Evening star., 1932-05-08

womans due, as high sentiment, as thousand
and one gifts of Heaven to her estate as woman.
Love Is the name under which woman carries
on as rule, the one under which she now and
then fails to carry on. Mother love, wife love,
constitute her chief claims to special con-
sideration. Yet these emotions so sublmate
in seeming are sometimes, in fact, but names
for self-love, unreaSon, excessive demand,
jealousy and bitterness
doctor going about gathers up bulky bud
gets of naked human nature. Only now and
then does he open up this kit. Never as pro-
fessional. Rather novelist does he set to
drama some widespread prepossession of human
nature, DR.. Cronin has done in beth of his
novels. 1t is the stubborn man, or woman, that
has so. definitely and so deeply caught the
doctor. Mirrors, maybe, by intent, these BOOK.
But alasl the mirror has tricky way Of re-
hecting some one else hardly ever the one
looking into it. So shall read this rich and
significant novel, keen to its truth for many
another not to ourselves.
The story of Lucy Murray Scotch girl who
married the young Irishman, Frank Moore.
Then the baby Peter came along. And for many
pages and chapters all are much engrossed IN
getting along under the happy influence of love
and work Very gradually the period of man
agement by the wife and mother sets in
Competent supervision to be sure, cheerful
ways and companonable inventions to achieve
this and that. Here is the spectacle with which
We are all familiar, that of woman's rue
over the affairs of her man. A pleasant ana
smiling domination, but increasingly irksornn
nevertheless. The man tires of it. The son
tires of it. Tire of expert management even
though it be sourced in the hcliest of passions
wifehood. motherhood.
The fidelity in which the author holds this
widely diffused matter to the local scene to It's
Scotch setting, accounts no doubt fer its general
acceptance in every quarter. Realism at its
finest here. Lucy Moore, in her ohliga-
tons as wife and mother weans from herself
both husband and son. quite unconscously
inviting danger at many an unSuSpected point
bringing tragedy and defeat to all, mcst of all
to herself
Out Of the plain material of family life in a
by-corner of Scotland DR.. Cronin has worked
the theme of stubborn will to direct and dom-
nate on a woman's part into a superbly IN
> elusive drama Of self-defeat A long novel
rich at every stage in both the substance OF
life and in its philosophy well.
THE MASTER OF THE HOUSE. BY Rad
clyffe Hall, author of The Well of Loneli-
ness" etc. New York: Jonathan Cape and
Robert Ballou
HE clear intent, to recapture old simplicties
of room and leisure, of friendliness and
understanding, Of compassion The intent to
rescue from the ramp and rage of this modern
day some shred of human softness where all
around is rock and stone. To serve this
purpose Radcliffe Hall clears a place IN
southern France, to speak and there from
the native stuff lying about rebuilds the
ancient pattern into current meanings and
uses
Just a family and neighborhood of Provence
serve the symbolic intent of the author
Sh0Dna0
way, the peasant stock roundabout engaged
IN the homely occupations of craft and soil.
To Jouse Benedit and his wife, Marie was born
late the baby Christophe. And later yet a
spinolng little brother, alert and keen where
the sturdy Christophe was placid and mild.
Nothing more than the simple life of these
people builds this story into new gospel OF
love- understanding, pity, by way of the tender
heart OF little Christophe, to whom the suffering
OF even bird of his own dog, Mireio; of
playmate of Anfos, the simple-minded ap-
prentice to his father. were his own griefs and
sufferings. Just a plain story a homely life
ike that OF the Carpenters Son who 1000 years
ago set the gospel of love and understanding
upon its way down the years for the rescue
Tor the saving of humanity. A joyous lad this
Cnristophe, except when some living thing
was hurt and suffering. Then his grief knew
no solace. But childhood is happy and
Chrlstcphes was not different. And while his
years were growing the World War came And
Chrlstophe, with his brother and other lads
nearing great words, love of France" love OF
nome took up the high ana holy challenge
and went to the war. But Christophe could
not kill. Those boys across the line were like
himself. He could not do them harm And
SO Christophe threw away his arms-and was
himself captured and crucifed, just that
profound and beautiful thing, this Master of
the House" conceived out of today's most
pressing need for comprehension, built in deep
feeling and true art More real than reality.
this symbolic call for mans compassion toward
humanity itself eat' l'-it" -. '-ir