she is herself Of quality that
fits the center of the stage and no
other place. She, therefore, is ths
thread of the story-and If you want
a more brilliant bit of sophistlcatlon
set down in print than this Is. you
will hunt and hunt for it, I'm sure
without finding it. Here Is Foro
MADDOX Ford talking-"I cannot
Imagine where she got her talent from,
but there it is, authentic and undenl-
able-and her knowledge of life comes
only second to her talent" True, too!
THE DANGERFIELD TALISMAN.
By ]. j. Connington. Boston:
Little, Brown. & Co.
"A n heirloom of amazing repute and
"A mysterious origin, serves here
not only to sustain the failing Tor
tunes of an ancient and honorable
house. but does good service as well
bent to the business Of burglary and
such illegitimate means of subsls'
tence as stamp the activities of the
lawless and the desperate. The
s'Dangerfield Talisman" is a legend
of past glories that have centered In
a wondrous jewel, enthroned magni-
ficently at Frioksheim, a house old
before the Conquest The matter in
hand starts with house party at
Friocksheim. 1t comes to it's full
point of tension by way of theft
IF the talisman and progresses through
the pursuit of clues leading to the
discovery of the thief. The adventure
is less conventional than this sparse
outline may indicate. For a very as
tonishing disclosure about the tails
man comes to light in the various
turns of the chase for it's recovery.
A cryptic document combined with
an unfinished game Of chess on the
strangest chess-board ina ginable
serves the purposes, finally. of most
astute investigator of crime who in
solving the mystery. not only of the
theft but that of the ancient Jewel
rs well. presents a perfectly fresh