Evening star., 1933-04-18
NEW BOOKS
AT RANDOM
M. G..

THE GREAT ROMANTIC; Being an
Interpretation Of Mr.. Saml. PepyS
and Elizabeth His Wife. BY E.
harrington a.. Adams Beck). New
York: Doubleday, Doran & Co., Inc.
Just a little more than three hun
ored years ago q male child who was
destined to be one Of the most extraor-
dtnary men in history was born-Sam-
uel Pepys. He lived fully, usefully and
prosperously for seventy years, and at
his death, IN 1703, among the books be-
queathed to Magdalene College, Cam
bridge, were six calf-bound volumes,
bearing the family arms and crest. to
which no particular attention was paid
for period Of one hundred and sixteen
years. In 1919 the Rev. John Smith,
an undergraduate Of the college, was
assigned the task of deciphermg the
strange symbols with which the pages
o. these volumes were filled, and after
three years OF labor averaging about
fourteen hours q day the almost unbe-
lievable diary Of an almost equally un-
believable man was ready to be gre
pared for publication. In 1925, when
1t made its first appearance in print, it
was greeted with profound smazement.
and to this day it Is just as profoundly
amazing as it was then.
Many parts Of the diary have been
published in as many different editions
and condensations, though from the
beginning 1t was plainly evident that
the notes were never intended to be
read by eyes other than those Of their
maker. No keeper Of q diary intended
for publication would ever reveal him.
self so frankly and nakedly in his
weaknesses as well as in his noble in
terests But, what the world would
have missed had not the master Of the
college, so many years after the Eng
land which Samuel Pepys served, had
all but forgotten him. been attracted by
the hieroglyphics in those six calf
bound volumes!
Once again Samuel Pepys is pre-
sented, this time in an entirely new
raiment, and by no less an artist than
E. Darlington, who has In previous pub
lications most worthily novelized the
Ives Of historic persUnages. In putting
Walter Scott described him. into novel,
this gifted author has kept faithfully
to the picture Of the man as revealed
by himself in the recording Of his pub
lie life, his private lie and his domestic
.i!c.
The romance Of Pepys and Eliza
beth, his beautiful French wife, was
both tortuous and blissful. He adored
her and cufIed her in passions equally
violent. He was ungovernable in his
RACES Of jealousy and shrewd in the
art Of deceptive contriteness If he felt
sure he could regain her favor thereby.
He was not deceived by his own follies
and he imposed fines upon himself for
the philanderings which he almost
daily foreswore, forgetting his pledge
to himself and his Maker the moment
a pretty woman crossed his path.
Rich material was at hand for the
use Of the artist whose skill was equal
to the task of molding into exquisite
form a vividly picturesque novel Of the
life Of the famous diarist and his Eliza
beth, and OF the England Of the Res
toration period. No other writer of the
present time could have more faith
fully and beautifully achieved the re-
lation OF this glamorous, historic ro-
nance than has E. Darlington.
GOD SAVE THE DUKE! BY James
Saxon Childers. New York. D.
Appleton g. Co.
If there was ever a man who needed
saving it was the Duke" Any Eng
lishman as q matter of fact, whose
knowledge Of American manners and
customs has been confined to the OBJ
servation Of tourist throngs and the
charactertzations in theatrical per-
formances, If he be so bold as to
land on these shores without a guard
ian, needs to be saved. The young
hero OF this novel Is sorely in need OF
from the moment he steps
OIL the train, but with the firm resolu-
ton which is a part Of the British
character he sticks by his guns and
plays the game to the end.
Peter Lord Doncaster, Earl Of DON
caster and Wilmington and Baron of
Littleborough, at the invitation Of an
American friend, accepts an invitation
to become assistant professor of Eng
lish literature in one of the large State
universities of the South. Arriving at
Cherokee with his English bulldog and
a valet, he is met at the train by a
chap who introduces himself as
'Dopey," and Is promptly whisked of
In preparation for a foot ball game
to be played the following Saturday.
A somewhat boisterous introduction to
life in an American co-educational in
stitution; but the professor is game,
though heartbreakingly homesick, and
for many weeks thereafter he devotes
himself aside from his classes, to the
task of trying to understand these
amazing creatures with whom he has
cast his lot for a year and to becom-
ing regular fellow with them.
Being handsome as well as
wealthy peer places him at a consid-
cradle disadvantage, for it Is but nat
ural that nearly the entire female en-
rollment falls In love with him-and
college girls in this country are not
famous for their retirement and mod
esty when there Is catch" at stake
The boys like him only fairly well at
first, but it is not long until they
accept him wholeheartedly and prompt
ly dub him "the Duke"
For the rest, this novel is one OF
life as it is lived in the big co-educa-
edy, bit of tragedy and a wholesome
love story. The picture drawn by
James Saxon Childers, who thoroughly
knows university life, is not altogether
a pretty one to contemplate, for it is
q severe indictment of the system
which not only permits but which fos-
ters in many instances the laxity of
discipline and supervision in smaller
as well as the larger seats Of learning
in this country. The book Is not in
any sense a plea to clean up the col
leges and universities, nor does it con-
denim the prevailing system. It is
well-written, entertaining and highly
amusing story, but it contains much
material for ponderous thought on the
part of parents, who might, If they
wished, bring about some much-needed
reforms.
\
RAIN IN THE DOORWAY. BY Thorne
Smith. Illustrated by Herbert Reese.
New York: Doubleday, Doran & Co.,
Inc.
Rain in the Doorway" takes the
reader back a few years to THE Beg
gar on Horseback" comedy of highly
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