Evening star., 1928-10-21

ways Va LllAIlhulS IldNS CLldngCQ. 30,
that which in that long ago was ell
tirely permissible and enjoyable is, to-
day, looked upon perhaps as bit gross.
shade vulgar. Therefore. the person
unhappily possessed of a shut mind
unable to transport himself into other
times and circumstances. grows un-
happy over Shandy and his gay and
irresponsible disclosure of strictly fam
lily matters. A shut mind is a heavy
aff1iction. Out of 1t has grown most OF
the unhappiness of the world, and not
little of its backwardneSs. On the
other hand. what a JOY the open mind
must be! The mind open to all II
time. to all Of history, to all of the
immediate life around, ready to Slip
into any and every possible situation.
with prompt appreciation of everything.
personal and impersonal, that comes to
1t for welcome It is for the susie
nance of the open mind that wise pur-
veyors are bringing back the earlier
things-writings, customs. the whole
enduring output of genius wherever
and whenever it may be found. That is
what THE Modern Library is doing
So. receptive to that older and smaller
day. to that rich day as WE'LL settle
Of Laurence Sterne as he frankly
hands over the family secrets and
makes us acquainted with Toby Shandy
If We are not already enriched by ac-
quaintance with that most enjoyable
man.
GREECE. BY William Miller. F. r,
H. S., author of Greek Life in Town
and Country etc. New York:
Charles Scribner's Sons.
TTpE ie c,,r,,ev of Creoco
y as it is today. Safer to say. as
it was Yesterday, For these are Shift
ing scenes. truly. filled all of them with
facts and implications of uncertain
drift and Importance. However. the
first two chapters of this book have the
value of stability which national cir
cumstance in a measure denies to the
remaining chapters. One of these de-
scribes the land of Greece and its peo-
pie in their native characteristics, in
their acquired possibilities of expansion
of adaptation applied to the modern
situation of government and economic
development. The other of these two
chapters gives the century of Greek
history lying in between 1921 and the
new outlook imposed by the effects of
the World War. Beyond this point the
author presents great amount of de-
tail to describe, to evaluate and to
Illuminate the last eight years of
Greek aspiration and movement. The
Athens Of today is described as the GEN.
ter of politics, of education. of plans for
the out-reaching of its various plans
into the country as a whole. The place
OF the press is defined. The economic
condition of the country is summed and
weighed. Indeed. the whole modern
purpose and outlook of the country is
competently and intimately surveyed
and related to the general world move
ment OF which 1t, like every other coun-
try, is part in these days of close
int>rrelations. With this passing pano-
ramic view in mind, the author states
the special problems of Greece and, in
connection with these problems. out
lines. also. the prospects. immediate and
more remote. for the economic and
governmental future of the country.
The book Is an overfowing reservoir
of facts. Just possibly, if these had
been less abundant, the vital ones more
conspicuously set out, there would have
been simpler. and truer, conception
on the part of the reader of the out
standing lines Of the situation and the
problem as well. However, as the au-
thor states. the book is more of run
ming account than 1t is. or can be,
permanent outlook. For the moment,
If you want light on the subject, you
would better read Mr.. Miller's inclusive
and clearly reliable account.
SIMON GIRTY: The White Savage.
BY Thomas BOYD. author of
Through the Wheat" New York
Minton, Balch & Co.
THE United States is now smiling
garden from coast to coast. Yet
only about a century and a half ago
1t was wilderness, save for the mar
row colonial strip along the Eastern
seaboard. Within this vast area and
this narrow stretch of time miracles
of heroisn, of endurance of achieve
ment have come to pass. In the be-
ginning there were only the Indians
Then the white man came. The
story Immediately issuing from such
conjunction is not particularly credit
able to the colonial. However, Thomas
Boyd'S purpose here is to reconstruct
bit of history in the form of an ad-
venture, not to arraign the white man
for his injustice to the natives. With
such definite purpose in mind Mr.. Boyd
hunted out old records of fact con-
cerning certain part of the Eastern
frontier in which a white man. Simon
Girty, threw in his lot with the Indians.
giving up thereby his family and any
standing he might have had among
the white settlers roundabout. In
famous renegade is, I believe, the
name applied to Girty. Yet, taking
history as his guide and standing by
it, the author gives sidelight upon the
character of this man which indicates
that he was not the unnatural monster
that for so many years he has been
declared to be. Wild and rough and
reSentful. to be sure. He thought he
had reasons to be all of these. But he
was fearless man and an honest one.
So here i'll this adventure of early
colonial fighting Girty shows himself
dangerous enemy, now fighting with
the Indians against the intruders, now
with the British against the colonials. |
The cause for which the renegade"
fought seems to sum the greatest of
n" accusations against him. The