Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-05-18

lea by Columbus-Ibanex. selecting here and
there, gathers from the amazing store OF ma
terial ct hand just the right elements-not too
heavy to tread upon the toes Of actual history,
not 30 light as to be rejected a. mere inven-
ton. Upon this middle ground OF real men. as
definite point in that grand era OF discovery.
the wen beloved story teller beckons his devo-
tees again-and here they are! AL crowding
around for another hour with this engaging
adventurer In the domain Of believable romance.
CLosE-HAULED. BY Henry x. Pasma. New
York: Frederick A. Stokes Go.
WE, the people Of the United States. are an
Of foreign rootage Every one Of m
sosrced. originally, in one or another quarter
Of the Old World. We forget this fact. maybe
wish TO forget it Yet, By recalling 1t now and
then. We might, just possibly might, enlarge
the borders of our national understanding. We
certainly would deepen our common compre-
hension Of one another with likely result of
more intelligent adjustments IN the composite
Nfe. There ID tremendous drama In this fact
Of o great commonwealth. like ours, built FROM
tho muititudinous variety Of origin and condi-
tion that stamps the population OF our great
Republic It IL an interesting and profitable
pursuit TO trace back some outstanding com
munity Of clear descent in . disclosure Of the
why's ana Wnere10Ge3 Oh ltS contklUuSAon 70 t&kc
life Of the United States. Out In the near
West and In the Northwest. groups Of Scandi-
navians provide SURPRISING opportunities for
study Of their ways Of life. derived from the
Old world and working out IN the New.
new school Of writer's out that way ID giving
most valuable service. By way q the novel IN
setting 10 drama that experiment In trans
planting the alien 10 America.
Hauled" belongs to this class Of sub
stantial novel writing. II d the story Of Frsian
IA Netherlander, who 10 now cfttSen OK the
United States The story 10 Of the saga cast
and effect From boy 70 man the adventure
runs. First. . sailor lad, cabin boy on Dutch
wfndjammer Now q minister Of the church
callinss that seem far apart, yet not 30 far
either, according to the view OF this adven-
turer in both fields. It seems to be common
characteristic Of these writer's from the North
Swedes, Norwegians, Danes-to take laborious
pains in setting out the details Of life. Day
after day Is pictured In the little common
things Of existence. A shade slow maybe. o
trile heavy possibly. Yet, coming out from
one Of their stories the reader has sense OF
intimate acquaintance, Of broad knowledge.
feeling Of grasp upon the inner content Of
these fellow citizens OF ours, q. better UNDER
standing of their outlook and ways. The pic
lures Of boyhood In Close Hauled" are vivid
and immediate. The longing for the sea is
communicable one. The sailing year by year,
Is % daring and lusty In adventure as the most
lawless romancer himself could devise. Through
the stormy North Sea, up to the Arctics, down
to India. and so on, sailing for years wherever
ships make their way, this Dutch boy, and
man. transfers adventures to the reader in sea
stories and sailing records that have hardly
been equaled, certainly not surpassed. No. I've
not forgotten Conrad, nor Lott, nor Tomlinson,
nor Masefeld, nor the others-"hardly eQualed,
certainly not surpassed" With it all, not
single gesture bent upon effect is discoverable.
Just q plain story, plain In its conscientious
20 he fortc and not
an of the highest value in making the story
come alive and at hand.
The late Edward Box, fellow immigrant. has
said of this story: cit Is not an unusual or re-
markable life; it is simply such life as
thousands have lived And therein lies its in
terest and charm to q large circle. Many
man. reading this life, viii see his own modest
career reflected in it. But the delight in read
ing it Is the authors possession Of style that
makes the reader live his life with him. It
seems 10 me that this win be counted by
thoughtful people as q great story, as hne
piece Of literary workmanship besides.
THE MISSING MASTERPIECE: A Novel BY
Hilaire Belloc, with drawings by q. K.
Chesterton. New York: Harper g. Bros.
THEY planned to 90 APPLYING together. The
old game of words would do. "But, for o
change" said one of them, ''In make pictures
and you do the words" Agreed upon. Lets
take turn in art-a Masterpiece lost mas
terpiece, besides. That's quite the thing now
adays."
In a flash the seed Of invention dug down
into the soil and up into the air. growing right
speedily q plot so interlaced Of branch and
LEAKAGE as to involve the matter Of the lost
masterpiece in q tangle Of pitch-black mystih-
cation. The worse, the better for these two.
Invention grew upon occasion. It's first prod
net was an art deaIer-a handturned modern
exponent of the craft One who could scent