Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-04-07
IDA GILBERT MYERS.

IDA GAL6EMT MYERS.
ON MEDITERRANEAN SHORES. BY
Emil Ludwig, author Of Bismarck:
The story Of Fighter" etc. Trans
lated by Eden and Cedar Paul. IL
Illustrated. Boston: Little. Brown q
Co.
" Y AvING done both Bismarck and
Napoleon, geographically speak
ing, and having, besides, Gre
II ated a nobly imaginative study
of Jesus, Emil Ludwig appears
to have declared himself holiday. The
shores of the Mediterranean his chosen
playground. But, among the many
tyrannies Of habit, that Of work Is per-
haps the most memorable. Mind and
body set TO the motions Of toll, turn ur-
readily TO the dancing steps OF pastime.
So 1t Is here--so, luckily for US, 1t Is
here. For this holiday jaunt brings
the traveller back with semicirclet OF
jeweled recollections within his grasp.
Here Is Genoa, the starting point, then
Capri and Paestum and Palermo and
Rome. Across to Tunis and on to Egypt
and into Palestine, then to STEAMBOAT
and, finally, into Greece and so home.
Surprising source Of history and legend
Is this spread Of earth. Of ancient
memories refreshed by the succeeding
ages Of repetition and regarnishment
It is Ludwig, the historian. who goes
apiaying here, rather than the mere
idler OF for rest and recreation. Habit,
you see. It Is ancient Rome, lifting
here and there In crumbling ruin that
invites not the passing show Of modern
Rome. It Is the lone pillars OF Paestum
that call, the old Egypt that beckons,
not the new.
To many a reader the most capti-
waiting adventure of all will be that OF
Ludwig's search for the battlefield of
ancient Troy, for his trail of Helen
under the guidance, in part, Of old
Homer himself. Under the guidance,
in other part, of his own countryman,
Schliemann, who dug out of the ground
that age-old romance Of two men and
a woman. This you viii concede to
be the best story Of all, 1t may be by
virtue of the fact that your own poor
struggles with Homer's text have given
1t q personal touch. The romance OF
Schliemann Is q genuine one, that OF
the hard-headed German looking for
ward all his life to the pursuit Of I'M
earthing Helen, with pick and spade,
of setting her tremendous affairs above
ground in broken stones and crumbled
shard. In following his dream, Schlie-
mann left house and home and frau, to
take on a Greek wife who could enter
into his project by way Of her native
speech and q lifelong touch with the
spot under which was fought the war
Of Helen's making. This sounds like q
modern story, as 1t Is in all but the
exact pattern of ways and means. Its
spirit Is as timely as the dawn of this
April morning. However, you will pass
on to many another point of absorbing
interest, In this fine blend OF science and
romance It Is all enjoyable, stirring
in its effect Of rebirth for many long
forgotten adventures of the human in
his enterprise of being human. Each
picture Of this past Is crystal concen-
tration, is . jewel fash Of light and
color.
THE GREAT GALILEAN. BY Robert
Keable. Boston: Little, Brown &,
Co.
- OBERT KEABLE was the son oil
~ an English clergyman. He him
self became minister of the gospel,
preaching as young man on the
streets of London and, later. going out
to Africa as missionary. For reasons
good To him. one assumes, he left the
ministry, but he did not cease to preach.
Indeed. THE Great Galilean" will by
many. no doubt, be counted surpass-
ing sermon.
Robert Keable was a scholar. 1t is
largely by way of research and learn
ing that this book came into being
Yet, 1t Is simple projection. well with
in the reach of all. It's great value
lies. 1t seems to me, in its orderly
treatment, in its excellent organiza-
tion-both elements Of simplicity and
clarity.
The author makes a study Of Jesus
from three points of approach. There
is first q review of what Mr.. Keable
calls the traditional Jesus--the Jesus
around whom grew the body Of report
Of hearsay, Of actual contact. of recol-
lection and then Of the whole sum OF
secondhand information. Again. there
Is re-survey Of Jesus as history took
alton of the period in which Christ
was born and of his work later, and
of the events that rounded the short
life into an earthly tragedy. At this
point the author summarizes the status
IL historical research at that period, It's
means and appliances for securing &C.
curate and lasting reports. Again. the
study brings forward the theological
teachings about the Savior as these
have crystallized within the purpose Of
the church as an instrument oil
salvation.
Such clear organization of the theme
as q whole produces q clarifying me.
dunn for approach to subject towarc
which no one can be Indifferent
Beyond this treatment, so plainly help.
full, there Is the reverent attitude Of thu
author himself. there Is the spirit OF
the man toward a subject for which HI
has deep sympathy and tender love
The study, 1t seems to me, draws one
nearer to Jesus, through its cleal
desire to understand. There may bt
those who will object. object even with
out reading the book. There will BIZ
those who will draw from it happiness
and q nearing impulse toward such o
treatment as this book gives. So, some
Will read 1t and some viii let 1t alone
And that is as 1t should be. :
#**
A DEAD MAN DIES. BY Percy Marks
author of 1.-THE Plastic Age etc
New York: The Century Co.
HAVING read the story, speculation
rises as to why the title, since
1t has so little to do with the matters
In hand. However, that is not vital
Probably titles are for the eye and 9
stir to curiosity. There is within the
romance thin implication that
the husband In this case, although
dead, possessed potency in the be-
haviors Of his bereft lady. Not at all
leave 1t to you. Had this deceased
man such power, would he not have
put his dead foot down against the two
husbands that followed him in q rather
unseemly haste? You know that he
would. Moreover, the implication Of
his influence in the situations that
simply swarmed around this beguiline
widow Is nothing more than a clear
drag-in by the author. Yet If you
choose your ground this Is one of the
most engaging novels imaginable. II
Is the work OF q waywise man, way
wise TO the heart Of this particular
kind of woman. And he has art In
the ordered points OF the drama and