Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-08-11

kOua, or Ieao through MongOua 10
Chinese Turkestan"-so SAYS the author
history Of Mongolia-in bread outlines
n,erges Immediately here In the present
state Of the caravan trade Of this re-
sion. This the Background Of the par
ticular undertaking In hand. The
business itself includes the daily COM
rferce with those natural features Of
the Monaghan route Is are expressed
in the hard day-long passage Of sand
mountains, Of lesser dunes, Of winding
rocky ways, OF welcome Gases, Of pauses
for rest and refreshment. The daily
returns Of such ardors Of travel are
gathered into this volume In bulk Of
geographical knowledge that has been
sifted TO authentic facts bearing
upon climate, the face Of the land,
changes that come TO this by way Of
storm and the ceaseless ehiftings Of the
earth's surface. This geographical
racial content Of this far region, modes
Of life, and the traditions that hold
among the people, their religion, with
rites attending 1t. In q word. here is
big, packed survey OF inner Asia, one
in which there appears to be no word
Of waste, no departure from the original
purpose Of describing the authors e1-
perience In crossing the Monaghan
Desert. The record should stand at
the summit Of geographical knowledge
concerning this remote part Of inner
Asia. The author has spent his life In
the East. He knows. And here he
tells use about this unkrown-generally
unkrown-stretch Of Asiatic desert, In
full and rounded account based on per-
sonal investigation and experience.
a
BY WAY OF ART. Criticisms Of Music.
Literature, Painting. Sculpture and
the Dance. BY Paul Rosenfeld, au-
thor Of The Boy In the Sun" etc.
New York: Coward-McCan Inc.
A DELIGHTFUL book for those
"A who are somewhat on their way in
the matter OF art and its expectations
For those Of US who have not yet gained
the full highway Of knowledge in art.
who have not vet soaked IL down 70 the
inner places where the power Of dis
elimination rules-why, to US the book
Is a shade elusive In displaying charms
that we know to be hiding Just around
the corner. Here is q writer who has
reached the place where he can pick
and Choose rare but inconspicuous
thing Of beauty here, an unobtrusive
gesture OF genius over there. We, far
behind him. do. however. get distinct
pleasure in this excursion of a pure
amateur through so many branches of
art BE sure TO get that word anna
teur." as it is meant to stand here)
II one is inclined to be In the least
with the knowledge and the apprecia-
ton of Paul Rosenfeld, with so many
exclusions that are far from the COM
mon reading habit. He should explain
oftener and more fully. AS matter Of
fact. he is not counting you and me as
readers. Rather Is he indulging him
self In "reminiscences Of q land familiar
to him. 50 familiar, indeed, as to make
no call for stresses and accents here
and there. All Of piece are the excur-
sions here into an exclusive region of
his own personal Delights beautiful
company, though, Of dancers, musicians,
equipment and outlook. modern In i'm
pact and influence. Criticism here Is
of the dispassionate sort-as II Ger
tainly should be-of the wisely know
ing sort. A book for the leisure hour,
wherein you win come upon. not the
popular genius but that genius Of the
subtler and finer spirit that here re-
ceives such fair and competent atten-
ton at the hands Of Paul Resented,
appreciation and waywise appraiser of
art in its many forms.
THE YELLED DOOR. BY. Caroline
Giltinan, author Of The Divine
Image" New York: The Macmillan
Co.
A BOOK Of lyrics by q Washington
"A writer. As lyrics do, these verses
H. ~--sI koa e. hat
lead us all here and there without let
or hindrance;. as lyrics do also, these
verses sing to beat and measure the
tune varying with each reader. Quite
fawless are these little poems In that
matter of cadence; not hating step,
not break In the march anywhere
among them.
The range Of themes is wide. though
there Is here clear preponderance of
religious thought and inspiration
Christmas and Its significance, Easter,
Calvary. Epiphany. Nature, too, has q
high place In these verses, as 1t would
magicians. the clouds and the land
scape--you know-come into these songs
by right Of their commonly accepted
beauty and power.
The lyric poet is not easy to read.
Why? It seems to me that this is be-
cause each little poem seeks TO capture
nood-the poets mood at the mo-
nent. Once In long time such mood
may chime in with that of the reader.
In that case there is full communion
between the two. More often, however
with puckered brow. wondering just
what IL was that the writer felt so
keenly at this point or at that one. Out
Of key, We call that most elusive
thing. a passing mood. With leisure
and sunny day and an open mind and
Joyous heart: with all of this, sit down
some Gay In the company OF The
Yelled Door"-iust all Of life that
Yelled Door" is-and you will gather.
much as the bee gathers from the
flower.
WHO SHALL HANG? BY Marcus Ma
gill. Philadelphia: J. B. Lippincott
Co.
THE popularity Of mystery tales
murder preferred-and the greedy
reach for those newspapers whose faces
are blacklist with the ink OF every man.
ner of social erraney are sourced deep
in the human heart. To himself every
man and boy Is q tremendous creature.
1t Is only the dull world that sets up
barrier against any adequate exercise of
his powers. Courage, daring, ingenuity,
subtlety-all these qualities and many
more belong to him If only there were
opportunity and occasion to drive them
out into the open of heroic action. so.
cribbed. cabined and confined. the only
outlet for his surprising self is by way
Of romance: by way of the gorgeous nc
ton through which he, the personal
reader, sees himself the hero. the magi-
clan, the master mind. moving tri-
umphantly through even wrongdoing
The writer Of mystery tales knows well
this secret weakness of his reader. 1t
has bad effect upon him, leads to