Evening star., 1933-04-23
% SARAH Q. BOWERWHN
Auong Nee0 and Interesting Spring Mooels
II Wide Variety Of Scenes and Plots for
the Lover of Fiction ~


NAN NAMED LUKE. BY March Cost. New
York: Alfred A. Knopf.
IA A/HEN messengers of Pope Gregory I came
w to bring Christianity to Saxon Northum-
bria . council was called by the king. One
aged councillor arose and said: 20 king. mans
life is like a bird. that, driven by the storm,
fees from the darkness without and flying in
by the open door fits for a few moments in
the warmth and light of the dwelling where
the fire is glowing and then hastily darts out
again into the cold and darkness. Whence it
comes, whittier 1t goes. can tell. Such
Is the life Of man. The soul for few mo-
ments takes up her warm abode in this body.
then quickly departs hence but into what
veal or woe no tongue has ever yet revealed
to VS. This story is told in Bedes "Ecclesias-
teal History" It's problem Is the same As that
over which Mr.. Vincent London neuro-surgeon
In "A Man Named Luke" ponders throughout
his life and continues to explore after his death
As part Of the problem, he wonders about the
meaning Of pain. The physiological cause ma
ture and purpose of pain he has known since
his student days. but what Of the moral the
humanity individual purpose? That ne has
never discovered. And is there anything to the
fantastic idea of re-birth upon earth?' He
Is Convinced that there Is not Meanwhile.
believing in the reality Of neither the future
nor the past he continues to treat nervous
patients who hock to him from all over the
world. Among them come the American mil
nonaire, Mr.. Hopkins. with his slangy fapper
daughter a nerve case, who. In spite OF her
vulgarity has an awareness Of the mystery Of
the past and future which draws Vincent to
her In spite of himself I'll say it's mighty
strange" her father confides the things that
sometimes she can see floating before her from
the past" She even thinks and talks about
the fourth dimension
There are three parts to "A Man Named
Luke" The first "Reverie." Is Mr.. Vincent's
retrospect Of his acquaintance with Mr Hop
kins and Phoebe-Ann his unaccountable love
for her. and the operation which he performed
on her. then the seven years OF desperate work
In which he tried vainly to forget both him.
self and her. The second part Dream" takes
Mr.. Vincent through his exploration of the
past and the future after his death. The
thkd part. Sleep is practical reality in the
world, which goes on after Mr.. Vincent's
death. His man-servant finds him slumped
forward in his armchair DR. jerome takes
charge Of everything the servants gloomily
speculate about future jobs. reporters and
friends NIL the house at the hospitals doctors
and nurses talk of nothing but his death and
wonder Why he never married-and life goes
on as usual The title of the books is of course
suggested by ST. Luke, the beloved physician"
In the study of Mr.. Vincent are some costly
old paintings. which always remind him of
the pictures which legend held that St Luke
had painted The book is not a romance nor
a realistic novel. but is something of the latter
blended with mysticism and occultism 1t will
not satisfy those in search of something light
or of rattling good story, but repays thought
full reading.
A WATCH IN THE NIGHT BY Helen c.
White. New York: The Macmillan Co.
IACOPONE DA TODI was an Italian ren-
gious poet of the thirteenth century, born
at Todi in the duchy of Spoleto After the
death Of his young wife, he became a Fran
ciscan monk and entered into the struggles
Of the Franciscans to retain their ancient spir-
itual traditions. He something of a fire.
brand and was imprisoned for satirizing Pope
Boniface VIII and siding with the Colonnas
in their conflict with the Pope After their
defeat, disillusioned. he retired with his fol-
lowers to their ascetic community Then the
plague broke out in Montefalco and Jacopone
went to the doomed city and cared for the sick
and read prayers over the dead until he him.
self was overtaken by the plague in a half
ruined cattle-byre near Assist where accord -
ing to legend, st. Francis was halted by
storm one Christmas eve when he was on his
way TO the POrZiuncula From the life of
Jacopone da Tooi, Helen White. assistant pro-
fessor Of English at the University of Wis
consin. has created a romance rich in medic
val atmosphere and religious feeling. She has
also achieved style in perfect harmony with
her Italian medieval material. Here is what
Jacopone saw and felt as he approached Assist:
But the sun was already dipping to the hori-
zon when at last he came out into the valley
between Perugia and Assist Like a great
against the purple sky loomed the
fortress-like end Of the city with the great
basilica rising sheer out of the living rock 50
that 1t was impossible to tell where the yellow
precipice ended and the carved vaults of Elias
dream began. His heart beat fast, for he was
coming home to II Carcere. He was coming
home to realize the dream of Francis. not
in words nor in strife nor in intrigue, but in
prayer and in love and in humble work as