Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-07-26
% IDA GuBERI MYER
Il Novel Of SubjectiVe Aim and Production,
Wr1tten With Poz0er and Ch41m -<'Om
american Music" and ITS History.


Two qualities powers of this author Sc
cured for each new Curwood novel" a wide
and very sincere welcome. There was first,
the love OF nature. There was, next the art of
extremely simple invention Nature, alive and
big-deep impenetrabie woods, miles of lone
country, where the natives of animal life Of
fered an inexhaustAbe source of true ac-
quaintance and robust joy. Straight plots
gathered out of this existence Plots, lusty and
fortnight, involving man-size action and en-
gagng both effort and ingenuity for their full
flllment. Romance, the love theme? Oh, yes,
but never jaundiced in tint with the gain
dregs Of disillusion, never carrying the orchid
hues of decedenee. So, the ma iority liked the
simplicity and heartiness of the man who so
feelingy matched himself to the natural
world around him, making up live stories out
of the combination. Wholesome" is the word
to use in respect to this writer and his work,
or would be had not that fine word been
duced and led away from its original good
character.
Along late, too late. James Oliver Curwood
thought he would tell the story Of his own
life. And so he began to do this-but 1t had
to be finished by some one else Here the
story of boy, much like ali boys, seeing
great sense in school and the multiplication
table and all that. Finding ON the OUTSIDE
things that could beat the doings Of any school
house that ever built Filling himself
with wood life and animal life. Getting along
toward being grown up. still engrossed with
out of doors. And words to tell about 1t all
began to come. began to arrange themselves
in an order that not only made sense, but
that, instead, Wove plots of a sort, packed
these with incidents to set them their way,
coored the incidents with pigments that be-
came both revelation and beauty.
This personal life story is exactly of q piece
with the fiction created by James Oliver Cur
wood. And that is very fine and beautiful
achievement for any artist. Don't you think?
For any one to match so fully himself and
his work?
FED UP. By George A. Birmingham, author
of The Runaways." etc. Indianapolis: The
Bobbs- Merrill Co.
DOLITIcS as an operative theme is packed
] with comedy jammed with tragedy Since
at the moment, however, that all-engroSsing
subject is in the hands Of George Birmingham
tragedy hiding its diminished head, sinks
away, leaving the field to the comic spirit Of
this author plus an English political campaign
Neither Of two rival candidates wants the
job, or so he says. But, shouts from both sides
meet midway in a camor Of your duty to the
country" for England and the right" and
much other Of such stun made for compaign
uses. Behind Big Peter Of the commonalty is
a political manager and boss. Behind Charles
Beauehamp, aristocrat is an ambitious wife
beautiful, also a boss Such the situation.
Everybody has some knowledge of the political
jamboree that periodically upsets countries Of
such enlightment as to have accepted
democracy" In one or another Of its phases
of advance. And equally everybody knows
George Birmingham
There is practically nothing more to say
except that for his peculiar and certain
gifts no other theme, so far, has really met
this man of many entertainments. So, sit
down in the shade-if, just now such blessing
be avaable-and go along with one and an
other of these harried and bewidered patriots
i'll the hands Of their political friends. II
Birmingham has missed a point of the in
herent absurdity of the case, of its essential
banality. Of its easy duplicities-but he has not
missed a single one.
Driving home in q binding rain one night
the rivals meet in a collision of their cars.
The river, a violent immersion fatal to the
ardors Of politics-this, the climax of a state
of mind for both that is expressed in the title
of this hilarious tale, essentially q true tale
despite its ponderously somber theme. Good
fun good fact, an uncommonly good Summer
hour for any reader.
THE NUN OF THE CA FROILO: The Life and
Letters OF henrietta Gardner Macy BY
Cementine Bachelor and Jessie Orr White.
New York: William Farquhar Payson.
A N American girl, who. by way Of her high
service in modern education became known
and honored throughout Europe well as in
her own country. fresh outlook upon the
education of children, coupled with courage to
make practical use of these new views, brought
Henrietta Gardner Lacy to the attention of
prominent educators in many quarters This
record applies, mainly, to her career in Venice
where a school of new ideas concerning chill
dren gave her place Of prominence with many
a notable around Rome, in Murano where she
had school Of her own, and in the city where
she stood as "the best loved American in al
Venice" long call from Ohio to that italian
city on the sea- and far cry from the early
years Of Miss Macys own primary education to
the means, the free and enlightened means,
employed by her to the training of the chill