Evening star., 1933-10-29


a great book; it is too confused, and in the end
too false" He criticizes Upton Sinclairs treat
ment of the Sacco-Vanzetti in his novel
Boston because, though a Socialist, devoted
to the triumph of the proletariat, he chose to
emphasize the significance of the death Of
these two Italians for the bourgeoise." There
is almost no criticism in Mr. Hicks book from
the purely literary point of view, but in his
first chapter he warns that this is not to be
expected. Mr.. Hicks Is assistant professor OF
English at Rensselaer, Polytechnic Institute.
COLOUR SCHEMES FOR THE MODERN
HOME. BY Derek Patmore.
MODERN PHOTOGRAPHY. The Studio Pho
Biography Annual. Edited by c. G. Holme.
CHILDRENS BOOKS OF YESTERDAY. By
Philip James. Edited by c. Geofrey Holme.
All published by the Studio Publications.
Inc. New York.
THESE three superpicture books, accom-
panied by explanatory text. The first has
the greatest value to artists. The "a plates in
color show schemes for nearly all the rooms q
house may possess Each plate is we'll annoted
and, Of course the names of designers of the
schemes are given. Many Of the designs are
modernistic, but some show Japanese French,
early American and other influences. There
chology Of colcr practical combinations of color
and color in relation to furniture and fabrics
Modern Photography" illustrates through its
handsome reproductions the artistic possibilities
of modern photography in America and the
European countries. The index Of the illustra-
tions gives technical particulars about the pho
tographs. such the camera used, the expo
sure and the type Of light The introduction
is an essay on the technique Of photography,
which. in 1888, is vastly different from the
photography Of 1927"
"Children's Books of Yesterday also has an
Introductory essay, beginning appropriately,
"Once upon time" and telling Of the develop
ment of books for children, from the time of
Comenius, seventeenth century educator, to the
present. The Illustrations in black and white
and in color, reproduce old title pages and pic
lures from children's books, including early
text books. Among them are Robinson Crusoe's
rescue of Man Friday, from the eleventh edi-
ton Of Robinson CruSoe"; one Of Thackeray's
illustrations for his juvenile book, The Rose
and the Ring; and the little soldier, from the
sixth edition Of Peter Parleys Juvenile Tales"
Illustrators represented range from the Bewick
brothers, wood engravers of the eighteenth
century, to Walter Crane and Randolph Calde-
cott
BONFIRE BY Dorothy Garfield. New York:
Harcourt, Brace & Co.
DoRoTHY CANF1ELD has established her
- self in the favor of her readers by certain
qualities adhered to through many years OF
successful novel writing They are all present
in Bonfire" unquestonably one of her best in
both subject matter and treatment-behef in
some fundamental attitudes toward life now
popularity considered old-fashioned, ability to
interpret her characters without projecting her
self into all Of them and freedom from eccen-
tricities of style. Bonfire" like many Of her
other novels and stories, has its background in
the granite of Vermont, and Vermont, described
By one who has lived in it and loved 1t for
long, offers a diversity of natural loveliness,
which sometimes contrasts shockingiy with much
human unloveliness. Bishop Heber was shrewd
Is well as pious when he wrote: Though every
prospect pleases, and only man is vile" The
little village Of Clifford, in the valley between
the Wall and Hemlock Mountain, Is the scene
Of the drama Of predestination and free viii.
or, to be more modern, of heredity and ndi-
vidual struggle, which is worked out in tho
story. There is more than hint Of . degen-
crate mountain colony such as Edith Wharton
50 starkly introduced into her novel Sumner"
Miss Anna Craft district nurse, says: you
know what get here in the valley The people
I see-you know what they're lke-the father
drunk, the mother q moron with no morals,
always running around with other men, too lazy
to take decent care Of the children"
III. AlASUu NIdlt, Lesl lIoIH AiS AteIueoIup
settles down to practice in the valley. His sister
Anna, almost too devoted to him for the we'll
being Of either does him bad turn when she
rescues from the dubious Searles Self colony
the wild, illiterate girl, Lixlee Burdick, for DIR.
Anson, certainly not guided by reason. marries
the girl OF course, doctor, Of all persons,
should have known better. At first they seem
to be extravagantly happy. Then the bad blood
u Mxlee 6ttrS In her veins and her ignorance
and savagery come to the surface, from which
they have never been far distant. She Is
bonfire starter Ou sympathies for the doctor