Evening star., 1929-07-28

Ioosest, posture Of the easiest, with
cool breezes coming along to gossip
silently beside one, maybe q bird just
up there getting along with life in his
bird way-this way of world travel
beats o thousand miles end more the
hurry, the crowds the indistinct views,
the medley Of vital and trivial impress
sions that one Grams into his kit as he
hastens to catch the next lap Of the
tremendous business Of Summer travel.
Well, here we are-going with George
Horton to the delectable Isles of Greece
Oh, yes, he has been there before. not
only there, but to almost all the other
places of lure that the earth holds.
Therefore, this destination Is a real
choice Moreover, the guide, Mr.. Hor-
ton, within this domain Of poetry and
song Of myth and legend, within this
home Of the old gods whom We all love,
has, 50 to speak, the run OF the house.
He knows from many associations the
very spots where these things, and
these, came to pass to the wonder and
delight Of all mankind. SO. with him.
hither and thither, we 60, catching old
fragrances, divining old marvels, actu-
ally coming upon Zeus and Venus and
Neptune and host Of lesser gods, COM
ing upon lovely natural beauties, upon
shrines where old fact and Older myth
dispute their claims before our very
eyes. To all the islands Of Greece are
we led. folk-tales on the one hand.
gospel truth on the other. John of
Patmos over here, Lesbian Sappho,
singing, over there. A scholar is the
guide Better yet, an artist he is, too.
Scholarship Is good to keep US in
place, as 1t were. But 1t Is the artist
that makes us sing In the company of
m v,a,,rh ~ hnantu in nature In the
old ideas of life and the world, In the
ancient fancies that served, somehow,
to solve the riddle Of life, after a fash
ion, maybe as true q fashion as the one
of which we now make SO free use. A
beautiful adventure-going with George
Horton around the Grecian Isles.
where the nymphs and vampires lived
and live even to this day.
CHARLOTTE CORDAY: And Certain
Men of the Revolutionary Torment"
BY Marie Cher. New York: D. Ap-
pleton d Co.
A GAINST the background of the
"A French Revolution this author sets
one by one those who gave human
significance to that event even IN its
hours Of deepest inhumanity and terror.
Danton, Marat. Robespierre. Charlotte
Corday-these the rallying points. these
the heart and soul Of that epoch
making point in French history in all
modern history as well. Now, this Is an
old theme, q well worn theme. 1t has
for more than 100 years held honorable
place in the dull print Of textbook
histories. Yet, despite such disqualified
ton, the book in hand is fresh and
immediate and personal. These leaders
in one of the worlds great movements
are not even today dead men. This girl
Is alive and importunate In her appeal
to current interest The Old material
pertaining to this theme has been
gathered in its completeness-fresh
additions at points here and there.
And such material has been quickened
by the new outlook and method to
which nowadays historic and Geographic
matter Is being subjected. The study
shows the creative effect OF this new
method. With the grain OF inheritance
and temperament belonging to these
men and this woman as her starting
point, as her single legitimate point OF
departure in each case, Miss Cner
selects out of the various influences OF
time and event around them just such
forces of growth as naturally In every
case contributed to the work OF each.
From such q constructive procedure one
after another of these famous revolu-
tionists becomes alive again, becomes
an immediate personality, acting
through that combination Of tempera-
ment and circumstances which serves
as the motivating influence Of all OF us.
Charlotte Corday and the others are not
monsters of insane passions. She is
instead, like the others. the logical
product Of her birth and upbringing.
of her nature and her desires working
out through the daily life around her.
A very vital book this. by way OF wnicn
one re-enters in new spirit OF ols.
cernment and understanding that
hitherto half f-sensed day OF reckoning
that goes by the name OF the Frencn
Revolution.
MERMAID AND CENTAUR. BY Kup-
ert Hughes, author Of THE Lovely
Ducklines," etc. New York: Harper
b Bros.
WITHOUT love for material to work
w upon the novelist would soon go
bankrupt. Unhappy love 1t must De,
too. since the other kind offers no
a world packed with unrequited pas
sion the fiction maker is more than
once, no doubt, put to his wits end for
q fresh way Of projecting the mani
fold miseries OF love gone wrong. Here
Is q case in point. Rupert Hughes
lS popular novels stacked behind him
appears to have found himself in the
deep slough Of overwriting. Of nothing
to work upon. What to do next? What
to do! And here is the thing that he
did. A fantastic performance! Look
at the material. A deformed child.
Zarna. circus magician, doing wonders
Of diving-whence the name mermaid"
A singing seal, Susanne. The circus has
come to the hamlet nearby which the
cripple girl lives on O farm with her
brother Jason. 1t Is Jason-father and
mother and god to the little girl-who
Is set to carry on in the situation. He
becomes inspired with the amazing hope
Of letting the little Rita see the mer-
maid and the singing seal. This he &C
In . blaze OF compassion
Rita. Wife and sister, you see. Suzanne
becomes q piece of household furniture.
And the relic of the greatest show
on earth" takes its disconsolate leave
Of the fateful hamlet Of its undoing
Nonsense! Even q novelist-that most
and hopeful Of wage
know that he can't get
away with q thing like that. Well. he
cannot and does not. AS soon as q
tragedy In love takes on even a shade
Of the fantastic the deep sense Of pity
steps out for the income of that fatal
sense of the absurdity of the matter.
Rupert Hughes is, more than likely on
vacation, lying back upon the popularity
the earned popularity-that those ls
Il20,l;!;l1,E