Evening star., 1934-09-09

he wants one. Old Tom has never
himself wanted second, since his
wife died: My experience of the
married state was such that, though
not above go when she was took,
never had no heart nor yet inclina-
ton to gamble on another" Best
of all old Toms achievements from
the strictly practical viewpoint is his
success in persuading Sidney Bun
clark, by very roundabout methods, to
wipe out the mortgage on Church
Cottage, where all the Offers have
their home. Sidney magnanimously
makes it clear that he is doing the
favor solely for his old friend
Church Cottage is your home, and
If I wipe out my just demands,
you'll be master in your own house
again and can keep Jack and Ellen
in order, as they'll need to be kept,
and you're well able to accomplish. A."
Every one in this character comedy is
left happy and satisfied, and the
reader has been amused and taken
to the lovely valley of the Exc and
the moors Of East Devon for a few
hours.
DEvELOPMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY.
An introduction to the Study of
Human Behavior. BY Florence l.
Goodenough. New York: D. APP
pleton-Century Co.
THERE is a wide difference between
the old-fashioned text book In
psychology, with its elaborate de-
scriptions of the different functions
Of mind, its discussions of perception
and apperception, will and under
standing, and the modern first book
in psychology" such as this of Dr.
Florence Goodenough, professor in the
Institute of Child Welfare Of the Uni
versity of Minnesota, a contribution
to the Century Psychology Series
The aim Of her study Is not theoreti-
cal, but to discover 'how human be-
ings behave and why they behave as
they do" Psychology is such new
science that psychologists are not ye'
agreed about its objectives. The Ger
man school led by Wundt concer-
trated on the study Of sensations and
their attributes, and on general trends
only, with no concern for the indi-
vidual. Cattell, an American pioneer
in the field of psychology. has made
the study of individual differences an
important part Of psychology today
Modern psychologists have fallen into
two groups, "behaviorists" and Sin
trospectionists" DR.. Goodenough be-
longs with the first group, but finds
that most psychologists now seem
committed to a middle ground"
The fundamental question of hered-
ity versus environment, always under
discussion, never determined, con-
fronts psychology with biology and
gives rise to investigation Of the orr
gins of mental traits and habits. DR.
Goodenough's position is that Eve
cannot change our genes, but to a
great extent we can determine for
ourselves which of them shall be the
governing forces in our lives" Pre-
natal development Of the child has
much to do with its later psychology
and behavior begins in the unborn
child. In connection with the sub
jects of the behavior of the child at
birth, through infancy and the whole
period Of childhood, the results Of
many of the most thorough child
study investigations, some by DR..
Goodenough herself, are given.
Though the greater part Of the book
is devoted to child psychology, which
is natural since childhood is the de-
velopmental period, there are valu-
able chapters on adolescence, the
period when educational and social
guidance are especially needed, be-
havior at the college level, normal
adult behavior, mental disease, and
the psychology of old age. The value
of "Developmental Psychology" is that
it is so largely based on experimental
study and so little theoretical. DR..
Goodenough is also coauthor with DR..
John E. Anderson of the University
of Minnesota of Experimental Child
Study" in the Century Series.
WOMAN ASTRIDE. BY Nora Purt-
scher- -Wydenbruck. New York: D.
Appleton-Century Co.
TN old family papers the author Of
= this historical romance came across
a great-aunt, six generations back,
such as few people are able to claim
and one to delight a writer's imagi-
nation. She promptly made her the
heroine of Women Astride" and de-
veloped her into feminine Gil Bias
or Tom Jones. Judith Won Loe Of
the Westphalian nobility during the
intermittent Thirty Years War fed
from her German home because her
lover. Swedish commoner, had killed
her father in duel. She should have
been a man, for she loved fighting
better than any of the feminine do
mesticities. Disguised in mans cloth
ing, she joined the Swedish Army of
Gustavus Adolphus, then fighting on
the side of the Protestants in Ger
many, and took part in the battle of
Lutzen, where Gustavus was killed.
Encountering her lover, she became
involved in quarrel and fought
duel with him. She next found her
self diplomat, on a mission to Tur-
key, where she learned something of
Turkish harem life through a period
of captivity, then turned fighter again
and battled for the Turks. She joined
a wandering band of GypSies in Hun
gary, finding their life much to her
taste. In England the Cavaliers won
her support and she fought with the
bravest of them. An Englishman re-
placed her Swedish lover and with
him she returned to her German cas-
tie home.
Her nature was both martial and
amorouS and her military exploits
were equaled in number by her loves
She knew few women, did not care
for them, but weather-beaten, mascu-
line Uncle Rosa was a true friend to
her and taught her some things of
which she was surprisingly ignorant.
BY one OF the paradoXeS so often