Evening star., 1931-12-20
% IDA GlLBERI MYERT
Thomas Il. Edison as q Bene factor of Man.
kind Builders Of America ''-SeveruI
Ne7v No0els and a Christmas Story.

pose Is a decided vote for the value of the
whole. just the feel Of the book in hand If
nothing else, counts greatly IN favor Of the
plan. And, then, the immediate nearness of
these men, even the most remote, Is a stimu-
lating element in favor of pursuing them all.
Here Columbus, Cortez and PiZarro are as near
by as Roosevelt and Wilson. Much nearer than
some of the middlemen of less picturesque
periods, or possibly nearer because the rStter
more worn by dry schooling in respect
to them.
The whole Is most satisfactory. Even more
than that I can recall no book no set of
books, more desirable for its field than this
set of "a volumes of American biography. Per-
sonaIly I want to express my pleasure
them, not only to the author but to the fine
acumen Of Funk and Wagnals in the form
used to embody Builders Of America"
Some time we shall have another set similar
to this one I'm hoping, to include other build
scientists, inventors fnanciers doing big
and benefcent things. Some day, not far off,
we shall have this new outlook done up in its
set of individual volumes.
NAPOLEONS ALL. BY Isadore Lhevinne New
York: The Mohawk Press.
THESE imitation Napoleons who jumped
to the fore when the great bear of Russia
awakened shook off his chains and proceeded
to create revolutionary disturbance. The
principal Napoleon of the story is an actor
a ham" actor, he would be termed IN
America-who sees his chance to make a real
use Of his stage technique. From that time on
the novel follows his experiences during Russia's
upheaval, changing from one ruling group to
another after the death of the Car.
This actor fellow rises in grandeur until he
finally topples over The burden was too much
i'm fke fSCf P,tSzf
throws in, every once in q while bit Of humor
typcally Russian and slightly Rabelasan. But
through It all the aristocracy Of great country
Is ground into the dust of history a new order
takes command. and the principal incidents Of
the story are detailed as sidelights of a revolu-
ton. Whites and Reds are mixed, their war
like plans are similar, and the imitation Napo-
Icons had fine time until a semblance Of
order was restored Tolstoy would never recog-
nize this book as Russian novel. It is . COM
bination of French, English and Russian, with
a touch of motion picture action.
THE CABIN IN THE COTTON. BY Harry
Harrison Kroll New York: Ray Long b
Richard r. Smith.
THIS novel, which is the first from the presses
of new firm Of publishers, deals with
another "problem"-that Of the Southern
planter, his poor white" tenants and the
economies of cotton raising. In particular the
reader is treated to the story of one chap who
attempted to leave his humble cabin home and,
by means of education and influence, put him.
self above his people. Torn between family con-
nections and poor white customs and desire
for the higher things, he travels rocky road
finally turning back to the cabins and cotton
fields of the tenants.
The story Is written in matter of fact man
ner, not by master in the craft of words It
ha
solution of the problem" of Southern planter
and tenant-simple honesty and justice for all
concerned. For instance, If the plantation
owner, when settlement day" came around
in the Fall, should be honest in this annual
business deal; If he .Should cease charging
exorbitant interest, and If he should treat his
tenants with ordinary deceney his problem"
would disappear. His tenants would declare an
arn1istice in their efforts to rob him of his
cotton, burn his gins and make life generally
miserable on the plantation. c. EN-.
THE SHEPHERD KING. BY Sophie Radford
Meissner. illustrated by Kathryn Nicholson
West. Milwaukee: Morehouse Publishing
Co.
A LITTLE story, reprinted to meet the sea-
sen. The story of Joseph and Mary of the
birth of Jesus. Differing slightly in purpose
from the scriptural account, this chronicle lays
stress upon the royal lineage OF Joseph as well
as upon the straight Jewish descent of Mary.
Joseph, before he became Joseph, was a royal
Persian, who forscok his high estate in order
to meet the strict Jewish laws of intermarriage
that existed to keep him apart from the beauti-
full young girl Mary.
This is the story of that journey of the two
to Nazareth, Of the birth of Jesus of the
homage Of the wise men. Bent upon Christi
mas. it is another gift to that great day by
virtue of the central theme of that tale Of
Nazareth. "' '' ''.'~N - '.'''