Evening star., 1928-03-11
BY IDA GILBERT MYERS.

DISRAELI: A Picture Of the Victorian
Age. BY Andre Maurois. author of
Ariel: The Life of Shelley" etc.
Translated by Hamish Miles. New
York: d. Appleton &, Co.
% HEY were talking about the old
strenuous days in English poll
tics, those two In the Carleton
Il Club. One asked the other II
he remembered when, In a
pretty general public disapproval.
Disraeli and Derby were dubbed the
Jew and the Jockey" And now this
very morning as was passing up
by Westminster I saw the statue OF
Mr.. Disraeli covered with flowers.
What! They have canonized him as
saint" No. not saint. Disraeli
was no saint. Rather" reflects
Maurois, like some old Spirit of
Spring, ever vanquished. ever alive, a
symbol Of what can be accomplished
in cold and hostile universe, by long
youthfulness Of heart"
"A long youthfulness OF heart"
These are the closing words of the
Maurois story. as they have been
throughout the guiding star OF the
to the Disraeli drama. They are the
answer to the riddle, Disraeli.
What theme the man makes for this
dramatic Maurois. Disraeli was the
soul and spirit OF drama itself, throw
ing his everys act into the focus OF
perfected performance. These two
come together as clear act OF nature.
The author realizes his subject to the
full. Just as D.sraeli realized himself
In equal measure. Both might have
made the reflection which Disraeli him.
self did make rs there any tale Of
the Thousand and One Nights. any
story of cobbler made sultan, that can
match the pictureSqueness OF my own
life? Have I not realized. even in de-
tail the dreams of that small boy living
stretched under the trees in the Italian
garden. listening to my grandpap's
mandolin? At last l have made my
dream real" In this old heart Young
England lived on--such is the authors
inspired seizure of the great Beacons-
field
A splendid competency stands master
OF this study. Facts, historic In con-
tent, the outstanding facts OF the VIC
torian. age are familiar to the author.
In their farthest reach of significance.
The political fervors Of the period are
to an equal degree In his possession.
Other leaders. friends and foes OF Dis
raeli. turn themselves over to this keen
appraisal. Here are set out the social
movements upon whose current the
affairs of England move forward Here
are the women, so influential in politics,
Here are the farmer and the manu-
facturer. Indeed the whole sum OF
English life is gathered here. A COM
plete picture. It serves as a back
ground across which moves the great
figure Of the Jew. Disraeli. Clearly a
great man. Just as clearly curiously
fantastic figure. that resists the cramp-
ings OF catalogue and classification.
Devoted TO an imperial England. one
OF the great conservatives. A cham
pion of English strength whether this
be represented by lord or yeoman, by
blue blood or red,
Into this Lord Beaconsfield Andre
Maurois pours himsclf-a trained intel
ligence. a sympathetic imagination, an
understanding spirit He Scizcs the
picture that the great Disraeli makes.
Gifted with words In measure equal TO
his other gifts. he wings 1t out on its
romantic course.
Interesting as a novel; Is COM
mon judgment upon this book. Why
not more interesting than all save per-
haps the greatest Of novels9 II CON-
forms In pattern to the novel--pur-
pose. action. personality. character. all
converging upon an essential outcome,
And. besides this 1t is all true, his
torically true. diviningiy true. whereas
the novel makes no claim 70 actual
truth except In some drawn-on abstract
measure of example or lesson. How
ever, this Is no place for dispute OF any
sort. Rather Is II a chance for enjoy
ment OF the most satisfying kind at the
hands OF writer offering us a clear
triumph Of artistry in human disclos-
urc.
PARSON wEEMS: OF the Cherry Tree
BY Harold kellock. New York: The
Century Co,
7 DIDN'T even try to resist Parsou
= Weenls. There was the turnout
horses. the Jersey Wagon. so neatly
conyenseucrS. A violin, too. inviting 10
wayside rest and rcfreshment,
climbed aboard In all haste to sit beside
the most beguiling man that any one
might find, regardless OF age or date.
II proved almost at once that ! was III
the company of Parson Weems--preach-
er. author. peddler. FIRST biographer OF
George Washington" prince OF good
fellows generally, To tell you of the
old roads we travelled the parSon drie"
ing Jehu-like, in moments OF special
exaltation would be 70 recite an odyssey
on which old Homer himself would have
nothing at all. Down Mount Vernon
way over into Maryland. way down
South. up to Philadelphia-and the
roads, No. Mr. Ford had not yet been
even thought OF. In very short time
I found that I was in the company not
only of the wort1y parSon. but OF the
first go-getter In the United States, the
Rotarian. kiwanian. promoter and
booster, all rolled into one, 1t took
nothing at ALA chicken Scootins
across the way. COW In the pasture. a
man on the horiEon~~to turn on the
free fiow of Parson Weems' eloquence
toward the selling Of traets-~tracts on
pietv, on temperance. on good living, on
what not. From his bookcase he drew
volumes To sell. He usually sold them,
too. No Stacker in trade nor In the
concrete moralities either. for that mat
ter, In a moment Of special eaSe~~ssin
bright, clouds scudding, flowers nodding
friendly wise~~the parSon told me- in
about one or his prime In
ventions, one he epined that would out
last them all This was the invention
made up out ot whole cloth of the
story of George Washington and the
cherry tree. See how right he was for
this Is our FIRST. and certainly our best,
bit of folk lore, as bright as a new dime.
as fresh today aS when 1t Was tirSt
turned out from this genial and ready
mind. IL has fathered many u fiction
and has outlived them all, II would he
utterly impossible to tell YOU vi the
lows OF that outtaring with parSon
Weems Nor would II be friendly act
II /, we're possible, You get the Mook
Don't wait FOR a special mood The
mood comes with the tir>t chapter.
Then YOU SO along With rasSon Ween,S,
ny along the leisureN way the
old look OF the countryside, the wayS
ot the folks roundabout, the ancient
ayar fhnF. tina NoahSiNi, an IA