The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1933-03-17
BY WALTER d. HICKMAN

BY WALTER ID. HICKMAN
GONE years ago book flashed off
- the press, called something like
Letters of A Selfmade Man to his
. Som and if I recall correctly it
was a greatly read book.
Now comes McCready Huston
with the aid of o. Soglow, artist,
and Robert M. Mcbride g. Co.,
publishers, and they have given
every American mother, father, son
and daughter a book to read.
Huston of Hoosier soil has named
his latest attack upon domestic
blues and the depression, THE Fam
lily Meal Ticket" or THE Letters Of
a Modern Father" This record of
the many assaults upon dads poe
textbook sells for So.
HustOn's humOr and observations
are both essentially Main Street end
crowded back of a grin or chuckle
is something that is more than sa-
tire. 1t is realism.
Here you will meet the family
meal tiCket-John p. Grosk, presi-
dent and general manager of the
Empire Brick Company technically
as Grosk when he started to COM
pile the letters had put the cases
in storage, as the program of build
ing backed by the Reconstruction
Finance Corporation has been such
a success that I am compelled to
shut down my brick plant"
It
THESE on the Mr.. Grosk's bread
Il line includes the ever travelling
and worrying Mrs. Grosk and the
children, Sheridan, Eloise and others
when they grew up and married the
bread line was increased at certain
times of the year at the Grosk
home.
One of the beauties of this book
is that Grosk in writing his children,
regardless of the temperature of his
own feelings always closed his let
ter as your Affectionate Father"
I noticed that Huston was able
to paint accurately the real charac-
ter of all members of the family
because Grosk honestly and human
ly appraised each member Of his
household whether under his roof,
or travelling or going to school.
In one of the letters to one of his
sons, the "Affectionate Father"
writeS-"There'S nothing to be done
about Charlie, for as he is a foot
ball coach he can't work in the sum-
mer without violating the union
rules"
IN one letter to MY Dear Son, 8"
l. Grosk w>iteS-"You sister Phyl-
lis-the one in school in New York
and your sister Oracle, in Maryland,
are giving me a good year. I'd be
willing to play Phyllis straight across
the board. She is certain to marry
within six months after gradual
ton. And Oracle is a safe bet to
show. although her teeth will have
to go back a fraction of an inch
before there will be any odds"
Once again to his dear son"
GroSk writeS-'I see by your recent
letter you are threatened with a
breakdown and your doctor advises
YOU to give up active work and go
to Southern California. 1 don't
mind YOU having a breakdown; we
let your sister EloiSe have one and
your brother Sheridan had two but
he only got a trip with one of them
We have always followed the plan
of being impartial with our chill
dren, so if you want to take your
breakdown now it is all right"
But he found fault with his sons
program of having a breakdown only
once when he wrote-'I object, how
ever, to the way you are deceiving
your doctor Why did you let him
set the impression you had any &C
tive work to give up?"
think you will find The Family
Meal Ticket" nearly priceless. 1t
is a gem of observations of a very
modern father.
What are they reading in New
York? Brentano's lists the follow
ing as the best sellers in fiction
Ann Vickers" by Sinclair Lewis;
"One More Spring by Robert Ma
than; Pageant" by G.. B. Lancas-
ter Hardy Perennial" by Helen
Hull; Jenny Wren" by E. H. Young
and. Provincial Lady in London. ="
by f. NJ. Delafeld.
In regarding a letter concerning
the New OdySSey"-I take it for
granted that the writer is concerned
with The Odyssey of Homer" as
translated into English prose by T.
E. Shaw Lawrence of Arabia. II
was published in November, 1882. bv
Oxford university press.
1t was not thought this book
would be in heavy demand. but it
reached 10000 copies by Christmas
Now a new trade edition has been
published and sells for $3.50. An
swer to another question
Yes, will be glad to loan the
book but it is precious to me. 1t is
hard yaoSiro