Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-08-24

for the possible answer to one or another of the
men that he himself is. The work Of scholar
ly specialist turned upon the figures of q novel
for dramatic and pressing effect.
ANdIEL'S PHILINE. From the Unpublished
Journals of Henri-Frederic Amiel Trans
lated by Van wyck Brooks. Introduction by
Edmond Jaloux. Boston: Houghton Milf
fin Co.
" A MIEL'S JOURNAL" for many years has
circulated mchallenged among polite
readers by virtue of the legend of Amiels
celibacy. One wonders why this state clearly
an unnatural one, should commend literary
genius to the consideration Of the public True
it Is, however, that the gloomy self-searchings
OF this SURPRISING egoist found exceptional
1avor With certain casts of mfnd-Say, for in
stance, with that of Mrs. Humphrey Ward one
OF Amiels most noted translators. To be sure
Whatever the personal social relations of the
man may have been he viii continue to COM
mand devoted students through the inexhausti-
Die resources of his own nature to his own
probings and ADMINISTRATIONS. Amiel was a
true explorer. His own depths were of ex-
elusive concern to him. Every mood, every
thought, all Of his impulses and imaginings all
OF his dreams and realities were of equal
moment because all were a part, great or
small, OF the amazing personality that was
Henri-Frederic Amiel Not a man of action,
One OF reflection and recording instead. Huge
volumes grew under this peculiar life dlspensa-
tlon imposed upon himself. Much of it is
wonderfully revelatory, not Of Amiel alone but
OF the reader as well. Much Of it is beautiful.
inactions
The point in hand is that all of Anoiel has
not been given to the world, either for its
truer knowledge Of the man, or for its larger
lesson to the reader. The point Is that Amiel
was IKE other men, in his attitude toward the
woman side OF mans life. And so. to complete
TINS genius, so to speak, Van wyck Brooks
gives, In TRANSLATION the story of the woman.
Phiiine. Letters-the love letters of a woman
deeply and passionately concerned with the
me OF Amiel. The love letters Of this one and
that one have already enriched literature ON
the one hand, have opened-a little wider-the
secret heart OF man and woman on the other
Here Is q contribution to that literature in a
frank and imprisoned avowal Of Philines love
Tor the gloomy and single hearted Amel The
purpose Is to complete the story, TO round the
life OF Amiel TO its actual content, to its full
eject In both literature and in self knowledge.
DOCTORS AND SPECIALISTS: A Medical
Revue With q Prologue and Good Many
scenes. My Morris FiShbein, M. D. Illus
uatlonS by Dan Layman. Indianapolis: The
Bobbs- Merrill Co.
GRATITUDE goes to the author and pub
Usher who combine to let us ease up for q
minute and to laugh for an hour and more.
we agree that the everything under the sun
save me mystelf, and you yourself-contains an
element OF the ridiculous. And in this case a
perfectly good doctor rounds up q BUDGET of
the nonsense inhering in his own calling From
the good old general practitioner" who in his
Gay horned and buried-and dosed ard doped
and dominated In between whiles-every menu
her Of his community to the most modern of
specialists does the playIet run. You see at
once that here is chance for q riot Of laughter
for an orgy OF hilarity. You are seeing straight
Il Is here all clowned up for your entertainment.
As the uproaF begins to sizzle down o. bit the
matter suddenly ends in the odors Of piety
ends with "A Doctors Litany." q prayer for
delfverance: Let US In difference to the schools"
skip the first petition. Then, from patients
who are credulous crankS and hystericaI from
spoiled children and from all forms of ma
hgnanCy, good Lord, deliver US" prom COM
putsory health insurance; from Iaynlen who
know more about medicine than do physicians
and from politicians with platforms, good Lord
deliver u.s." Prom NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS., anti
vaccinationiSts and all other ants who have
endowed their causes with virtues Of religious
cult. from all these good Lord, deliver uSl"
That's enough-but sit down and laugh at
yourself for q minute-you, the neuroIogist and
psychiatrtst you roentgenologfSt In the mean
time we, the victims Of all these others will
try to learn that an optinist is not an eye
OVcVu6 Ano peSSlmASJ Is not 1OOC 0OcCOF as
we-mixing our roots sometimes. for an in
slant think them to be. And there are hosts
OF other things to learn here. Nevertheless the
purpose of the great little book is not learning
merely laughter instead
THE STRANGLER FIG. BY John Stephen
Strange, author Of The Man Who Killed
Fortescue," etc. New York: Doubleday,
D0ran 81 Co.