Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-10-03

Often we find ourself standing in
wonder at the back door of beautiful
house.
The house is book, the back door
is the last page, the front door the
first page.
We entered at the front door and
rnmbled through the exquisite man
SION now we stand reluctantly on the
back steps, loath to take our leave OF
so delightful a place.
Women are said to be fond OF en-
tering book By the back door. but
they make mistake to do so. for there
is only one best way to see home. as
every one knows. and that Is to come
In the grand entrance. like an honest
invited guest. and to 60 from room TO
room under the guidal ce of the hostess
or host.
The latest book we have read to i'm
press us in this manner is THE Legend
OF the Glorious Adventures of Tyl
Ulenspiegel." by Charles de Coster. first
published in this country in 1918 by
The Robert NJ Mcbride Co., New York,
and Just republished.
We left Ulenspiegel singing a song,
But no man knoweth where he sang
his last" That is right No one wants
to know. It Is typical OF this altogeth-
err satisfactory book that the heroic
character is left up in the air. so
as to be immortal. so far as the reader
is concerned This Belgian author
does not make the mistake OF his more
famous French brother. Alexandra
Dumas, who killed his glorious D'Ar-
taqnan. for no better reason than to
keep others from appropriating MIN.
X X Il
We purchased this book with some
missiving, mostly out Of curiosity. haV-
ing become acquainted with the name
through listening to THE Merry
Franks OF Tyl Ulenspiegel," the suite
by Richard Strauss, AS rendered more
or less frequently over radio. Inc
music. however, is based upon the
legendary figure of Tyl, the hero OF the
Low Countries: the. book is altogether
different, a strange mixture OF fact ana
fancy. written in naive, almost child.
like fashion. yet replete With beeutlIui
thoughts and imagery OF most mature
character.
This is one of the largest delights OF
this book, that one is fooled by 1t.
Most legends are rather absurd. In
essence: they delight children for that
very reason. But here is legend mixed
with fact to such a degree that some
how the work grows on one as he READS,
until by the time the last page Is
reached the reader scarcely knows what
is legend and what fact.
There are some scenes In 1t OF
startling authenticity: so realistic that
they might have been taken bodily out
of some widespread French novel OF
the better class, so interesting that one
forgets anything Of legendary nature
in connection with the scene.
The twenty-third chapter of the Sec
ond book Is worthy of any writer. Here
Ulensplegel and his faithful fat friend
Lamme Goedzsk, are Gagged in the house
of their enemies. How they get out OF
1t Is adventurous meat for any reader.
Somehow he is reminded OF the fare
served him in Dumas "Chicot the
Jester" Here is the same rich sense of
high adventure, combined with the most
matter-of-fact narration, Colored with
most capable words.
Ulenspiegel had gone for walk In
Harlebeke Coming to the Alley of tn
Pot of Stone. he met a woman playing
on viola. And she opened the lantern
she carried so as to let the light shine
straight upon her face. You are beau
tiful,' said Ulenspiegel. Thin come
with me- she said" At the house OF
La Stevenye, whence she took him. Tyl
found Lamme, he of the great stomach.
Lamme Immediately picked a quarrel
with his friend, and. while they were
fighting, whispered into his ear that
four constables we're in the room to