Evening star., 1935-04-24
NEW BOOKS
AT RANDOM
Paul. New York. Doubleday,
DOran & Co.
Margaret Cermond.

4
Paul. New York. Doubleday,
Doran e. Co.
Ride with Uan Koe, Of Oahe, in the
pumpkin coach. Become his COM
panion and share the adventures he
encountered during two years Of
wandering over the most fantastic
country on earth. And then, when
the cover closes on the final chapter,
turn back the pages. steam for the
second time into San Francisco har-
Dor with the brown skinned Samoan
lad and ride the pumpkin coach again.
Innumerable repetitions will but in
crease a warm hearted response to
the translation by Louis Paul Of the
spiritual significance and the temporal
enchantment of nation into the
hero OF one Of the most romantic and
perhaps the oldest novel of the past
two generations. There are no COM
pariSOnS. for the book is unlike any
thing that has ever been written about
these incompatible United States of
America.
| Equipped with letter Of introduc-
J ton from old Father Francis Renoir
OF his native island and the savings of
himself and his brothers, the educated
and cultured Samoan lad presents
himself at the Office OF the eminent
San Francisco attorney 10 whom the
precious letter is addressed. He has
walked miles over the city, entranced
| by the magnificence of its tall struc-
lures. until his feet are sore, but at
last he has found the right building
| and the Office OF Mr. Willard
Go back to Oahe' is the advice of
that bruSque gentleman from whom
/ the lad is expecting his welcome to
! America. But the young man is not so
easily to be persuaded to give up his
! rosy imaglningS and his lovely dreams
/ OF the strange land that. like mag
net, has drawn him TO its shores
America. TO him. is not merely a
z nation. but an ideal. II is his ambition
/ to absorb it and to become absorbed
/ in it.
For better underSta nding of the
, spirit of this young alien it seems
wise TO let Uan speak for himself:
But has not Father Francis ex-
plain?'
Explain? Exactly. Those pants
you've got on are rather funny"
1T is very easy to buy new
clothes"
Come now. Out with it. You look
like bright, intelligent boy. What
ever did you come here for anyway"
Father Francis he procured for me
the entry here in this country that l
may stay. I am wanting to learn
everything that is American, the hear
ing of music players and to see the
acting plays. and pictures of the silver
! screen which l am reading like in
booklets, and 10 learn all what is
here"
What will you do when your money
runs out?"
Il am good for work. too. sir. and
can ketch fishing splendid"
But you're a naked savage in funny
pants. You don't know how to get
along with us. Your crude culture
doesn't understand the fine subtleties
Of civilization. world that'll applaud
no matter by what method you succeed
and swipe your shoes if you don't put
them under your pillow at night"
All. but no. Mr.. Willard. Your boys,
too. that l read historically, they go
oUt into new and strange countries.
and they are not so much afraid I
am as big courage as American boys"
They suffer"
Can ! not do this, too? See,
I want to know and see all that is
eXcitingly existing here l watch the
peoples hurry. I look up and Won
der with my eyes at the beautiful
tall houses of straight stone. l am
afraid only a little, but. too, I love
them. The rich great somethingness
of the always happening-oh. can you
understand this? How I cannot talk
such things we'll in Englsh?"
You'd better go back"
No
We'll compromise. After a
month. if you decide the land of the
very brave and the completely free
still intri2ues you. We'll talk about it
again. In the meantime give me
enough of your money 10 buy you
safe passage home. I'll put it in my
safe. and you won't be sorry
But 1 am not going back 10 Oahe.
From when l am boy l think to
come here. Father Francis tell me
all about San Francisco. and 1 learn
my studies most we'll as l can. so l
shall be American. Why, then, should
return?"
you're dark boy in white
country. Do YOU know what that
means? Do you know what prejudice
is? Why couldn't Renoir have
told you all this?"
He did"
In the face of such determination.
with the boy smiling and insisting that
he is afraid only little" the at
! torney surrenders and Uan enters
upon his first lessons in the ways and
customs of America.
x
TWO years of adventure in the
hugs to his breast with worShipful
reverence the ideal which no expert
once, however tragic or bitter. has
been able to destroy. His friends and
acquaintances include artists, phi
! losophers. men of letters, composers,
poets. vagabonds, farmers. prize
fighters, statesmen, newspaper men,
priests, physicians and an interesting
assortment of street and highway
casuals. He has been received and
welcomed into homes of culture and
of wealth. He has been beaten into
insensibility by ruffiians with an
imagined grievance. He has been
jailed for offenses that he did not
commit. He has been robbed by
sharpers and befriended by strangers.
His has been destitute, hungry and
ragged. and has worked on farms,
studied art. read fine literature and
served as an orderly in a hospital.
He has listened to master musicians.
washed dishes in a hash house and
been loved by a beautiful American
girl. All this and more has been his
lot during the long months of vaga-
bonding across the country from San
Francisco to New York. and still his
poetic, gentle, sympathetic nature has