Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-08-10
SEED. BY Charles G. Norris New York
Doubleday Doran Sc Co.

,,,,r,erable there. of the wife dying in her
youth but around her despite such youth lie
her children-8, 10, IL and more Of these-they'
too surviving but few years in the unsusta1n-
inc climate and SOIL and mother-poverty OF
which they were born. true chapter OF
Colonial history this It becomes the theme Oh
Mr. Norris new novel Transferred 10 the
west Coast this author portrayS In that rlcn
region q family Of the true patriarchai type
Dan Carter Is the patriarch. Around him on
the farms of his own domain are gathered his
own family, his brothers and sisters with their
families Dan had nine children OF his OWL
His wife lusty creature. But Aunt Lizzie was
Of another stripe, and having given SIX 1eepe
children to the world, Aunt Lizzie died out OF
any further demands upon her. Eve Anne ran
tn marry the handsome Italian coming that
way. And he ran away, too, when he grew
tired of her, but he left Eve Anne with a
round dozen of underfed children And so IL
went all through this tribe of the patFlarchal
caste Bart and Peggy were the only two lett
to realize life as something else than mere
reolenishing of the earth with population.
These two had dreams. They had youth ana
courage and visions of work, like writing ana
art So they caane East-but the mark OF OLD
Dan Carter was upon them. baby then
four more. Debts. The novel at stalemate
What to be done? That's the story. Some one
calls it an epic It is in size. 1t is in depth
and scope. 1t is in literal and serious proJec-
ton. But what about it? AS story, rec
ord of time and people and locality IL Is q
rich and competent account. But in spite OF
this you will be looking upon it as a problem
And then what? Well, problem doesn't hurt
any one trying to figure it out, not even when
the answer is wrong, not even when the an
swer is right. can epic of the decline OF the
American family'-such is the name OF this
big and brilliant book Clearly both brilliant
and profoundly sincere.
VU
bers. author of The Man They Hanged
ETC. New York: D. Appleton & Co.
THE prime purpose of Robert Chambers in
his every literary engagement is to weave
n romance, to spin a story. Yet hardly step
behind this laudable intent is the leaning OF
this author toward the earlier years, toward
historic doings, as the partner OF his first
choice in adventures of the pen. More than
one more than several stirring historic novels
stand to the account of this beloved writer. A
good workman, this man. Flooding like day
Iaborer through old records, he comes out mn
ally ready to tell his story of some point in the
first strenuous years of our new country. Those
days of digging of research, we call 1t now,
stand as the warrant for the foundation OF fact
upon which the romance rests The Painted
Mink" goes back to the seven years when New
York was, practically, in state OF siege, the,
Kings army smut IN against CoflSedIlt iASllaCo
from the Continentas. The story Is pic
ture of the life of the city during that time.
In the main, it is a story of the playt1me OF
the period, of the interiudes given to social in
tercourse. The center of such special preoc-
cTpation is the old theater, Theater Royal, in
John street, spot that you could find today
were YOU of the indefatigable tribe. Here was
the popular actress Marie Guest, carried on
the pay roll as Marie" 1t is around this
beauteous and charming lady that the ro-
mantle action of the tale gathers. Bur there
In much beside the conquests OF loneliness TO
engage readers here. There is deal OF his
torfc fact about the situation, both inside the
town and in its enyirons-fact as to the rela-
tive quality of the contending troops as to
their equipment, their training, their potential
victory on the one hand, defeat on the other.
with our heritage from the Revolution, among
other heirIooms, we have acquired myths"
Stopping a minute 70 pay tribute to Rupert
Hughes as a sturdy myth-breaker, Mr.. Cham
beers himself slips into the same role respect
ing other beliefs that have come down TO us
from that time. Here he does yeoman service,
knocking into a cooked hat so to speak, the
Molly Pitcher legend and others of sacred
memory-the myth of Ethan Allen, for IN
stance. However, that is another matter at
this moment. The concern here is that Rob-
Srt Chambers has given a vivid recreation OF
Eew York and its neighborhood during the
Revolutionary years. From the old theater
and its star, the painted mink" he has moved
out communicably and balievably TO a dramatic
picture of the military significance of that time
ard place. To this he has added the social as
pect of the little city and to both he has given
the realities of daily life in long and depict
ing season of warfare. The charm of this tale
is hardly more outstanding than is the i'm
preston of basic veracity upon which the adj
venture is built.
EXIT. BY Harold Bell Wright. author of
The Shepherd of the Hills" etc. New
York: d. Appleton & Co.