Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-01-23
IDA GILBERT MYERS.

BENZ AMIN FRANKLIN: The First
Civilized American. BY Phillips
Russell Illustrated. New York:
Brentano's
~ AVE for a single week out of
the annual roll of So, that
benign and slightly pudgy
~ presence, patiently standing
the year round at a down
town intersection of the great Appian
Way of Washington, gets scanty re-
gard-commonly none at all--from
the preoccupied crowds that daily
pass him by. When. however. the
week headed by January II makes
it's regular appearance, then this
erstwhile forgotten figure becomes
the center of marked ceremonial
homage. For the seven days just
past orders and organizations and
companies of pilgrims have gath
cred round him and for the week
through that busting and unbeauti-
full span of city street has been
flaming memorial bank of wreaths
and flowers and flying banners. Lis
tening then at almost any hour of
the day one might have heard strains
of song and snatches of martial
music and fragments of eulogistic
speech above the rattle of street
cars. the honk of motors and the
clip -clop of hoofs.
So it has been all over the coun-
try. In city and town and wayside
gathering places people have come
together in this January week
to celebrate the 221st birthday ami
versary of the great patriot. Ben jannin
Franklin. And after testimonials to
the high worth of this famous Amer
lean are gathering. Recently the pa
pers told of a beautiful and costly
memorial. shared in by all the
people, TO be set up in Philadelphia.
Conspicuous i'm this tide of spon-
taneous tribute are many new
publications--books, monographs,
pictures. Outstanding in this group
is Phillips Russelrs biography of
"the first civilized American" Ben
jamin Franklin.
The prime purpose of this author
is to redeem Franklin from the
double calumny of perfection on the
one hand and huge imperfections on
the other. Springing from the COM
mon source of Puritan intolerance
one of these libels has taken effect
i'm plain lying and the other In an
equally clear hypocrisy. The first
was projected i'm the interest of
public education. the second for the
protection of public morals. At this
point Mr.. Russell is not greatly in
terested in either of these public
concerns His absorption here is to
make use of all the material avail
able-some of it new, much of 1t old
for the purpose of recreating Ben
jamin Franklin as he was, as he
worked and achieved for the good
of the new government in which he
was SO deeply concerned. Here facts
that are new to the general reader
step into place, combining with the
old set of impossible projections to
produce living man, one so like
the rest of us that he does serve to
stimulate and TO inspire. An odd
mixture OF a man. like the rest of
us one who loved life, blending with
this love all sorts of measures and
plans for the good fulfillment of indi-
vidual destiny. Here you will find
the source of Poor Richards Alama-
mac. Here you will find the reason
for many famous deed. or word,
attributed to Franklin. Here is ad-
vice to young men. hitherto held
back from common use. Here are
love letters to F'ranklin--harmless
things whose Importance lies in
their long concealment. Here is the
story of a man who lived his life
with gusto, tasting it on his tongue,
savoring it with all his senses. Mr..
Russell's manner is beautifully in
accord with the purpose of this work.
Here is a touch of it in answer to
the question of Franklin as the first
civilized American" Because at an
American period eminent for mar
rowness, superstitution and bleak
beliefs he was mirthful, generous,
open minded. learned. tolerant and
humor- loving. Because he was the
first American man of the world in
the sense that he was the first Amer
lean world man. Here is the key
note of a scholarly study that is
backed by a firm grip on the human
side of life, by keen sense of the
proportions and balances of indi-
vidual existence.
THE KAYS BY Margaret Deland.
author of Around Old Chester"
etc. New York: Harper and Bros.
A GREAT crisis in the common life,
say like that of the World War,
sets the sober-minded one here and
there to wondering what the attitude
and behavior of Jesus Christ would
have been were He an actual earthly
partaker of that acutely critical hour.
Some such thought as this may have
marked the inception of THE Rays.
The novel goes back to the approach
of the Civil War. It's chief character
is a woman of religious nature who
has all her life tried to pattern herself
1,tA0yo fha Ylrnrnpfc of .InSnG Not in
@ Sunday way. not merely in a
church l,oing way--but every day, and
in all OF every days affairs. In peace
time, queer" woman. But when
the war flame spread. this woman
became a different matter in public
opinion. To live like Jesus in war
time-distrust dislike, contempt, ha-
tired, persecution. Thats what II
would mean. That's what it did
mean. Worse yet, was the son bred
to the beliefs of beloved mother.
Then there was the father-about
everything a man shouldn't be--but
he was a fighter, ready to go to war,
ready to drill a company in his half
forgotten war lore. hero, this
father. The son, renegade. The
mother hated and fOrsaken. Such is
the heart of this matter, which is the
measure of Jesus Christ when the
gods war are let otA OAAS
and beautiful romance, including a
Young love that partakes of the
effects of the generally unhappy sit
uation. Besides it's legitimate use of
providing pleasure and approval for
q multitude of readers, this novel
demonstrates beloved theory of my
own. a logical theory as well. ThlS
Is nothing less than that any worker
should grow increasingly in power
as time serves to ripen his art. More
than a dozen novels are counted for
this author. 1.-The Rays" is the
strongest, the mellowest, the biggest
in conception, the finest in projection
4 -. III Gupnosn that this nfftad