Evening star., 1932-01-24
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suits. Work, play, schooling, religious actavi-
ties, civic enterprises, social gatherings, pro-
fessional duties and so on. 1t is OF these Negro
citizens that this author writes in so clear an
understanding, in so fine sympathy and ap-
preciation In outlook, in ways of thinking, in
bearing and manners, they are different
from the others And here is a picture, fairly
drawn, Of this feature in American life. The
elements of tragedy are here, drawn off IN one
case from the old order when young men of
good family seduced attractive dark girls. A
quite unusual youth figures here, since before
his death he provided for the future Of the
young Negro girl and her baby. Up DO q
Northern small town, Red Brook, the two went
to live In the comfortable house that the
mother had been able to buy. And here they
became a part of the colored community. Yet,
held OF o little looked upon with q shade of
distrust, for these people have budding
Puritan streak that grows with improved con-
ditions. Another girl niece of the CIDER
woman, came to live with the two in the house
beside the Chinaberry tree Before this girl,
Melissa, was born her mother had come to
Red Brook, where, in fact, she acquired Melissa
from the husband Of her friend. Nobody knew
about this for the woman went away In time
to find father for Melissa. This affair Is
important because Melissa, coming back TO Red
Brook as nice young girl, fell in love with
her true fathers son and the boy fell In love
with her The business of this novel, beside
its very excellent work of depicting Negro COM
munity life at its own good level, is to fr,ls-
trate the marriage of Melissa and her half
brother and in addition, to bring lover and
husband to the beautiful and aloof Laurentine,
daughter Of a Southern white youth and the
lovely dark housemaid Sal These give q
thread of motive and action here but these two
situations do not dominate the whole more
than they would if belonging to the white
element Of the town The story, as such, is a
picture of capable and well-to-do Negro life
ri pf
mirable fulallment of exceptionally fine
purpose.
WATCH THE STARS IMMORTAL. BY Samuel
Milton Elan. New York: Harper & Bros.
CAVAGE, this book. With cause, though with
- cause. 1t is the story of John Harmon.
When the baby born his mother turned
the little face toward the window through
which the stars were shining. Then she died
out of her shame and misery. For John had
no father. The doctor, who brought him into
the world his father really slid out of the
mess by taking his life. No matter. Only
another coward gone. John from babyhood
on to later boyhood was reared by his grand~
father, Puritan, harsh with his daughters
sin, severe with the lad himself So John ran
away, ran off into everything that the world
holds for unhappy, reckless, il-used young
things. And John was turn and turn about,
many things. Inside of himself he was a
poet, or thought he was. Outside, however,
he was vagrant and tough, movie actor.
woman lover, a clear adventurer, lawless,
fearless. When he had handled life at every
possible point of lure and danger he was tired
of life. And so he stepped out Of it without
waiting for any bid to do told you It's q
savage book. But strong one and with so
much Of the undersde of individual existence
brought 10 the top that, reading it, one finds
himself stirred to go out to see If something
cannot be done about it. About what? Why,
about the common blindness Of all men to the
needs of other men. About general indiffer-
ence to the hurts of others, to the griefs OF
children and dogs and other lonesome things.
Samuel Milton Elam has threshed and pound
ed his way through a most impressive and
haunting story of one lads swift journey cut
across and out into the other place. 4.