Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1934-05-13

staff of the library of Honolulu and teacher
in the university, says that she had mission
aries on the brain and burrowed in the old
journals and letters in the library collection
until the early history of the Sandwich
Islands" was as familiar to her the current
events through which she is living Her novel
began to take shape only when she conceived
the character of Consistency Williams, rebel
among the missionaries outwardly Jealous in
all the works of the pioneers, but inwardly pro-
testing against their rigid Calvinism.
Eight couples left Boston october %. 1919,
to carry Christianity to the benighted heather
of the Sandwich Islands Hawaiian news
paper says of The Lords Amounted: THE
actual of these historic families are
used" Through the life of green-eyed. honey
haired Constancy, who looked like saint, but
was far from one, the experiences and prob
lens of the missionaries followed through
many years. during which native rule in the
islands declined and died and the numerous
descendants of the missionaries inherited the
land. Consistency was 10 when she lett Bos-
tom she nearly 100 when she died in the
arms of her great-grandson, whom her befogged
mind confused with her son Samuel, who had
died at the age of f. the one of her eight
children she had always loved best. With the
last fare of what had been a remarkable in
tellect. she commanded her great-grandson to
burn the journal of her dead daughter Pris-
ella because its pages Revealed that Silly"
one of her two children who had followed in
their fathers CalviniSt footsteps, had dscsv-
cred her mothers secret. Hal discovered 1t, too,
he burned the journal, and said: "You
must have dark secrets in your past. but some
how always suspected it." But her only secret
was that she had married her Jonathan for
love of him and not for love Of God, and
that she had never believed in the vengeful
God of the missionaries. Consistency often re-
calls, in her independence of thought, and &C.
caSionally of action. Hugh Walpole's Judith
Paris, in his Herries novels.
During her long and crowded years Con-
stancy bore and reared her own children,
helped the families of the other missionaries
in their present troubles, brought up sew
eral native children in her home, taught native
children in her own home and in the school,
nursed in an improvised hospital through a
terrible smallpox epidemic, served as a balance
wheel for her fanatical husband, and long be-
fore her own death lost him and five of her
children. In only one relation did she play
the part of receiver instead of giver Her Uncle
Nate, master of sailing vessel was the only
person who knew and loved her for what she
really was-a fine. strong, sane and independent
woman. He built for her a house far better
than she could have had a missionary. and
retained it in his name as his headquarters
when he was in Honolulu, provided her with
a small independent income, and, above ALL
to her the only real companion she ever
knew. Loyal to the life she had undertaken
yet privately protesting against much that it
brought her, admirng the sincerity and self
sacrifice of the missionaries, while deploring
their narrowness and quarrels among them
selves. loving her children though she entirely
diSapproved of most of their in
life, especially of Peters land grabbing, trick
ing the native kings, and diSsolute habits, al
ways ready for practical service, unshockable,
uncomfortable, ConStancy is an original, living
person, worthy of a place beside some of the
famous women of fiction.
IN ALL COUNTRIES BY John Dos Passos
New York: Harcourt Brace & Co.
THERE is so much repetition in life that
l samples have to be accepted everywhere in
place of the whole; otherwise mere quantity
would crush understanding. So Mr.. Dos Passos
in these essays of travel does not, strictly
speaking, write about "all countries" but only
about four, which illustrate very we'll what is
happening throughout the world today. He
describes what he has himself seen in Russia,
Spain, Mexico and the United States and draws
few conclusions. Many Of the pieces have
previously appeared in newspapers and maya
zines The style is humorous, informal, just
such as an observant highly intelligent,
slightly Satirical traveller might employ in writ
ing to friends In Leningrad Mr.. Dos Passes
ate cabbage soup and plate of meat and veg
etabes for 40 kopeks in "proletari" restau-
rant and sympathized with the waitress. who
had been on the point of opening, with her
husband, a small French-style restaurant for
"a purely distinguished clientele" when the
revolution spoiled the plan. On the road to
Guatemala City deputy on his way to the
opening of Congress told him sad tale about
the stubborn, reactionary Indians. One old
Indian who had spent seven years in bringing
coffee plantation into bearing cut down all
the trees in one night because deputy, real
izing the laziness and illiteracy of the Indians
and that they rarely have legal title to their
land, went to court and secured title to the
plantation Such exasperating ignorance!
Spain Mr.. Dos Passos calls 1.-The republic of