Evening star., 1928-12-02

~
NH for any sort of craftsman to
M undertake. 1t eludes COM
pletely the sociologist seeking
a generalization TO cover and
If may be. to illuminate the marriage
state. For, all its seeming likenesSsS
urn out to be illusory each pair stand
ing as a special case, diffusing not even
4 dim candle light upon the dark cor
ners of this paramount issue of Chris
tian civilization. More than this, with
in a single pair, the parties OF the flrSt
and second part are individuals, dlffer-
ent from any other two who, the world
over, are trying out the great expert
ment. This theme eludeS the artist, The
novelist as completely as it does the
scientist. but for another reason. Once
married, so the common mind runs,
that is the end of the matter in so Tar
as any deep emotional interest in it is
concerned. Once married, the course
changes from the mounting flight OF
courtship to the steady down hill OF
prosaic compromise, the essence OF mat
rimony.
Nevertheless, despite the general and
specific handicap set up against Dotn
social economist and romancer, A. Ham
ilton Gibbs. novelist, chose case OF
matrimony as the theme of his latest
story. Not only chose it. but got away
with the choice, rather gloriously, 1t
seems to me- Not that he made any,
thing like passable go OF the business,
as real marriage, for he didn't. The
essence of success was lacking, and this
is not the kind of author to force en
issue for the Joy of the fairy tale. NO,
this novel could hardly stand as thesis
in defense of the married state-not
with a wife just rescued from the too
attractive male on the outside and
making declaration, bit faint, OF her
true love for the husband.
Ali this is, really, beside the point.
The prime fact in this romance Is tnat
MIR, Hamilton Gibbs has made man
Michael-a clear and positive act OF
creation. as inspired as the making OF
Adam himself. And this man is going
to travel around with the reader long,
long after the story has passed out OF
hand and despite the fact that a thou-
sand lesser heroes of lesser romanc2S
are going to yap noisily for afternoon
from those passing by.
Michael Gordon is man. Indeed
and this is minor-he is the man Tor
whom every woman in the world is
lookinp-the one-woman man. That the
woman would tire of such fidelity as
Michael possesses Is beside the point.
what effect did it have upon Pat, the
wife? She learned to accept 1t so COM
plctely as finally to find it a shade
weariSome-but Pat Is not the point
here, either. She is merely average,
except in the mind of Michael, where
she is the surprising achievement OF
life itself. Creating her in his own
| image as Michael unconsciously DID,
she simply had to be great 60 nln'
There is a modern aspect 10 14s par "
nership that is Illuminating. Both OF
| these two went to work. They had to.
Pat to the stage where she lad been be-
| fore the war. Michael to the writing
of a novel about the war where he nad
really distinguished himself. A very
crucifying item in this relationship IS
that Pat succeeded where Michael
! failed. Nobody wanted war oook
Now Michael would hate 1t like sin 70
| have the reader simply ache with sym
pathy for him, sympathy and love, but
| that is lust what the reader does. he
so big and fine and Straight-and mis-
erable, in an outstanding kind OF way
! that the reader aches, too, and trles
with might and main Ito DO something
about it," It ends all fight-aftef
fashion, after the fashion OF h1e usen
No other way. Michael Gordon Is q
man-one item to hold. Pat is all rlgnt
| lust $3.50. Item two in support OF the
| claim that the wife, or the husband, Is
| what the other one thinks her. or him
| to be. Item three, matrlmony is nc
very definite solution of the problem o.
| happiness, Item four, here Is a move
deeply founded upon life itself, ene ina,
| is conceived in a genius Of sincerity anc
protected in a most conclusive kind o.
artistry. Let's say it again: Here
a surprisingly fine novel. one besloes
that adds Michael Gordon TO the pre-
| cious friendships of the reader, OF any
reader, think.
AN ITALIAN HOLIDAY. By Pau
Wilstach, author OF Along tne
Pyrenees," etc. Illustrated. In
! dianapolis: The Bobbs-M Merrill Co.
MO doubts assail the one VINO setS
out on a travel adventure in the
| company of Paul WilStach. Whethel
| climbing the Pyrenees, or sailing the
Mediterranean, or lettering here anc
| there in pure holiday mood, the man
can be counted upon to deliver ever
more than the specifications promise. ]
know. I've been with him. And here Is
| chance to go again. You, too, Will no.
be wasting your time in this Italian
| holiday. Quite otherwise, for you VIII
gather up enjoyment all along paths
that are hardly worn at all, certainly
not worn at all by the conventional
| tourist Rome, Naples, Genoa? No, un-
less one or another of these be used as
point of departure alone. Paul Wllstact
does not choose these much-exploltec
centers for this expedition. Rather doe;
he go here and therefor instance tc
Mussolini's home town, Predappio. o.
to the place of CaruSo's birth and OF
his later disappointment. Or, one day
does he lead YOU to the last home o.
Santa Claus" the burial place Of st
Nicholas On another day 1t Is the lit
tie hill towns of Tuscany, which art
brought before you in glamorous color!
of history, special incident heroic mo-
ment. triumphs of learning or OF art, o.
in just the glorieS of their natura
beauty. You visit with this inspired
guide the country of Verdi, seeing th'
house where he was born. the parish
church where the great compose
played the organ. where his operas wer
composed and the greatest of his work
came to light. Since many OF thes
points Of visitation are apart from tn
general highways of travel, one WoulC
be lost In this adventure of the habitua
foresight If Paul Wilstach had no
foreseen such difficulty and provided
against it--With an excellent map. tina
one indispensable adjunct of the trave
book. All travel writer's do not seem t
know this, but such a subject, minus
the map to point its ways, is deplorabl,
lacking to the reader of this most inter
esting kind of writing. I vas going x
say that this Is the most charming o
this mans books of travel I'll not sa!
it, for they are all of that quality, since
he is peculiarly fitted to deliver IA