Evening star., 1932-11-06
~ IDA GILBERT MYERZ
The Aftai,s Of Doctors and the Mater 0.
Healing Life Of SaPPho- autumn
Fiction Co7,ers Vide RANGE

sessed to paint that face Of SO many and so
deep revelations.
The story opens when THE Partisan Spring
was raw and cherries, but the people who
dropped into the gallery where ProSpero Pam
garo's paintings were showing stepped into
atmosphere Of sunshine and southern warmth"
And there among the pictures on the wall was
that of the priest of the hamlet of Olivetta.
Almost at once the gallery is left behind, or be-
fore, and one goes back into Provence, where
Pangaro and the priest had had long hours of
unconscious tutelage by the very god, Pan, that
long before then had taken over this region
part of his own vast domain.
The young priest himself, becomes in a
sense the theme of this idyllic tale. The trans
fguration of his own spirit and the influences
that worked this change become the medium by
way of which this true poet of a novelist
creates new Pans Parish for the delight
of all lovers of beauty in nature and in the
minds of.man well. capable and charming
story over which we, in Washington have
special pride, since its author not long ago
lived in the Capital, contributing to its growth
in love Of letters and, indeed, in all forms of
current art A beautiful story, as was Pans
Parish"
u,
OF "Mamba's Daughters" etc. New York.
Farrar g. Rinehart.
1.-THE Ordinance of Secession has been signed
and ratified and I proclaim the State of
South Carolina to be an Independent common
wealth" Institute Hall Charleston S. c.,
December 20. 1860,
This, the opening of Dubose Hayward's new
novel. Beyond the Declaration of Independ-
ence itself the most momentous and significant
point in the history of the United States.
The new novel, setting of as it does, may
be war story. Or, looking the other way It
may be a reminiscent view of that glamorous
feudal system of the South. In either case it
becomes for the time being period OF war
ring loyalties between State and country.
time when the people Of that particular COM
monwealth are beset by agonizing indecisions.
Peter Ashley born and bred Of the South,
was trained and educated in the North and at
Oxford His mind declared for the Union. His
heart went with South Carolina. enlisting him
in the ranks of the Confederate Army. The
story however has not much to do with the
conduct of war itself. Rather does it make use
OF the romantic idealism Of Peter Ashley to give
vitality and vividness to reminiscent scenes of
the old South. To the broad and leisured life
Of the great plantation to pride of birth and
class, to the chvalry of its gentlemen and to
the surprising loveliness Of its gentlewomen.
Here, the ready anger for "honor's sake" the
swift satisfaction" of challenge and duel. Here
the pageantry Of the race course the color of
the hunting season. The house parties the
balls and other social ceremonials, emphasized
in special local distinction by troops Of Negro
slaves for every sort of service in any degree
considered menial. This. in sum, is the back
ground pushed ahead for a short period as the
foreground against which Peter Ashley and
many another of his own clear thinking deep
feeling temperament fought out those begin
ming weeks of the Civil War.
To stress the bitter reality of wars approach
the Fort Sumter episode and its immediate
effect are reached. The chief concern of this
story, however, is with the old South, with rich
and opulent Charleston, with the hero of the
tale, Peter Ashley, In his confused idealism,
dividing him between the beloved early days
and the immediate call of the Union. In
seeing and sympathetic is this story Of the
South standing at the open door Of independ-
ence and disunion very interesting drama
of crisis in the new world. An equally feeling
perpetuation Of earlier southern life, thing
to be preserved.
PIONEER DAYS: And Kebo Club Nights. BY
George w. Wear, author of "Uncle Billy
Stories" etc. Boston: Meador Publishing
Co.
A BUDGET Of stories going back to the rush
days of California and to q region with
Bakersfield as its center. Having lived out that
way for roundabout 60 years, George Wear car
nes in his Kit stock of yarns, product Of many
pioneer days Of h,sty adventure, many "Kebo
Club nights" Of telling the world about II"
And this Is the budget. These are the tales
of earlier California, of years away back,
when men now well known were then peEni-
less adventurers taking chances with fate and
luck and other tutelary deities of that time and
place. These come and 60 here, In and out Of
the "Kebo Club relating personal encounters
that called for the lightning mind and the
ready weapon. Telling tales of the pony ex-
press,' of Indian raids, of bandit surprises
along the highway, of desert and canyon and
many another barrier to advance upon the new
Eldorado Of the Pacific Coast. The stories,