Evening star., 1932-05-15
Our Country in WmMAtJaus- -BiomtieldS 5
Ne7U No0el-7He Story Of Miner and
PhilShong Stale ofa State Fni,- in the
Mid7veH.
Mid7vest.


pIGHT now the farmer is, by free and gen.
N eral agreement, the prize hard-luck man
OF this country But as matter of fact, has he
not all along been that? To be sure, oc-
casional outburst of song exalt the "life so
free-ee-e." but, more than likely these made
by city-bred discontents to whom anything in
the distance end of the OPEN savors of rapture
itself. In Summer the farmer is a slave to
making corn and wheat and potatoes grow.
In Winter he is equal victim to isolation
and loneliness. And the literature of such
pastoral existence Is as dreary and fiat as Is
the stupefying life itself
However, Phil Stong desires to do some
thing about it. Either to restore farm life to
original beauty and power, or to create
for 1t these qualities through the persuasive
gift of words. Through the invention of a
fairy tale in pattern and effect As q device
to suit his purpose he makes use of the fair,
that age-old institution sourced primarily in
religion and its ceremonias, passing from that
to movable trade centers where goods were
gathered and exchanged, then to the festival
and then here In America, to State and other
local gatherings where competitions of various
sorts furnished occasion for social meetings
and friendly intercourse.
So, out In Iowa the State fair approaches
And the Frakes family, along with other hosts
out where the tall corn grows" get ready for
the event. Mrs. Frakes with her famous
prize pickles and Mr. Frakes with his fat
hogs. Wayne, the son of the house and
Marcy. the daughter, have projects Of their
own to see through. But before the end
OF the first day Of that dizzying event
these plans have been forgotten, for both Of
them have fallen in love- From that time
much of the legitimate business of the fair,
competitions and prizes and things, plays
second fiddle to the engrossing and generally
overwhelming business of young love. To be
sure. Wayne has girl at home, and Marcy
has q fellow there. But this is different It
usually is. In the general excitement and high
spirits and new love- home and older ties are
quite way of. However this Is the very
chance that Phil Stong has created to test the
pull of the soil upon these young farmers
They are, without doubt, in love- Yet, would
that dashing newspaper man make any sort
OF farmer? Doubtful. And would this
stunning girl make q farmers wife? Hardly
So with Spartan courage, and quite un-
believaby. these two shut and lock their hearts
against seduction and HE themselves back
to the home lot and their bucolic affnities.
That, to be precise. Is not exactly the way
OF It. For, In fact 1t was the two girls who
sensed the ultimate unf1tness Of these new
alliances. It would be. Women count faster
than men. However. in either case nothing Is
permitted to mar the gayety Of this vacation
week for the farmers Of Iowa, since with all
Of It's hilarity and JOY. these were IN no real
way comparable to the stanch sotdity of the
home fields. to the warmth Of the farmhouse
hearth, to the general eontentment and free
dom Of farm life. It is q fine thesis It Is q
joyous story. Weak spots here and there,
especially with these two youngsters 50 much
in love, yet able to reason out the fors and
againsts. oh, no. that is a clear breakdown
OF plausibility. A choice Of the Literary Guild
state Fair" Is a robust comedy Of life in one
OF its really serious aspects.
AMBER SATYR. BY Roy Flanagan New
York: Doubleday. Doran & Go.
HE old South, romantic and picturesque, has
! gone. Broken acres, decayed mansions
freed and scattered slaves, have done away
with social ceremonial of life known the
world over. Racial superiority and the honor
OF its womanhood. so overriding on the one
hand, so chivslrous Of gesture on the other
were prime features of the social structure of
this earlier South. Today grandsons Of that
gentry are learning industry, trade, business
are learning to work. Romances of lovely
ladies' and knghtly men have largely given
way to historical studies of political and
economic stripe
Yet there is growing bulk of fiction coming
on nowadays from the South. In origin many
OF these novels are local studies embodying the
effects OF those earlier days. Basically the prob
lem has not changed. At bottom it Is still
racial superiority and the honor of womanhood
white womanhood, that shapes the feelings of
the white man for the black man. The most
OF these writer's are themselves native to the
South. Their work is notably sincere, unbiased,
strong. Amber Satyr," by Roy Flanagan. is
q positive case in point. true artist. An
admirable story Sheer drama, terrible in It's
social inheritance -.
The story of Luther big, singing swamp
Negro, who proudly claims Indian blood. In
mis- tidy cabin Luther lives with his little.
daughter. A happy pair like children to-
gether John Sprouse and his wife, Sarah,
and his two brothers of the poor white
stripe Luther works for John, who Is Of slight