Evening star., 1927-05-08

science EU1Cdflle Il new kltlu VI IlldSAC
that bent itself directly uuon the life
of man. Then came the theory of evo-
luton. A wonderful story which Mr..
Riley follows through the myths of
Greek civilization, to the magic of the
Middle Ages, through the science of
the Renaissance and the mechanical
age of the last two centuries, up to
the present hour of contention be-
tween the advocates of evolution on
the one hand and the book OF Genesis
on the other. This author has nothing
TO do with the polemics of the mod
ern situation. His business instead
to gather material for the epic story
from ancient and modern sources OF
information and then to fashion 1t to
the winged body of adventure that it
indubifably is in essence and spirit.
1t reads like romance and adventure
combined. A speeding tale of many
Notwithstanding, receding, turning
this way and that under mans urge
to Wrest something of certainty and
promise out of the monstrous menace
of an uncomprehendable world. Rooted
| in the findings of history and science,
the story. nevertheless, has the fasci
nation of a masterpiece of creative
art, the high triumph of inspired fic-
| ton.
A YEAR IN THE WONDERLAND
OF TREES. BY Hallam Hawks
worth, author of '"The Adventures
of a Grain of Dust" etc. Illus.
trated New York: Charles Scrib-
ner's Sons.
! \ n adventure with trees to which
Z everybody up to 80 years old, or
young, is invited. Here the first step
| treeward is to get speaking ac-
quaintance with them, so that Mr..
Ash will never be mistaken for Mr..
Oak or Elm or Maple. Hardly any
thing else so hindering to headway in
friendship as to set out by taking one
person for another. This hits the
vanity too hard to make the going
easy. SO with trees. And while pur-
suing simple acquaintance here many
/ deeper personal things come to light
about the habits of this tree or that
one, about the places where the diff
ferent sorts like to live and the neigh
| bors they make and what they do to
| tn, soil, how they comport themselves
| in Winter for safety and the next sea-
sons offerings. Month by month we
| here go along with them the whole
| year through. coming to realize in this
| long companionship just how wonder
| full and precious tree is, taking years
and years to reach it's best and then
ministering to men years and years
| longer. Many things can be replaced
with ease compared to the replace
ment of tree. And here, too. is the
story of the measures that have be-
come national forestry laws for the
safeguarding of these friends of man.
And stories are here not only of wise
and patriotic foresight, but tales of
heroism. besides, in the rescue of trees
and whole forests from the acts OF
enemies who are sometimes merely
| tn houghtless, some times ignorant and
some times purely malevolent. The
book is pictured to help. the text at
many points. The whole is as read
able as it is stirring toward a real
friendship on the part of people for
these stanch friends and benefactors.
& X
ONCE A CLOWN, ALWAYS A
CLOWN. "reminiscences of De
Wolf Hopper Written in collabo'
ration with Wesley Winans Stout.
Boston: Little, Brown & Co.
1T would be folly itself to do more
at this particular point than to as
sure you that you viii find De Wolf
Hopper, body and soul, within this
volume of "reminiscences. In just his
own way he races back to the time
when he began to meet himself, a
youngster, and then to the momentous
age when he was labeled comic.
From that time on you know him and
can appreciate the quality of these re-
memberings of people and events and
stage lore and smiling advice as he
journeys inevitably toward that goal
of all dramatic genius, toward that
bourne which no histrionic gift can
possibly escape-Hollywood 1t is all
familiar to you, certainly. but get into
the book to resavor the tang of Hop
per himself, to retaste the flavor of
this man in "Once q Clown, Always
Clown"
THE JOYOUS CONSPIRATOR. BY
Gorge Gibbs, author of THE Love
of Mademoiselle," etc. New York:
j. H. Sears & Co.
IN American girl. suddenly free
and rich, becomes the subject of
this authors attention. Nothing more
certain, nowadays, than that a young
woman in such situation would at
once take herself off to see something
of the world. Therefore, Mr.. Gibbs
provides Paris as a background of this
adventure and later an English ham,
let seated below the castle of it's lord.
Like every other young woman of the
moment this one is overfiowing with
opinions on many subjects. The in
equalities of life-a few so rich, mil
lions so poor-have disturbed her
somewhat. Therefore, she becomes a
ready listener to the attractive social
list of engaging appearance who is
so apt in speech of picturesque and
revolutionary turn. Here you have
the drift of the story. A young woman
of open mind and an ardent advocate
engaged in filing it.. Naturally such
a person is headed upon trouble, and
trouble comes. first in Paris where
the girl is rescued from immediate
danger A flight to England serves
only to change the setting of the ad.
ventures which the heroine seems to
carry around with her, potentially
at least. There the trouble centers
about the coal mines belonging to
the lord of the castle. A strike en-
sues, fomented by the same young
agitator operating earlier in Paris.
Here conflict is set up between the
socialist and the English lord, with
the girl right in the middle of things.
The end of the matter is, of course,
obvious. The story runs vigorously
toward that end, giving meanwhile
an exceptionally good picture of the
girl in the case. Not easy to mix the
elements of character in such man.
ner as to show the charm and foolish. |
ness of inexperienced but very self. !
confident youth, and at the same time |
to portray the undercurrent of in. |
herited sound sense and business |
acumen that sustains the heroine |
under as many points of crisis as |
novel length is able to carry. a good |
story drawn from the top of current |
life and projected knowingly in the |
spirit of the present.