Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-06-11
THE LIBRARY TABLE.
By the BookLoper.

Edith Wharton has come to be con-
sidered the interpreter, in fiction, OF
New York society from 1910 to the
present time. When she began 10
write, about 1900, she used European.
especially Italian, settings Tor some .;
her stories, which Immediately caused
he+ to be rated as an artist in creating
atmosphere in perfect harmony with
characters and theme. Some or these
early works were 1.-THE Touchstone,"
Crucial Instances" The Valley OF
Decision and Sanctuary" she soon'
however, began to write novels OF New
York society Her first novel or this
type to be widely read AMI discussed
was THE House of N1irth," published
in 1905. The social "house or mlrtn
was shown to be u sad dwelling on the
inside, and Lilly Bart, the chle1 cnar-
acter was represented as typlcal OF
the woman who lives by her social
qualities. for social advancement. lns
Fruit of the Tree" followed in 1907
Iand caused considerable difference OF
opinion because of the ethical problem
which it introduced. A variation OF
her New York novels took the form
of novels of life in the American col
ony in Paris. Her New Workers or
fashion and wealth relieved their bore
dom by spending months or years IN
Paris, and Mrs. Wharton followed them
there and recorded their activities.
which more frequently than not in
cluded divorce 1t is especially In
these novels that Edith Wharton has
been called the disciple of Henry
James. "The Reef" THE Custom Of
the Country" "Glimpses of the Moon"
and "A Son at the Front" show Ameri-
can and French ideas in contrast, Wltr
Paris as the chief background. In
two novels, considered by some critics
Mrs Wharton's best, she has taken
New England as her scene and mar
row. almost primitive, New England
characters to act in the tragi; stories.
"Ethan Frome" and Summer" are
not pleasant" stories, but Ethan
PRONE" is a piece of art unexcelled by
few. if any, pieces Of American fiction.
Recently Mrs. Wharton has devoted
herself almost entirely to stories Of
New York-"The Mothers Recon-
pense," 1.-THE Age Of Innocence" New
novelettes called 'Old New York" and
including "False Dawn" a story OF
the 40s; "The Old Maid" d story of
the sos: "The Spark" a story OF the
SOS. and New Years Day." a story OF
the 70s. Her last novel, published re-
Gently, is Twilight Sleep"
Twilight Sleep" shows New York
society life today, and perhaps IN an
immediate tomorrow, but Mrs. WAR
ton makes no attempt to prophesy
where the feverish activity, the jazz,
the changing of all old standards, the
growing complication of life will ulti-
mately lead. She sees modern New
Workers of wealth living in a "twl-
light sleep" of illusions, of deliberate
| knI n
especially to the actually which In
wolves unpleasant duties. But it is
certainly not a restful sleep which she
pictures: rather it is a nightmare of
hectic activity, futile, too; like all &C.
ton in nightmares, when one contlnu-
ally tries to do something but is un-
able to accomplish it. Pauline Man
; ford divides her day into 15-minute
and half-hour periods, with an engage
ment for each period, which, with the
help of her invaluable secretary, she
tries to attend to as conscientiously
as If the items on the engagement list
really amounted to something. Men
tai uplift," Correspondence" ''Psy-
choanalysis," Facial massage" MAN
with Persian miniatures" See cook, =
Silent meditation" "Sit for bust,
Receive Mothers day deputation, J"
Dancing lesson" Birth control
meeting" DINNER for Amalasuntha'
or Dine with Rivingtons these and
similar entries crowd her calendar
every day. When she goes to Cedar
ledge, for the benefit of her family,
for two weeks at Easter, she merely
replaces New York activities with a
: new set. Here she plans new
plumbing system, orders thousands of
new shrubs and bulbs, endows viii
lage fire department, builds chicken
hatchery, installs a heated swimming
pool One must admit that her coun-
try activities seem more sensible and
interesting than those Of the city. Her
daughter-in-law, Lita, sneers at Pau
lines way of life, but her own is as
feverish and more futile. To dance
by day and by night, to pose continu.
! ally in exotic clothes, to attract the
attention of any and every man, the
walters in restaurants if no one else
, Is about; to shock other women, to es-
cape all boredom if possible. to make
her husband give her a divorce. be-
cause he no longer interests her, so
that she can take a movie contract at
Hollywood-such are Lita's aims and
ideals. Only Mona ever finds time to
think and to wonder where they are
} all going and why. And her thinking
. serves but to make her unhappy, for
"She thought, I feel like the oldest
, person in the world, and yet with the
longest life ahead of me, - and a
shiver of loneliness ran over her."
Scorn for the ease-loving tourist
, who motors everywhere, even up
, mountains, when he should be tramp
, ing and climbing, is unconcealed in
Karl Pomeroy Harrington's walks
: and Climbs in the White Mountains. "
! The author is trail supervisor for the
Appalachian Mountain Club and
knows from experience all the joys
missed by the person who does not
work his way through woods and over
, peaks. He knows that Mount Wash
ington is not all of the White Noun
, tains, though it is all many people
see. He outlines a trail journey
} which shows the widest and loveliest
parts of the New Hampshire noun
tains and along which are sufficiently
numerous log shelters. The route in
cludes parts Of the Franconia, Presi-
Dental and Mahoosuc Ranges, Lost
River, Mount Lafayette, the Profile,
the Flume. Zealand Ridge, Mount
Washington. Carter Dome and Ma
hoosuc Notch. Weeks might be spent
camping along this route, or the
hardy tramper could cover it in days.
Mr.. Harrington has illustrated his
book with his own photographs.
| X X X
In the quarterly book list for the
Spring of 1927. the Pratt Institute
Free Library gives a list of so con-
spicuous novels of the past quarter
century Q901-1925). English, Ameri-
can, French, Spanish, Dutch, Norwe-
| cian Swedish and Polish authors are
included Some of the novels are:
THE Old Wives Tale" by Arnold
Bennett; 1.-THE Shadow Of the Cathe-
dral," by V. Blasco-Ihanez; 1.-The
Great Hunger" by Johan Bojer; "The
| WAY Of All Eleshn by Samuel Butler;