Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-01-10
NEW BOOKS
AT RANDOM
/. C.. NJ.

~. Appleton 90 co.
With plant and animal alike. with a
head OF cabbage no less than with
dome-topped man himself, the process
OF transplanting offers no points OF
essential difference. With both 1t con-
sists In an uprooting from the native
SOIL ana a resetting within alien
in part upon the ability to find susie
nance In the composition of the fresh
rootage. and In even greater part upon
the power OF plant. or human, TO make
prompt and full self adaptation to the
general requirements OF the new en-
vironment. 1t Is upon this familiar and
effective figure OF husbandry that Brand
Whitlock's novel rests for a searching
examination into the social alliances set
up by way OF the marriage rite between
the United States and Europe.
The story read, its first and strong
est impression is that OF the authors
deliberate avoidance Of any lure toward
a sensational or melodramatic develop
ment such as under another choice,
might have produced a hectic but
plausible account. might indeed have
given explicit but lurid record OF many
an international marriage. Such. how
ever. Is not the authors plan. Rather
is he bent upon drawing an essential
social contrast between America and
France by way of portraying the
marked attitude OF France toward mar
rage and the home. In order to meet
such plan Mr.. Whitlock chooses Dorothy
Manning, rich American girl. It is the
character of this girl that defines the
clear middle ground OF the authors
purpose. she who pitches the key to his
temperate mood Of development. Had
this daughter of old Mannings mil
lions been ~spoiled-as she so easily
might have been-had she been arro-
CANT, selfish. temperamental. this would
have been a different story. SO there is
here just nice girl, pretty. well
dressed. not disturbingly clever-just a
nice girl whose instinct Is that OF the
natural girl. running toward love and
a lover. toward marriage and home and
children. Sounds a bit unexciting. i
agree. But her role is not TO dazzle.
Her role is to make such Roadway rs
she. and her money, can in her French
husbands home which is the bulwark
of family tradition and family pride.
The average spoiled American heireSs
month and then there would have beer
no story.
For. in substance as well as in fine
portrayal. this is novel OF French
ideals in respect to the family which.
as nowhere else. stands the unshakabie
foundation Of French life. Since this is
the case and since men are pretty much
alike the world over. 1t deyolves upon
the women of the French family 10
carry on in dignity. in -effacement.
in total blindness TO the seemingly
necessary dalliances of the male element
in the family partnership. in devotion
to the children who hereafter are TO
sustain the family tradition and pride.
Indeed. it appears that France Is an
essential matriarchate. its women up
holding the seemliness and integrity OF
the family life from generation 10 gen.
Grafton. Propriety OF behavior. polished
formality Of department. a complete
overlooking Of such unbecoming truths
as dare to show themselves in the fam
lily circle. The head of the house. TO
be sure. makes genunections and ses-
lures, but he hardly counts except in
a biological capacity.
Such is the new soil for the growth
OF this transplanted American. AZ frst.
like any other pampered daughter OF
the rich on this side Of the water. she
resents the open philandering of her
new husband. resents the hardly con-
cealed knowledge Of the family as 10
his many errancies. She feels the
shock Of awareness that IL IS her money
that is to rebuild the historic house OF |
the CARNATIONS. But-this is her haS-
band. she is young and in love. she is
very much alone in formal and GER +.
enormous circle whose charm Of be- |
hayior Is 10 degree fascinating, 10 a
degree disqualifying for lone hand |
TO play against And for q long time
the author holds her 10 this supine role. |
but that shows his insight. No girl. |
single handed. could make immediate
headway. II Roadway at all. against so
formidable an institution as FTenca
tradition and pride OF family. But.
after all. this Is hard-headed old Man
ning's daughter. And so. in the course
OF time. with little son very much III
her heart. very much in her plans FOR
his future the girl proves 10 be the or
spring Of her shrewd American father.
The gentle but very effective cneckmaie
set up by her for her son asains, the
bulwark o! family claims gives the
reader q genuine thrill OF JOY. The
game was getting too one-sided for any
sort o. sporting interest.
This novel. centered upon the home
concept of the French ar:Stocrat. en- |
bodies the contrasting ideals az this +!
point between France and. say. cur |
own country. II portrays more phil |
osophic spirit than our own, more |
waywise tolerance toward anything that |
is assumed 10 involve the greater good |
TO the family as whole. II oespeaks |
an older clviliTation~-mayoe wiser |
one. One at any rate that counts |
cannily the truth OF much thar We |
deny by the simple eSpecien; OF cover
ing II over. Nearer by and as means |
Va
of the authors intimate knowledge OF /
the theme. OF hts rightfal sense OF Sc |
curity in creating a novel OF rine SUD-
stance and Of deep interest out OF the |
historic habit OF thought that has oe-
veioped French civilization, A human /
story. withal, whose movement ana s0s-
pense and outcome command unoroken |
and enthusiastic attention from the /
reader.
GILMAN OF BEDFORD. William |
Stearns Davis The Macmillan CO. |
Gilman O. BEDFORD himself tells the /
story. though Gilman has been dead /
many n long wear II Is, however. now
and then the Office Of the competent |
and inspired novelist 10 bring the dead
hack TO HE, TO set him upon MS oalN |
way. TO revive in him the lost art az |
and recount,ng the things |
which. in the flesh. he himself saw and |
heard and did and said, William
Stearns Davis is one such novelist, FRS;
the historian MS more than one volume
proves History appears 10 have ste~ed
and brewrd within this writer III u mas
taken on the fiavors and conS.stencies
Of romance. So. nowadays. the historic
novel is proving Ia I've part OF the
rich harvest Of this mans learning and
story telling power And here II Is the
New England youth, Roger Gilman, VINO
steps out from days that were makins
the Revolution inevitable. 10 tell "! the
IN Boston and roundabout
when King Georges troops were quar-
tered upon the town. In sum. this Il
the record of those troubled DAYS that
American history counts among us
b. Ngxs.s ID dad