Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1932-01-17

Outstanding event, last week,
was the resignation on Tuesday
II of Mr.. Justice Holmes from the
i Supreme Court body.
Since then official and profess
sional life has been engaged,
most ittingy, in paying tribute TO the hlgh
gualities of one more great American Inc
public itself too, is by way OF the general press
acknowledging its debt to the eminent JurSC
whose primary objective has been to secure
and maintain fexibility in the great BODY OF
laws under which the public lives. Whose pur-
pose has been, clearly to keep bodies OF legal
enactment alive and responsive to the demands
of complex and changing conditions. inns, no
doubt is the crown Of Mr.. Justice Holmes hlgh
career, that of Incorporating life ana law as d
unit of progressive and reciprocal action ana
reaction Certain professions tend to formal
ism to large reliance upon tradition ana Gus
tom. The law is such a profession. IL crystal
lies itself out of current efficiency by way OF
such devotion to the letter, rather than 10 the
spirit It has been the lifelong work OF TINS
eminent iurist to hold the laws to vital 1unc-
tioning in an increasingly complex aspect OF
human affairs. Inheritance, intellectual ana
spiritual has gone into this life mission
Scholarship too. and training, experience IN Its
ripening power and authority in its own in
cTeasing measure-all these became body and
ssul of the life work of Mr.. Justice Holmes.
About a year ago another birthday came
around to Mr. Holmes, birthdays have way
of doing in celebration thereof Mr.. Felix
Frankfurter thought it would be good plan
to gather from the many writings on the Sub
ject of MFR. Holmes material for book, for
permanent unified outlook upon good work and
high living This to be offered as information,
first to q general public too busy to go cleaning
for scattered records and accounts. Next, 1t
was to stand inspiration to young profess
sionals to youth as whole, and to stand also
as safeguard against life's drift toward fossils
and bony formations within the spirit.
Mr. Justice Holmes" turns out to be a COM
pany. rather than book So the natural i'm
pulse is to enter and sit down, quietly, while
the talk about Mr.. Holmes goes on. There Is
John Dewey, over there, philosopher of modern
make educator, free-thinking man. He will
have something to say in this meeting. He
does He talks of the liberal mind" He
would And the one that he points upon to
make his talk concrete and near is Mr.. Holmes
to be sure. The constitution, ubiquitous and
often troublesome institution, comes into the
party to be met by Felix Frankfurter, and to
be examined by him we'll, in evidence OF the
great service to the country that the liberal
interpretations of the great charter by Mr..
Justice Holmes have brought into effect.
And SO these men talk, all upon the high
and worthy theme of one man who has served
his land and his people. Who has, incidentally
served all lands and all peoples. Here are
Harold Laski and Walter Lippmann and Ben
Jar1ln CarGOzo ana otnerS OF Lne competent
clan of lawyers and juristS and trained COM
mentators. doing homage to Justice Holmes.
The book is admirable point from which
to set out on the adventure of a man, just
man set down in the midst Of things The
adventure Of who finally, serves the
world by way of his career, set high and fol-
lowed in gallant devotion to the common life
And now another birthday is on its way to
cross the threshold of Mr. Justice Holmes life
Why should there be the note of sadness that
seems, somehow, to get into these tributes to
a great man? Triumph calls for joy. And here
is triumph, high sourced in well doing, More
over here is q pioneer a pioneer in the new
doctrine Of the scientists that mans life may
be greatly prolonged, when once the way of it
is found. Here is a start upon the great
Renaissance of long life typifed by Methuselah
himself, and promised again as surety. So
why not gladness for this newly. victorious
man? GladnesS for him, personally, gladness
in us because Of him for what he is and has
been and stfll will be.
SPARKS FLY UPWARD. A Novel. BY Oliver
La Fargo author of Laughing Boy" Bos-
ton Houghton Mifr1in Co.
A FAMILY of specialized interests and at
y tainments the La Farges. John La Fargo,
painter Grant, his son, architect Oliver,
grandson, and our La Fargo, anthropologist
and novelist One of the very places for this
breed of scientist, these days, is Mexico New
Mexico Central America, and roundabout. So
to these quarters Oliver La Fargo betook him
self to dig up his own ancient self out of the
buried centuries Of that region. This he did
to good effect so the scholars say. But, the
adventure of the enterprise and the romance
lying deep within it caught the imaginative
gift and power of La Fargo And thereupon
he wrote a novel and called it Laughing Boy"
Laughing Boy" pleased novel readers and they
themselves elected it to wide, and profitable,
popularity. And now Oliver La Fargo has
done it again. Sparks Fly Upward" stands, so
the timekeepers say, within the first 10 on that
glorifled roll of best sellers" 1t is a good
book. deserving all that it gets in the way of
much reading and many sales
A good novel because it represents good work
SUBSTANTIAL and interesting theme. because