Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-03-30
~ IDA GILBERT MYERT
Andre Maurois Writes IF the Poet Byron.
LndzVig LezOisohn Del0es Into Family
Life-Other Spring No0els.

ing tragedy of crime itself With another, it
is the tragedy of boredom, of WEAKNESS in
daily repetition-the dull commonplace that is
relieved only by deeper stresses of irritation
over hopeless misunderstanding about nothing
at all 1t is the crime that provides motive
power for the greater part of the action. Grim
inal prosecution is the chief engagement here.
But that is not greatly important. Indeed,
nothing is important here save the terrible
frankness of the author, save the persuasive
power of him as a writer, the genius of the man
as a medium of communication
Because that first example of marriage is the
one with which the majority is best acquainted
it is by this that Mr. Lewisohn will be judged
in respect to the other two. At this point the
reader goes along with the writer, collaborating
so to speak, accepting the facts, nodding as
sent to all the familiar way marks. 1t is only
when he comes to speaking out, as he does
speak out so ruthlessly, that the reader turns
tail and runs away. If there is anything that
the married pair-the we know-haS ever
thought deep within, covering it instantly from
the party of the second part, why here it is.
The most outSpoken man in the world, I'm
sure. Well, read it. See for yourself As a
relief, then read the story of David and Ruth
who have been trained for generations to be-
have toward marriage as toward any other
vital part of human life-with reason, with
fair mind, with disciplined expectations with
sanity OF acceptance and behavior. Special
pleading, this third case? Maybe so-but what
OF 1t! Honesty, fearleSSneSS, frankneSS, sub
stantial fact and a SURPRISING use of the ma
terialS Of literary artiStry-theSe are the eIe-
ments that unite here in a work of clear dis
tinction, of absorbing substance. The shock OF
the story comes from the fact that Ludwig
LewiSohn has been honest enough to deal OPEN
ly with subject upon which there is a world
wide conspiracy of concealment-but why why
should there be!
EMILY DICKINSON: The Human Background
of her Poetry. BY Josephine Pollitt New
York: Harper g. Bros.
JUST about rs years ago now there came to
Washington, came to the old willard Hotel
of that day. young New England girl to visit
her father, Representative from Massachusetts,
momentouS visit for another reason than that
of coming to the National Capital for the first
time. It was here that Emily Dickinson met
the man, young Army officer, who had so
deep an influence upon her life. It was this
meeting, some say, that accounts for the long
seclusion in which Emily Dickinson suisse
character and quality of her later poetry. Not
unrequited affection became the spur to genius.
Pre-engaged affection, instead, for this young
officer already possessed wife, the gifted Helen
Hunt who after the death of Maj. Hunt be-
came Helen Hunt jackson, author of romanceS
of California, where she went to live. However,
it is Emily Dickinson with whom this very
interesting record is concerned. Within a few
years the poetry of this Amherst girl has
come into large share of attention of criti-