Evening star., 1928-06-03
IDA GILBERT MYERS.

TIE DELIGHT OF GREAT BOOKS.
Bv John Erskino, author OF The
Private Life of Helen of Troy" etc.
Indianapolis. The Bobbs-Merrill Co
THE delight of great books is often
much deferred, and more Often
nermancntly shut off by way OF
i the arid processes OF formal cdu-
cation John Erskinc, teacher,
was born too late, and too rev OF MN
recall as il it we're yesterday my
Introduction 10 Chaucer. Facing her
class sat much taught, uncharmins
woman, who. in an obvious satisfaction,
bcran to twittcr out of book TO the
pupils. The lingo was unintelligib!c,
utterly. to them. Teachers chief salts
faction-as we found out later-lay in
the assumption that she was delivering
the fourteenth century middle English
of the Chaucer period. Her intent was
to provide an inviting approach to the
Canterbury Tales. For several days
these twiddling vocables touched the
hard shell of our preoccupation with
more interesting matters, leaving no
trace behind them. Not once in these
days did Chaucer himself appear, Not
q
life which is Chaucer The company OF
that pilgrimage was made up Of wooden
figures, not of men and women under
whose feet the grass was springing, over
whose heads the sun was shining and
the birds singing. After such experience
it took many years. with me at least, Tor
this group to come to life in distinct
" human relation TO the time in which
they lived And I'm sure that this Is
true of all who are condemned to the
rule OF a word education. AS 1t was
with Chaucer. so ii was with Shake
speare and Milton and host of others.
But, there are signs OF change. John
ErSkine is sign. and there are others
In The Delight of Great Books" En-
Skine steps out to meet them as he
would go to his door to meet visitor
from his university Or other where. And
man. About this work or that one.
What, In the back of the great writer's
mind projected this amazing drama or
poem or dream? What dictated the plot
and determined the characters and set
the movement Of the whole? What
are. Just what are, the qualities that
even In this greatly changed day sustain
the work in a perennial freshness and
in an immediate applicability? And
so they talk together. the reader in
trance of Joy over the companionship
here set up just to give case in
point. case that has given all of us
deal Of anguish. Paradise Lost" after
our agonies about IL, Is not, either in
design or execution, disquisition on
religion, on heaven and hell. 1t is. in
stead, a great drama. whose purpose Is
TO show life "as an adventure in which
q - nHtzS Sayyn a
a privilege" 1T is the noblest express
sion OF what we like to call the modern
spirit" So. with one and another Of
these works Of genius. John Erskine
chooses TO hold communion in the exact
spirit Of the present,
You go along--and you will go along
delighted, satisfied at every turn.
Then Immediately you determine TO 60
back over that old lost ground 10 re-
trieVe at least few Of the losses sus-
tanned By you through a word educa-
ton Here Is book that comes clearly
under the head Of public service.
- **H
TOUCoUToU. BY Edward Iarocque
Tinker. author Of "Lafcaido Hearn's
American Life" New York: Dodd,
Mead a. Co.
y ARELY does one have the chance 70
~ read a novel tastingly, something
after the fashion Of a gourmet conmur-
ing with food and drink. ''Toucoutou"
opens the door upon such an oppoTtu-
nifty. In reality the chief character Of
the novel is the city Of New Orleans.
Toucoutou, the young girl, in her pitt
fUl situation serves TO give focus and
pattern TO certain aspects Of the general
life Of the town. Within this setting
tropical, exotic. opulent--are white men
Of many nations and the negro The
negro slowly bleaching by the contact
with French. Spanish. American and
the creole, who Is himself American.
The racial problem shapes the story,
the story OF Toucoutou, who. having
married creole and become possessed
Of little son. fnds herself the victim
Of drop Of negro blood--but drop Is
enough. An absorbing story. Yet It Is
In a measure overboTne by the quite re-
markable projection Of New Orleans,
bodily, In as direct an appeal 10 the
senses and To the mind as living per-
son could make. The story opens with
the yellow fever epidemic Of something
like 30 years ago. Nothing is left 10
the imagination. You see death and
smell il and look upon dead men piled
into vehicles and hurried away, the
wagons leaking infection and death.
Prom this the story moves into more
slightly conditions but at every point
there In fidelity 70 all the little points
from which any reality, great or small,
IL composed There Is realism and q
yiyidneSs mere that are not found I'm
one out Of thousand novels Of literal
design. In general effect this Is q chap
ter Of American history whose theme Is
one of the most interesting cities Of the
country. history that IL lifted bodily out
81 It's period and set down before the
reader. Here u.s. too, q tragic story
based on the incapacity for union and
inter~niztuTe Of two races which are.
nevertheless In immediate and daily
contact A remarkable piece Of work,
and most engro6sing romance a6 veil.
S8S
THE SHORES OF ROMANCE. BY
George Gibbs. author of Mad Mar.
flage." c1. New YORK %. Appleton
II Co.
A MOTHER romance of New Orleans,
- jean LsFitte u most nnSaYory
name as sn outstanding figure 0f the
locality at this date of 1912 and our
war with England LsFittg Ia not as
signed by the author to be The hero 0s
The adgentHre IT Ia The reader Who
confers upon him such honor. II Is
Barry O'Eha1ghneSsy. instead. ot the
American Navy VINO sustains that part,
Gith iopelY Eabet De Jarnac playing OPP
poSjte ~ him. The background is New
Orleans whose American troops are
waiting the approach of the English.
Yet In the course oi this Development
a. fzgEtE EaE. ssssa Ia
Andrew Jackson arrived battle no
dGQDt viii take Biace just beyond the.
bsek coyef ~ The book. And that is
~ Il Should be. Tor Mr. Gibbs could