Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-03-18

dents derived dlrectIy from the tuiHioH
and tragedy of the Civil War. THESE
incidents serve to refresh the funda-
mental fact OF Lincoln's compassion
and clcmency. That this was truly
"the merciful President" stands clear
once more in these stories. At the
head OF them is that OF THE Pardon
of the Sleeping Sentinel" A major
crime of wartime Is TO fall asleep on
guard duty. It's punishment is Of the
heaviest And yet there might just
possibly be some shade Of circumstance
to lessen the severity OF the penalty
And upon this possibility the President
bent his Investigations. Each OF these
anecdotes gives case in point. Each
sets out concretely and in an effect Of
perfect immediacy as II the matter
dealt with yesterday, instead OF with
IS years ago, or thcreabout. the great
and kindly personality Of man in
period of supreme national crisis.
This is book To treasure for It's near
ness Of effect, for It's authentic char
acter. for It's spirit Of appreciation and
patriotic fealty.
*.* ~
MAY ALCOTT: A Memoir. By Caroline
Ticknor. illustrated. Boston: Little,
Brown e. Co.
y FADING this memoir is like going
A~back home-say back to Weedsportr-
there to meet old friends and to ask
eagerly after absent ones. Where Is
John or Mary; what became Of Tom.
and did Susan do this or that, as she
had so long planned to do? In this
particular instance the going back is
to that beloved family in Concord.
| whose members-LouiSa, Anna, Beth
and Amy--have been the chosen friends
OF two generations OF readers, young
and old May. the bright youngster
of the flock. was and is prime IA
vorite everywhere. It is of her that this
memoir tells chiefly. tells the things we
all want 10 know. In an intimate and
friendly vein these letters set out her
study of art in Paris. the clear promise
of the success In painting, her romance.
her marriage and her untimely death
at the birth of little daughter. Sc
lected with keen appreciation Of the
subject itself and with a sure hold upon
the desires Of readers generally. these
letters round out a story Of wide in
terest. All the lovers OF Little Women"
will place this book with other cher
/ ished reminiscent things-with men,
cries of old friends. with other dear
recollections, with flashing glimpses of
! childhood and playtime and world all
/ gold and silver.
| WHEN TUT MEETS TUT. BY
Arthur Train. author of High
Winds" etc. New York: Charles
Scribner's Sons.
WHEN. now and then, catch sight
W of Tut" volume in the bundle
/ OF books brought each week up to my
! place feel pretty much as II. in the
/ driving storm of things and things gen.
/ orally. there had been ho!sted over my
! head a huge waterproof windshield of
F.! an umbrella. And as soon as ever 1t
/ is possible then for the moment set
aside the piled-up reports OF war and
! rlInors Of war, of murder and arson,
/ in high places. Of bunkum and hokum
all over the place. 10 take refuge in
! the company of shrewd and benevolent
MIR. Tut.
| This volume holds Ave adventures.
| genuine 100 per cent adventures all OF
| them in which Tut stands not only
/ as the Shrewd advocate but. upon oc-
! casion also. as the special providence
/ for distressed and endangered humans.
| These stories. drawn straight off from
/ the present. prove conclusivelv that
| neither the ancient of days nor remote
| regions OF the earth have any corner
on either romance or adventure. Elec-
/ trio with the crackle and snap of the
/ passing moment. matters carry on
! chiefly here by way OF the shrewd and
| smiling optimism OF Mr.. Tut, Laugh
I ing l read. but the laughter IS warm
&tssftt 70 re If +@Na
{ ness doing its bit here and there IN
| the person Of an expert lawyer. Mr.
! Tut.
! DUE RECKONING BY Stephen
| McKenna, author Of The Secretary
of State" etc. Boston: Little,
Brown 81 Co.
| CTEPHEN McKENNA'S prime alb
- sorption Is clearly. English politics.
/ that see-saw OF opposing parties and
/ prime ministers all ardent in equal
measure for wholly divergent policies
of British power and prestige, BY good
/ right. therefore. McKenna should have
| been publiciSt. even 4 pamphleteef.
| But invariably his writing hand has
! turned toward romance as the medium
o. political exposition Novel after
OF current English politics. Across this
familiar background. each story pre-
SentS some dominant figure whose
character temperament, ambition and
activity are calculated to portray some
high moment OF political rivalry and
competition. 1t IS Mayfair. IS rule,
/ that contributes such Of romance as the
author feels constrained to provide. As
romance these novels are plainly 3
shade pallid beside the luSty political
icryorS that are their main support
Smooth. engaging, wayviSe these ro-
manceS certainly are in the reading
Vet, away from them by even short
stretch Of time, one tndS himself not
readily able 10 tell which from which.
Due Reckoning" takes It's name from
one OF the unehanging mcralitieS run
ming. roughly. 10 the effect that you set
pretty much what YOU give, Specifically.
here, the point Is that II a woman steals
another womanS husband, even III high
life She need not be surprised when he
is again Seduced to another sealty, ~
other fcaltieN This domestic concern rs,
however. So Smothered In the at
moSphere OF politics. in the arts and
craft OF political supremacy OH the part
Of the great man III the case that 1t
comes 10 be merely the medium ~ an
exaggerated personal ambition A cent
petrnt survey at English politics do'}t
in the terms of n domestic romance y!
retrihution,
THE BEGINNERS. lily Henry ktChel
Webster. author Of The Real All
venture, etc indianapolis. The
Bohbs Merrill CO,
I<AlI uRk to connect up with any u
the remarkable successes IN lite Is
\ common maiady, II Is the particular
altment ut the story IN hand II 1t &c
true, rs the old saying runs, that
misery loves company. why, then thlS
novel Is secure IN wide feadinG ana
many returns, The man II this BOOK