Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-01-20


sin and ultimate hell FIRE, inventing
witchcraft to delude and lead astray
the unwary, making even the infrequent
playtimeS SnareS for the weak. AS mat
ter of fact the Puritan was scared al
most to death all the time by the
immediate presence of the most artful
of powers, one that knew every kink
in the dangerous weakness of mere
man Good history and good fun COM
mend this book to one of the easy
hours when Suave and humorous
man of learning is more welcome than
any other companion that could be
imagined. In such an hour just call up
this professor of history and ask him
over for a couple of hours or so.
& y
STRANGE FRUIT, BY Phyllis Bot
tome. Boston; Houghton Miff1in Co.
TWENTY short stories by writer who
delivers substance along with her
art of novel writing. These lesser tales.
too, possess this satisfying character
istic, of being about. something as we'll
as of being constructed with purpose
and plan and carrying power. Every
day of the world is packed with short
stories of many colors and meanings.
The shortage Is in writer's of capability.
Not many of theSe-maybe half dozen,
maybe not. Here, however, is one of
the small group. Going about her af-
fairs, Phyllis Bottome is likely to be
confronted by story. I wouldn't see
1t. You would not. But she and her
small tribe do see it.. They take 1t up,
shaping it with work at this point or
that one to make it transferable as an
inf nj ~
I for others to see and feel. That is
| what she has done here. Nothing
greatly out Of the way here. And this is
the prime value of these tales as it is
also their clear art. Here is miracle"
all set out in engaging and convincing
words-nothing but the comeback of
a great actress to her lost art. If that
is not a miracle, what is? And so with
THE Plain CaSe"-So plain as to be in
reality not the ease" at all. So, too,
with 1.-THE objectionable Sin." story
Of four good and respectable people,
and * Dangerous Character" a per-
son OF clearly praiseworthy purpose and
effort. Miss Bottome has a flair for the
| older character the spinster, the woman
destitute of too-patent lure. Just rs
she makes use of heroiSms that are not
listed as such. A positive fortnight
woman when it comes to opinion and
straight comment. An artist when it
| comes to color and atmosphere and &C
ton. A splendid person to have around
when the good substance of literature
in either long story or short one-is
that which stands as the need Of the
reader who is not easy to please.
\ X \
| ADVENTURE. BY Rosita Forbes. au-
thor of From Red Sea to Blue Nile"
etc. Illustrated by Robin d'Erlanger.
Boston: Houghton Mifiin Co.
REEN everywhere, seen everything
~ such, with but very little shaving
of, might be said of this adventurer,
traveller, author. Every place, save the
| one where she for the time being
chances to be, constitutes for her the
| irresistible lure. Or so 1t seems to one
who merely runs over the far-farings
of this enthusiastic and intrepid woman.
This particular book is made of sheaf
of journeyings, Snatched up out of a
full granary of travel in all parts of
the world. I opened it at random. My
eyes picked this from about the middle
OF page: Il hadn't washed my hands
in II days nor taken a bath"-now I
think 1t was three months" One likes
to be accurate about statements of this
sort. You would better verify that no.
bath period. The point with me was
that this promised the distance from
anywhere, the remoteness from all the
stuff roundabout, of which I stood in
such need. So right of decided to go
along with RoSita Forbes into isolate
corners where strange adventures of a
less new and shiny cast waited the dar-
ing. Twelve highly seasoned years
became the groundwork of our activi-
| ties. Odd peoples with odder ways OF
| life offered to us the novelty which we
were hunting, places Of amazing
| strangenesS and beauty came at our
| call, old ancient ways sprang into mod
ern forms, buried customs came to the
surface. A book Of wonders, this one
| turned out to be, for, remember, it
stands as the choice out Of many high
| ly seasoned" years. spicy, tangy book
of change. Of danger, of Joy, of the
sheer gladness of being a rover. Com
municable, too, so that with its reading
there comes to the reader a sense Of
actual partaking in the vivid interests
of the whole round world itself If you
| want to go omeWhere-somewhe