Evening star., 1933-04-02
T SARAH @. BOWERMHN
America s Problem of Transportation, and a
NeeoS Story Of fBeau,ega,d5Life-7ruge
of 7olstoy and the Neav Fiction.

Lawrence had lived to see his daughter through
to safe early middle age, but when he dies
leaving her an unfinished symphony at 10, che
is badly prepared for living in the ~aousehold of
her sister Merigold married to Member of
Parliament, with whom she has an unspoken
friendly agreement which permits her to lead
her own life of social externalities and cheap
love affairs. Helena IS forced, with sudden
shock, to become acquainted with the stupid
people and false ideas which her fathers
training has taught her to look upon as the
only sins.
Hugh Palpole created in "Hans Frost" a
world-weary and world disguised author who
threw aside all the fruits of his success and
retired to solitude and sincerity but Hans Frost
made no experiments with young daughter
In the character of Helena, Sylvia Thompson
has drawn personality rich in beauty naive
culture, and frankness which is most disconcert-
ing to her reluctant relatives. Marigold moves
away from her sister with 6istaste when Helena
says, without the least intent to be "catty'
"Piere says you're IS: but when you're painted
like this you look quite young" Helenas small
bllmders are only prelude to her great dis
illusionment which comes through her love for
her sisters husband, Philip. In him she sees
all the nobility she has believed her father to
possess. Through reading one of her fathers
plays-he has never permitted her to read
anything he has writtsn-she discovers that his
nobility was imaginary. Then, at a crisis,
Philip reveals himself to her intuitive simply
trained mind as base. He is really rather above
the average of his milieu in his ideas of honor.
In the end Helena. pathetic, beginning to un-
derstand the people and the standards of the
world outside her ideal island accepts COM
promise, when she says to the young American
who has told her that he win always be there"
II she ever wants him: I'm the end I shall love
you; partly because you love me, partly because
r--kl -
Sylvia Thompson has shown considerable SUBJ
tlety in the treatment of the uncommon situa-
ton she has created and her style is as incisive
as In her former novels, '"The Hounds Of
Spring" and Summers Night"
MISS DEILCIA ALLEN. BY Mary Johnston
Boston: Little, Brown & Co.
THE sword and saddle of tn, past have been
replaced by lavender and old lace in this
novel Of Mary Johnston It win not be as
popular as her stirring romances Of action and
love. such as Prisoners of Hope" and ITO Have
and to Hold but the charm of its reflective,
dreamy style compensates for much loss in
action. The story itself seems to make little
difference, because Interest Is early centered
on the setting. both domestic and historical.
The time at the beginning is 1874 and at the
end the Civil War is in progress. In 1874. g.
year-old Delicia Allen is working sampler,
birth. She admits to herself that she is proud,
like her father and mother, but better loves
her grandfather, who is not proud. is sorry for
every one, and believes that there's great
helper called Time" Throughout her life the
spirit Of her grandfather seems mystically to
be with her at crises. The visit Of the young
lady Delicia to England, where her aunt lives,
and her love for weakling. already married
poet. break the unity Of the narrative and
lit -
atmosphere Of Indian Leap, the plantation home
of the Aliens. When Delicia returns, the spell
is broken and the enchantment Is never re-
captured partly because the troublous events
of war have destroyed the peace of plantation
life.
The mountains and plantations of her own
Virginia, very dear to Miss Johnston, are the
background Of this story, as Of many OF her
others Indian Leap with its large estate and
many slaves. its long, winged house, where the
tulip tree brushes the pillars of the portico, IS
happy home for children Delicia and her
brother make dams in the creek and 60 after
berries and guinea eggs with Isaac, Esau
Katherine, Frances and Roxy children of the
slave quarter. She sees history in the making
on the day when her grandfather takes her
down the road to see group Of about so Chero-
KEGS migrating west to the Great Reservation
the last act in the drama of Indian removal
from that part of the South The Civil War
brings sorrow and disruption to Indian Leap,
but does not destroy it and there finally,
Delicia finds happiness
LET THE HURRICANE ROAR. BY Rose
Wilder Lane New York: Longmans, Green
g. Co.
CHARLES. daring hunter, fighter, dancer,
- fiddler, and Caroline, shy, quiet. not yery
pretty. aged 10 and IL, hght-heartedly became
pioneers in the covered wagon days This is
their story-the pioneer story SO often repeated.
formerly in fact, recently in hction-of cour-
age through hardships which seem almost dia-
bolical When they started out for the Da-