Evening star., 1932-09-18
nm NoveL German

ring heights Of self-sacrifce, no special beauty
Of spirit or word. Pursuing the long road,
however, still seeking, one comes out from
the Hcarious adventure with single term of
explication to cover the whole. From first
word to last, quite apart, one suspects from the
authors wish and will. a single term Of ex-
PLANTATION makes its steadfast way. "Inevit-
ability leads straight to that nnal separation.
A single page Of an unknown writer's prose.
By way Of it Maeterlinck sank into the soul
Of Georgette Lablanc. Then and there the
celebrated actress for the moment forsook her
calling. repudiated . brilliant contract and
went on to find the man who could. by strung
words alone work such devastation to the
worldly prospects Of q great artist. So it was,
however. Leblanc arrayed in golden velvet, a
diamond star upon her brow body set to pose
of eKpectant hoEnAge-quite scenically perfect,
% to speak-found her man. Something Of a
bulk of . fellow, much taken with food and a
very black pipe thereafter.
But that page Of magic prose was not TO be
denied. mated genius was before her.
And So after . deal of nervous naneuvering
Georgette Leblanc moved into Maurice Maeter-
lnck. where in complete tenancy for more
than score Of years she. no doubt, did many
useful things for this sluggish and dreamy
fellow. unmindful of the main chance. So
ready to muse and to write down in beautiful
vord-conpanies the pictures that his visions
made Meanwhile Leblanc tdied up kitchen
and pantry Of his mind, staged his plays To the
mans profit In money and glory. An indefa-
tieable householder, Leblanc, according to her
own story. sweeping OF this dusty man, day
~ day. to his own bright and shining fame.
But 20 years Is a long stretch Of time And
complete tenancy by outsider is a crowdfng
process. Wearing. too A man must stretch
his legs now and then. He must have al
edge. at least. to sit down upon once in while.
Above all must he have instant, here and
there, OF that precious self-possession without
which one is no more than the ragged rim Of a
mob. He must have periods. however brief,
Of quiet OF leisure, of loneness for that speak
ing touch with his own soul. Else the man
perish.
And 90 very likely when Maeterhnck, ha-
raised by his own gifts in the hands Of q
deeply interested and competent administra-
Tor. saw N average woman who appeared to
have for him nothing at all save coveted lati-
tades and kngitudes Of personal freedom, why,
then he naturally moved all that was left Of
him out into this open space Of individual light
and leading.
1t is more than likely that I've drawn in
eptly from this book of memories But this
is what have drawn, and very little besides.
A HALF-DAYs RIDE: or. Estates in Corisca.
BY PAdraic Colum, author Of wild Pas
lures etc. New York: The Macmillan
BORROWING the second half of his title "A
Haf-Day's Ride" from Charles Lever and
that romantic hero, Agernon Sidney Potts,
Padraic Colum intimates that We may 60 along
with him in q half days vagaboundage through
lanes Of fancy. through short reaches of reality,
as the flying moment may decide.
Now If. under the wear and tear of life
there be left even a scrap of the old vagabond
that in the beginning set all of upon the way,
let me tell you that there is no better man to
60 a-roaming with than the Irishman Spirits,
gay and unquenchable. Care for the morrow
left at home with other dull rubbish. Intimacy
with the little live, unseen things along the
road: warm alert and instantly responsive.
Stories, tall tales of unbelievable things poured
out in the eloquence of faith that has grown
to deep conviction. Wit like running water
clear and sparkling
Let's go. Go where? Why, anywhere. No
where 1t is all the same Adventure comes
running to meet Padraic Coum. And the flow
of it runs over u.s. cold and tingling. From the
great waxworks in London, to the opera in
Paris, to q marriage in Manhattan, to this and
that and that. 1t is all the same. Which Is to
say it is all in the way of the vagabond stroll
ing alongside All in the way of this Irish
man of true Irish gift and power. 1t runs like
a gorgeous playtime, these few hours of
vagrancy. Yet all the time there deep
things rising to the sunlight of this joyous
road follower. Ana well along toward the end
of the halliday an even greater treat than the
others comes out from the roadside in friendly
halloo. Melville en- the sea. Doughty in the
desert. Giants both. weaving epics out of the
everyday of land and water. And, if it chance
to be in your grain to root close to such as
these why, then, you cannot do better than TO
stand still, and respectful, here while these two
and Padraic Colum talk of the spirit of great
and unseen things which, by the grace of God