Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-08-30
I

out Good Yankee sense this has proved, very
abundantly to be. No doubt that Joseph Lin
coin like all the rest of u.s. thought secretly
that he at heart great poet. At such
threatening moments I'm sure that he seized
another Cane Cod yarn out of the blacksmith
shop or out of Ben Smiths grocery or on the
coast in one another of its weathers. And
so Joseph Lincoln has built himself into the
New England body and mind, built himself In
to stay. Much like the village doctor locking
after fathers and sons of the same families or
like the lawyer who draws the wills and settles
the estates, the preacher who passes whole
tribes of Yankees on into heaven where they be-
long. Exactly like these is Joseph Lincoln TO the
heart of New England. friend, knowing and
able in respect to personal and spiritual aspects
of that locality. Yet with difference, for JoSeER
Lincoln has reached far beyond the home
boundaries. His stories are welcome wherever
robust life is Understandings pictured, wherever
good wit is enjoyed and homely simplicitieS gt1M
hold their own over tiresome parades and silly
sophistications A fine book this one Read it.
THE WHITE LEOPARD: A Tale Of the African
Bush. BY Inglis Fletcher Illustrated by
Kurt Wiese. Indianapolis: The Bobbs-Mer-
riu Co.
CTEPHEN MURDOCH is a fine fellow. And
- this is his story Yes, to be sure, 1t Is also
a story Of Africa. A straight mission to the
country a job for Murdoch to clean up. a
simple problem whose businesslike solution pro-
vides plausible fact to take the place Of that
extravagant invention which marks so much
of African romance, and report as wei. The
young man is sent out to take charge Of ma
tive district. To teach its tribes the white
mans laws" Sounds fairly plain, If not alto
gether easy. Yet back of these tribes ere Gems
turtles Of their own customs. Inbred, there
fore, as are our own laws of life. AS hard to
wipe out as would be those to which We pay
allegiance. And all around is iliInitable
land-strangely mysterious, silently converglng
in its huge mass. or SO it seems, upon that cen~
ter where Stephen Murdochs lines are cast.
The very air is different. The painted colOrs
Of earth and sky are of sinister hue and tint.
The soil itself feels alien to the feet Strange
animals draw near as the dusk comes on. And
the natives, sum and substance of the WHOLE
are most bewildering of ALL Such, in outline
the task and its elements. The record q it
the story is pure adventure fun measure OF
this fer all the day of all the weeks. Yet, there
is no effect of OVERRIDING here. No excess No
bizarre prodgality. Remember, thiS>i is simply
a piece of work for Stephen Murdoch to do.
He does it. Incidentally, much of the geogra-
phy of Africa clips naturally into the action.
Land, people and animal life. But these are
here to carry the business in hand forward.
Admirably restrained invention.
Here as IN everything else, 1t is the human
that counts In this case, Stephen Murdoch
that counts. A quiet fellow, pretty courageous.
kindly but positive that his word has 10 GO
always reasonable. In word, fine leader
the pattern Of pioneer. And, naturally, the
natives grow to admire him, then to like finl,
name him White Leopard" as sign Of their
good feeling.
Somebody saia, "a fine story for boys" So
it Is. fine story for any one. And this
turns one upon that pressing matter of what
constitutes good juvenile literature. A big
pow-wow is overdue on the subject Not more
sentimental maunderingS about the dear chill
dren" Rather an outstanding attitude Of deep
knowledge of the literary and dramatic stand-
ards due to the surprising powers Of children
toward the highest that there Is in art.