Evening star., 1927-10-30
REVIEWS OF AUTUMN BOOKS
An Abstract Theme Turned Into Flesh and Blood by the
Novelist-Back the South Before the War-Lincon
Mementos Are Interestingly Discussed

erstwhile enviable comradeship. And
Just as in life. there appears to each
promise of solace in the person of an
old friend Of the wife's, in the per
son of q new office associate for the
husband. TO be sure, this threat never
does really pass into reality--not quite.
WIN good management the author
plays the situation back and forth
IN crescendo of mistake and suf-
fering on the part Of those most con.
cerned, in an equal tension Of sus-
pense on the part Of the reader, who
positively hates to see so fine pair
bent on making complete fools Of
themselves, as they al one time seem
about TO do. There are side agencies
OF complication involvin, one or
another of the minor characters-a
case of smuggling, for instance. These
are important because of the nature
OF the background, which is some.
thing fresh This background is q
newspaper office-all fitted out, as far
as one can see, with the literal ac-
tivities that 50 engross the editors
and managers and reporters in the
great game Of getting the news, of
getting the news first. Dave Morley is
the editor whose wife, Serena. for a
moment appears not to have watched
her step. Dave, with all his force. is
rampant on that smuggling case at
the head of which is the very man
whom Serena-never mind. Dave gets
awfully sore about Serena-but there
is crackerjack of girl in his office.
Never mind again. 1t is a bright story
OF good substance, with a setting that
is certainly interesting and not at all
stale; quite new, in fact.
THE 4.RKED MAN; a Romance of
the Great Lakes. BY Karl w.
Deter. author of True Tales of
ID. G. l." Indianapolis: The Bobbs.
Merrill Co.
STRANGE alliances are made in this
new America of ours. Here is one
of them. Years ago Gustaf Erickson,
Norwegian seagoer and emigrant. in
lax moment loved and married a
F'rench-Canadian farmer girl. And
that was all right, or would have been.
but for the son born to them. Old
Viking blood came from the father,
the landsman's adventurous spirit
from the mother. And here you have
the hero of this tale. one in whose ma
ture itself are the elements of n con-
slant and terrible warfare. The ro-.
nance is set on the shore of Lake
Michigan, old Gustaf. the daringest
fisherman on the whole long coast of
the great lake. Divining the pull in
his boys heart. the pull between sea
and land, he hates his son as a coward
afraid OF the sea, shame to every
Morse sea fighter The story is built
upon the conflict of the boy with him
self, now on this side, now on that.
tremendous theme, you see. one that
goes on in every human, though not
set out in ST. n picturesque and dra-
matte circumstance as it is in this
story of Norman Erickson. Big as the
theme is it works out, nevertheless,
in simplicity of action and effect that
belongs to the literature of Northern
Europe rather than to our own ex-
uberant superficiality of romantic in
ventior. There is an interest in this
story calculated to rival that of the
hero himself were it not for the au-
thor's good art of subordination. That
possible rival is the big lake. A thing
outside of humanity, itself so human,
often so monstrously alive and malevo-
lent as Is this body of water you will
not find portrayed anywhere, SO far as
l know. in greater power than it is in
this story. Always alive, it's moods
sometimes softer than at other times.
even ingratiating and seductive now
and then-but alive always. Never
of this demoniac lake personality. now
calling, now repelling the lad divided
in his very blood between love for it
and hatred. A remarkable and beau.
tiful piece Of work founded on nothing
less than a deep and intimate feeling
for both the physical and spiritual
factors of the story.
X X X
THE ANATOMY OF VIRTUE. BY
Vincent Sheean. New York; The
Century Co.
IF TITLES have any significance at
all, which many Of them clearly
have not. here is one indicating that
in this case virtue-all dissected and
spread out in it's related parts-is-
sues in futility and failure. Let's see.
An American girl, rich, becomes the
wife or an impoverished English
lord. After the birth of a son the
marriage falls into desuetude. 1t was
fCOntinued on EolIrtoonfh paCol