Evening star., 1928-12-16
REVIEWS OF WINTER BOOKS
Wide Range Is Covered in the Holiday OHerlngs-New
Fiction by H. G. Wels-1rvipg Bachelor
Writes of Boyhood.

distinction. adding most appropriately to
the artistry of the whole. =
X X y 4
SCARLET SISTER MARY. BY Julia
Peterkin. author of Black April"
Indianapolis: The Bobbs-Merrill Co.
THE world is poor in understanding,
Il poverty-stricken in this respect. 1t
is such lack more than any other that
accounts for the deep cruelty of prac-
tically every aspect of human inter-
course. Sounds a shade sententious,
pretentious, too. Yet, it is intended to
carry only the good word that here is
a book, a novel at that, which stands
a true treasure house of comprehen-
sion. No. it is not preachment. Any
thing but. 1t is, on the other hand,
highly dramatic, deep-dyed story of
Gullah negroes living on the great Blue
Brook Plantation. The big house
abandoned. the place is run by the
black folks. These hold complete
possession of this romance, too.
The amazement comes, and comes
speedily, at the authors deep knowl-
edge of these Gullah negroes. Their
beliefs are rooted far away from any
thing that We know as civilization.
L
and comprehends them. as she does the
elaborate ritual that attends every act
OF the day, as she does the blend of
superstition and religion that serves in
such ardors of joy or grief to satisfy
their souls. 1t is upon such a basis
of understanding that the story Of
Sister Mary is built. Scarlet? Oh,
all of that. as a houseful of unsired
children makes clear. And yet, and
yet-Mary is so simple, SO honest, so
faithful. SO motherful, SO dear, that
well, here we are with a chance to
take a little exercise in the wholesome
business of comprehension. However,
if this is too much of tax upon un-
used procesSes-why, just let us shift
to admiration of the art of this writer
in creating a tremendously interesting
romance on subject of much dubiety
and many handicapS.
THE WAY 1T WAS WITH THEM. BY
Peadar ODonnell. New York: G.. P.
Putnams Sons.
WITH an eye Of appraisal upon those
who carry on between the lids
Of a novel. any novel, Robert Lynd lays
down a dividing line among them. On
this side stand the few who have been
created. On that are the thousands
who have been merely invented. Even
the beloved Sherlock Holmes is, accord
ing to this estimate, of the fabricated
variety. The passing survey comes by
way of Mr.. Lynds introduction of q
new novelist, a Gaelic Irishman, Peader
ODonnell, author of THE Way 1t Was
With Them" Here is a creator, not
an inventor. Having read the novel,
you will, think, agree that such is its
promise, at least. for the writing ca
reer of Peadar O'Donnell.
The story is of island setting, an up
nosing of rock out of the sea along the
Irish coast. Patches of soil caught on
the ragged stone surface or worn from
it. bits Of bog or other scanty whatnot
of land, constitute the farms" of the
folks of Arranmore. These, bringing
their farms" along. have moved into
the story, have taken possession of it,
working it out in a strict tally with
their own daily existence and III the
exact pattern of their outlook and be-
haviOr and speech.
Peadar O'Donnell used to teach
school on the island, rowing out to it
from the mainland every morning and
BACK at nlgnC. again, ne uSeQ 10 1OlIOW
the men of Arranmore across TO Scot
land for the potato diggings. They in
terested him deeply. They passed into
him, so to speak. where through the
alchemy of a dramatic imagination,
they were held alive. coming out to us
in exactly that state. They move
through this story on their daily work
of feeding themselves and their fanni-
lies, filled with small concerns, diverted
by small pleasures. always in the shade
of those invisible beings with whom the
Trishman is on terms of both fear and
friendship. The talk is straight, often
strong. now and then obscure with
racial peculiarities The point is, that
the people and the story appear to fit
IS the skin fits the body. Aud this Is