Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-09-29


work he had set for himself. Today We
question the missionary, suspect hin
Of being q bit meddlesome-but not II
that day was there any question. II
positive pain do we follow the years o.
Adoniram Judson, secure In the faith
of q righteous mission. Then we read
too, of the solace which Sarah Board
man brought to Adoniram as his Sec
ond wife and the most ardent of up
filters for the wild Karens. Together
they established In Rangoon a church
which is today still offering salvation
to a heather people. A stirring story,
an unhappy story. begun and sustained
at a high pitch Of drama. OF human IN
terest, with possibly a vague impilca-
ton Of futility about 1t. Heroic adven-
ture and terrible Self-Surrender rise
vivid and vital. out Of our American
history at the hands Of this sympathetic
and clearly competent dramatist.
THE CHIEF OF THE HERD. BY Dhan
Gopal Mukerji, author OF Gay
Neck" etc. Illustrated by Mahlon
Blaine. New York: z. p. Dutton q
Co.
YOU recall the beautiful story OF
i "Gay-Neck," that heroic wal
pigeon, that happy companion Of his
friend and master. OF course, you re-
member that story, and will for long
long years. I hope. No, am not talk
ing to children now. I'm talking to
any one who had the beautiful expert
ence of going along with this pigeon In
his astonishing career. And now the
story has written, greatly, Of The jungle
life in whose near neighborhood his
own life was spent. This is tale
about elephants. wild herd of these
and of the strange ritual Of Initiation
that brings a new leader 20 the herd
upon the death Of the old king. Not
possessing any kinship for animals. one
Is likely to discount reports Of behavior
on their part which in any degree sp-
proaches the boosted sagacity Of the
'Iord of creation" the man animal
knowing them. even a little. however
discards such superficial knowledge as
worthless and accepts good evidence
that within their needs animals have
worked out an economy of existence
not so greatly behind that of mans
own invention To these Dian Gopal's
tales Of the jungle animals of India
hold q clear fascination through the
insight Of this writer in respect to the
wild life of his country. Understand
ing in spirit, tender in attitude, poetic
and simple in his way Of talking and
writing, Dhan Gopal Mukerji sets down
matters here that no one for a minute
dreams of questioning. The herd life
Of the elephant, the family life, too, are
in terms Of instinct turned to the prac-
teal account Of preserving life and con-
tinuing the herd customs that have
grown from experience in self-preserva-
ton and perpetuation Of the tribe. Sec
ond only to the beautiful story itself
are Mahlon Blaine's illustrations, which
eat and drink and have their active
being straight through the long trail
Of this chief of the herd" enc his fol-
lowers.
FIRE. A novel of Hawaii. BY Armine
Won Tempski, author of Hula" etc
New York: Frederick A. Stokes Co.
T Owe of Hawaii, deep rooted in the
- soft and tenacious stuff of child
hood, has, so far, produced Hawaiian
setting for the spirited romances Of
Armine Won TenpSki. Fire" gives fresh
evidence Of the shaping influences Of
of this novelist. To those born anc
reared within this lone and lovely spot
1t bequeaths Q passion for freedom. Q
revolt against the innumerable short
circuits of crowded places.
This romance, picturesque with the
Hawaiian landscape and compact of it,
characteristic mode of life stands II
substance as that immemorial call Of
the blood which, time out Of mind, has
repeatedly broken through the imposi.
tions Of convention in backward surge
toward its remote beginnings. A girl
born in Hawaii but schooled in the
United States becomes here the case in
point. Once more in her native sur
roundings the girl almost at once comes
under the spell of the early life. The
intervening years fall away. The friend:
made within these years take q dimmeo
second place. Even the young man Of
her choice out of those years becomes
q second choice. Here Is the region OF
glamour-tke lonely uplifting noun
tains, the vast ranches, the thousands
of cattle, ranchmen and cowboys. Here
is space. Here is freedom. Into this
cowboy-mixed Scotch, Spanish, Poly
nesian-he. too, glamorous and desir.
able. And here in the midst of stimu.
lating work and play In the free open
Of the islands there is set up the
familiar contest between sense and nc
sense. Enchantment, however, Is or
the side of ultimate disaster. 1t comes
and at this point the novel assumes
the conventional pattern Of behavior
uncertain note of personal sacrifice
tinged with a new period of self-de-
fusion. A most buoyant beginning
spreads into high excitement and then
slides of to the drab colors of max
ing the best of things. 1t is with the
background of her novels that Armine
Won Tempski achieves freshness. spirit
interest, even a clear and positive
charm.
THE FIVE FLAMBoYS. BY Francis
Bedding, author of "The Seven
Sleepers," etc. Boston: Little, Brown
81 Co.
SOMEBODY with a nose for that sort
~ of trail and time to follow its lead
will no doubt look into MFR. Beeding's
hankering after titles adorned with
numerals Sleepers." six Proud
Walker" Five Flamboys." A deep mat
ter, perhaps. Esoteric even. maybe. But
let us get along with the doings of the
mysterious "Flamboy" group. Romantic,
this writer cannot be satisfied with the
Grass crimes of the familiar urban gang
He requires distance for glamour, for the
appurtenanceS of something like royal
existence, for an easier credulity than
our shard. hoiled proximities permit. So,
off to the Near East does he invite the
reader, there to watch the deep in
trigues of the ''Flamboys" under the
direction of a really inspired rascal, a
captivating gentleman as well. The un-
seating of q youthful king, the theft Of
rich oil wells, the stirring up of revolt
under the promise of that delectable
day when all men shall be equal count
among the designs of the conspirators.
The movement Il carried forward with
the ceremonious procedures OF ofncial
internationalism. However, the matter
is but little more than under good
headway when Col. CRANKY appears,
And from that moment we, too, enlist
in the great business Of uncoyering