Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-07-06
II VoIume

education as we have by this identical plan
But 1t Is a poor one and should be discarded
in the interest Of young learners. Give them
the best. Give them in this CASE the best of
the mystery tales. Poe Is the father Of this
literary genre, certainly in America, and he Is
still model in France. This book prepared
for young readers. has not only its title story,
THE Gold Bug" but others, too-"The Pur-
Joined Letter" THE Haunted Palace" and THE
Pit and the Pendulum" 1t has besides some
Raven" The Bells and "Annabel Lee" An
attractive book as a book. One, too, of dis
tinguiShed content. So turn the boys and girls
toward it. Afhnities for it will develop. Re-
pusions, too, without doubt Both are worth
while. Either is vastly better than sheer yacuity
of mind and judgment.
BETTY BRADFORD, ENGINEER. BY Mary
Montague Davis. Illustrated by Ruth King
New York: The Macmillan Co.
THIS girl story is as different from its kind
of only few years ago as the flapper Of
the moment Is different from the girl Of 10
years ago, or a little more. It Is too the same
sort OF difference. The happer, despite COM
mon lamentations cast her way, is, by all Odds
the most competent, the most practically intel
ligent, the most courageous, the cleanest young
woman that time and tide have, so far turned
out A true adventurer of the feminine stripe
This word is being used in its good and right
sense. An adventurer Is always on his way.
She Is. Doesn't always know where he Is going
She doesn't. But, come what may he Is going
to do his best. 1t is she, the f1apper in this
case. Mistakes? Does she make mistakes?
Oh, many of them. More than she would make
II her elders were their job in respect to
her. But they are not. They are rabbits look
ing for hiding holes. However, this Is not q
discussion Of the dapper. 1t Is rather Q gesture
OF stress toward her surprising gift of adapta-
bility Of fitting into the demand before her
Betty Bradford gets her peculiar distinction
from this quality Betty Bradford" is q good
story by virtue of its authors sense Of the
amazing grl-power of the world and by the
direct artistry Of setting it out here through
the one girl In word, this is the story of
an Eastern girl, educated who by family vicis-
Sltude found herself in the mountains of Cali:
lorna, where, like the men and boys of the
ranch, she learned her job and did it. Riding
hunting, cooking, surveying, what not, seeing a
poem now and then in a cloud or O mountain
helght-but never incoming. fine, outstanding
GIRL whose story is set down here in most
communicable fashion by one who knows not
only girls but the life of the place wherein
this particular girl makes her sturdy and en-
gaglng way. Girls are pretty wonderful Last
night read in The Star of a girl, "l9-year-
old Lizzie Meadows" "Britains youngest wom-
an skipper" who runs a canal barge in Eng
land like veteran" At Is her parents died
and she was left to make it alone, and to bring
up younger brother and sister. Barge life
was the one thing she knew. She took on the
barge. The little story ends-"Lizzie has been
a cripple since childhood Is not this a grand
story? 1t Is, and that is why I am setting it
here with this admirable story of Betty Brad
ford, modern GIRL fine all-around modern of
the younger generation, both Of these girls
and there are hosts Of them