Evening star., 1928-12-23
BY IDA GILBERT MYERS.

THE SPANISH PAGEANT. Ay Arthur
Stanley Riggs. Illustrated. In
dianapolis: The Bobbs-Merrill Com
pany.
TT started 20 years ago-this authors
desire to know Spain and, just
possibly, some day to write book
i about 1t. The day Is here. The
book Is at hand.
On official service in the Philippines,
Mr.. Riggs became keen to the complete
Spanish stamp of the islands. No
doubt, too, his mind slipped back to
his own country and the lands below
1t, all of them rich in signs that Spain
at the height of her glory had passed
that way. Then began the sailings to
Spain and home again, many times.
Out of these migrations has come "The
Spanish Pageant" Brilliant, swift
moving, kaleidoscope in its sudden
shifts, yet marked by an inner unity,
the book is clearly q pageant" But
it is infinitely more than this. Behind
this gorgeous show stands Spain itself,
alive dynamic and significant. In the
20 years devoted pretty completely to
this country, Mr.. Riggs appears to have
soaked up Spain In all of its essentials,
body and spirit. And now, easily,
simply, and without apparent effort, he
simply oozes Spain-the natural back
ground Of its impressive history, its
cities made, unmade, and made again
by one after another of the tribes and
peoples of invasion. In one historic
city and another there is here the ef-
feet of reading the riddle of its rise
and existence by way Of Its streets and
buildings, its monuments, its art, its
great figures. Each Of these has its
testimony to give, its tribute to pay
here and there to this or that great
conqueror, or that great composer Of
ill-assorted elements. History, records
of archaeology, legends from q pre-
historic past, the testimony OF archi-
lecture and other forms of art, q thou
sand anecdotes and incidents gathered
from the preSent-all these meet here
in an amazingly lifelike revelation OF
great people. That the author Is an
the more exacting as to the authenticity
Of his reportings, serves as well to ami
mate the whole panorama Of this
national life with its own high spirit.
The other day I saw the King of
Spain on the screen and heard him
talk. That same night met him in
this book talking to Mr.. Riggs. The
same man. When mention was made
by this author on the fact that the
King was q hard working man-"Don
Alfonso suddenly looked tired, but he
smiled and said something to the eff
feet that when he was born nobody
consulted him about what he would
like to be. They just set him to work
and kept him at 1t, so all he could do
was to carry on and make the best
record possible" That was the way
he looked on the screen-tired. diffident,
book is of the vividness of that per-
sonal contact with the King of Spain.
It's knowledge has, no doubt, been
spread out many times. Its spirit, how
ever, is of warmth of appreciation,
its portrayal of nearness that will not,
in a long time, be surpassed, If, indeed.
it be approached.
FABULOUS NEW ORLEANS. BY
Lyle Saxon, author of Father Mis-
sissippi." Illustrated by E. H. Suy-
dam. New York: The Century Co.
A LONE of American cities, New
Orleans partakes clearly of the
fabulous" So does Lyle Saxon, in
that he still holds on to a good faith
In all sorts of acceptances which the
simon-pure elders in speedy skep-
ticism learn early to reject.
When Saxon was a boy Of 10 or
thereabout an old negro Of the family
took him out into the streets for o
long day of Mardi Gras merrymaking.
And, as If 1t were yesterday, that day
takes possession Of one. Here, through
the eyes of that same small boy, raw
ished by the splendor of it all, the
carnival makes its way before uS-a
pattern both SumptuouS and groteSQue
It is the Mardi Gras, projected in such
zest that sets the key of New Orleans,
according to Lyle Saxon. as it sings
and dances and makes love and fights
on up to these latter days, when it is
settling to the sobrieties of industry
and trade and progress. Happily, the
author makes short shrift of these days
OF modern usefulness, of the sorry fact
that New Orleans is of age and Is more
or less seriously bent upon settling
down. Fabulous New Orleans" is in
the main concerned with the play
time of the city. with its younger days
OF romance and adventure, with the
mixed strains of blood that here take
effect In strange beliefs and astonishing
customs. French. Spanish, the white
American, negroes of both pure and
dilute strains, Creoles-these are all
contributors to the ultimate character
and personality of this captivating city
OF the South. And with Saxon we go
about the town-along the river, up to
see the big oaks sacred to those whose
offended sense Of honor demanded the
duel in restitution, into the haunted
house" through q creepy twilight, and
through the deserted streets in the
hideous days Of the plague. Then, be-
ing good, thoroughgoing moderns, we
walk through the new city, though our
hearts are back with thc eerie stuff of
the old town. But. whether with the
new or the old, we are constrained joy
ouSly to pay tribute to Lyle Saxon and
his picturemaker, Mr.. Suydam, for a
truly enchanting book on "a spot that
possesses so much Of fable and charm.
THE THREE PASSIONS. BY Cosmo
Hamilton, author of Caste" etc.
New York: G. P. Putnam's Sons.
A SAVAGE story. Well, it is a saw
age theme. History and the cave
man and current life all give support
ing evidence of this No other three
Va O1hAA AtyAAd0 PaooAOk1o nave 0ASCu
him to such ferocities Of behavior as
have these-love, religion, money. And
these make up the foundation Of this
romance. A modern outlook. So love
personifies itself In the modern young
woman-capable, fortnight, knowing
what she wants and taking a straight
line toward 1t. Pretty, and mostly un-
dressed-you know the pattern. Maybe
she is outrageous. Mr.. Gibbs makes
case against her, swapping her head
off at every page. But the girl has
lot Of heads, all of which she is using
herself and the reluctant young fellow
who, when she proposes quite frequent
ly. snarls and declares mot by d
sight," or words even more conclusive.
However-well, she does it, at last. and
he certainly makes better bargain
than she does. This episode, this theme,
provides for the other two-religion
and money It Is the bov who gets