Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-12-29

had known, her father had understood
Of which even Dutch william had par
taken. had not descended to heI. She
did not feel unhappy, only very tired"
r. M. K.
THE MAN BEHIND THE BOOK: Es-
says in Understanding. BY Henry
| Van Dyke, author of Companion
able Books" etc. New York: Charles
Scribner's Sons.
TT is the finely proportioned blend of
man and book that accounts, 1t
seems to me, for the satisfying and
companionable effect OF this volume of
studies by Mr.. Van Dyke. In so far as
affect the quality of his work to that
extent does this critic deal with those
facts. The plan results in a higher
| illumination, a truer Interpretation.
Some writer's exclude the personal life
entirely from critical appraisals. The
effect Is that of an abstraction that
makes no appeal. Others deal with
this too generously, casting the shadow
of pointless gossip over their work.
about the man, or the woman. to &C
count for the direction of the work, for
its purpose, for its fulfllment in depth
and reach. A thoroughly enjoyable
study, a most helpful one wherein Mr..
Van Dyke gives sound appropriations Of
one and another whom we all know
Carlyle, Hardy. George Meredith, Shell
ley, Byron and another. and another
and gives these in lamplight, easy
chair mood that is thoroughly dear and
distinctly helpful The last group OF
studies is-no, not finer than the 9TH
ers, certainly not, but more at ones
elbow, SO to speak. Here Death Comes
for the Archbishop" and THE Bridge
of San Luis Rey" are taken up IN
mellow richness Of critical Judgment
that is as stimulating to the reader as
1t Is bound to be a natter OF Joy ana
pride to Villa Gather and Thornton
Wilder.
THE DEATH OF A HERO. BY Rich
ard Arlington. New York: Covicl-
Friede, Inc.
HERE Is a big story, big in both con-
L tent and projection. The incident
of its origin was daily Commonplace
battle. That Capt. George Winter
bourne had elected to be killed. that
he had deliberately placed himself
within range of the machine-gun bull
lets was the private conviction of his
comrade and friend. Such is the foun-
dalton of the novel, Death of Hero"
The body Of the story goes into an &C
counting of George Winterbourne. The
youth himself, his family for three
generations back, and the England
that these generations represent and
embody-this Is the course and this
the scope of a story that by any fair
reckoning must be recognized as sim
cere and competent work. Almost
ploddinR would have been the effect
Of this authors zeal in digging out the
truth of circumstance and OF ndl-
vidual character involved here had 1t
not been for the superb artistry that
has lifted the solid foundation OF fact
high up into a sheer beauty Of archi-
tectural design and adornment. Yet 1t
Is a story of great simplicity. con-
cerned with matters of common daily
import-another reason why this Is a
great story. And it Is a great story
that Is, If true insight and clear in
depreciation of the human make
portant than man himself for us to
gather q few scraps of actual truth
about? Yes, there has been some I'M
easiness about Richard Arlington and
his new novel-too plain, too free.
Never mind! Here is q deeply tragic
story. fashioned in sympathy and I'M
Outstanding by way of great writing.
| EbCdQ ~ III JOY y yOu1lB kubC0
man can help US to see ourselves and
those around us-maybe in time to
change, If never so little. the sorry
course of some thingS-to see ourselves
by way of his genius with words. Nat
urally, Mr.. Arlington didn't write this
tale as lesson to any one. He was,
instead working like any other artist
with the material Of his art; in his
| case 1t Is the human specifically CIR
cumstanced. Out Of the mass he has
worked a unity and power and beauty
| Of design and effect. But readers want
the leSSon-and here 1t is, since you
insist.
SKETCH OF A SINNER. BY Frank
Swinnerton, author of "Nocturne,"
etc. New York: Doubleday, Doran
and Company.
THIS is the story of LYDIA sinner"
past doubt. For did she not love
three different men, all at the same
time? A married woman at that.
| There was first the husband, rnusty old
Sebastian pottering over his second hand
stun down in the cellar. And Ambrose,
the mad boy. mad but most unSettling.
And then Gerard, older and calculated
to beget visions and dreams Such the
foundation Of the sketch. What Lydia
does about herself makes up the story.
And the story discloses a very profound
knowledge on the part of Mr.. Swimmer
ton Of all the Lydias roundabout. The
first point coming to the top is that
Lydia Is not one woman, but at least
three, or q dozen. And this is true of
every woman In the world, every man
too. One of the three loved old Sc
bastian and took care of him as II she
were his mother. as she was. The gay
young girl inside Lydia rushed out to
meet the raving ardor Of Ambrose.
Only q boy and girl together. as they
were. Something older, riper and
richer, looked across into the eyes, and
heart, OF Gerard. So, each of these
LydiaS had her separate love life. And
was there open outbreak Jealousies,
possibly scandal? oh, nothing of the
sort. Lydia was an outstanding wom-
an, beautiful, outgoing. a lure to men,
but under the lure endowed with a
quality OF steadfaStneSs that in the
long run became a protecting, mother
ing thing toward each of these three
And rather think that Frank Swim
merton never did q truer thing than
when he so simply and strikinRly pro.
jected Lydia, all the Lydias. as, at heart,
nothing more than the lowering ana
homing spirit of the world, the sole
means OF taking care of all the male
infants with which this good old earth
is so plainly crowded
THE WET FLANDERS PLAIN. BY
Henry Williamson, author Of The
Pathway" etc. New York: Z, p,