Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-05-24


is to him, the only one worth talking about.
And he is right That also is the deep con-
viction of every human about himself. And
we are all Of us right about it. Man is undts-
coverable, except to himself And even to him
self, more often than otherwise. So lacking
the bludgeoning honesty OF Dresser and the
plugging pertfnacity of the man, we, all the
others, give it up. Under an awkward per-
Torrance of pretense or Of straight lying we
take reticences about ourselves, assume
nodesty or humility or other belitthng. and
quite natural role
Dresser has written many books, all of them
big and talkative. And in every case, no mat
ter what the theme the talk has been at bot
tom about himself. why not? SISTER Carrie"
THE Genius and all the others depict some
mood, some outlook of Theodore Dresser upon
world that is, generally, unappreciatfve and
unresponsive to this man so prodigiously verbal
and at the same time essentially inarticu-
late. curious contradiction. But there are
still depths to the man that he has not yet
bcttcned andy the high Jehosaphat--
he'll not give up till he has turned that Theo-
dore Dresser inside out to the sun and sky. So
he writes novels, all CT thsm big novels, spread
out like the country around him, sprawling
stories whose pattern Is as untrfnmned as are
most matters Of size and true moment. Then
he writes openly about himself, about Dresser
'The Traveller at Forty" "a Hoosief Holiday"
Dresser Looks at Russia" and so on. A big
bulk of fellow, unwieldy In getting from here
to there-bat getting there. Inept, as II shy.
at many turn Of strong feeling. Rather timid
about letting into the open that fellow inside
him. An artist, however in instinct, yet dis
txustfu1 of his welcome by outsiders. An ideal
list IN vision, yet more often than not armed
with club Of satire and ironic performance.
Much talked about few years ago, derided.
Net q handful that saw him straight. just
few saw him great. bodyguaFd, these. And
then enthusiastic devotees. Today Theodore
DRESSER from many substantial point Of ap-
pFaisa1 tip4ops American writers.
And now Theodore Dresser, having served
himself piecemeal 50 to speak by way Of novels
and travels is seated to the job Of writing
his life. Dawn Newspaper Days" "A 1T
eraTy Apprenticeship" and Literary Expert
ences" win cover the career of the man.
Dawn" is at hand. Six hundred pages Of
"Dawn," or ttlereabout. Yet this close-packed
volume hardly sees the boy out Of his teens,
just makes that and no more. Nothing to this
writer that general current opinion decries long
and heavy hooks as out Of step with the times.
not able to speed up in accord with the mighty
momentum Of the day. That books should con-
form to the spirit Of short, sharp swift, con-
elusive movements.
What is an this to him? Has he not the
greatest story IN the world to tell? The story
Of himself? Has he not for so years been prac-
tieing the recital? Wen, here it IS Take it or
leave it.
And you take it. Take the youngster that
lives in this book Nothing picturesque about
him. No setting that suggests the glamour Of
dreary Middlewest section of dun little settle
ments where the lad lived with the restless
and unprosperOus elders Of the house. Not a
shred Of attraction not any reach for such
easements. He did this He tried that. The
life at home was Of this pattern. The critical
incident looked as drab as did all the rest Of
every day. Not line in the whole disclosure
whose intent sayors of its effect on others. And
yet-there is no question about ia living
youngster is moving about within this place,
mn &
boyhood itself Not understood by grown folks
Not sensed In any of the deep agonies that beset
young things. the loneliness, the Inconsistencies
Why lonely? Why homesick? God knows.
But you've seen it many a time in the face Of
a boy on the street. Nothing Of this in the
words Of Dawn" But it is there And Mr.
Dresser goes on in the same fashion with the
later years and such new dreams and desires
and efforts as come to all boys ON their way
along.
People, reading, say Dresser is no poet" no
philosopher" Probably net. Yet good deal
of analysis and definition would press forward
at this point were it worthwhile. Enough for
the most OF US that he has the power, a drudging
power 1t is conceded, to deliver himself body and
soul over to those who value this as the greatest
gift of all. Theodore Dresser and Walt Whit
man, greatest Of Americas literary modernS.
What do you think?
JOHN MISTLETOE. BY Christopher Morley
New York: Doubleday. Doran g. Co.
EVERYBODY ought to make the journey
l. twice. as Christopher Morley has done The
journey OF life. The first trip is so preoecupied
with the job of bed-and-board that thousand
and one things, almost as desirable, pass by
unseen under the eternal stress Of looking after
the needfuls. The second outfaring would be
of quite another kind. wonder.
Here John Mistaetoe goes a-gleaning like
Ruth. That, the most delectable of idyls. Ruth,
following the reapers who no doubt were
hustling to get the harvest in before that low
cloud In the West decided what TO do But