Evening star., 1936-07-29
NEW BOOKS
AT RANDOM
BY MARGARET GERMOND.
LOVELY JOURNEY. BY Jessie Douglas
Fox. New York: Thomas Y. Crowell

juStifiably styled as lovely depends upon
the degree of romance that can be drawn
from the meager source of that COM
modify which remains in the makeup
of the modern individual. There was q
time when a story based upon the ups
and downs that result from a hasty
marriage could in all faith have been
accepted as typical of the life Of the
average American girl who believed that
a husband was the answer to the mean
ing of life. An experience such as
Elizabeths, undoubtedly the lot of many
long suffering young women of pre-war
days, would likely be regarded by almost
any practical girl of today as a night
mare rather than as lovely journey.
And after the first demonstration of
utter irresponsibility things would begin
to happen.
Elizabeth, however, rightfully belongs
to that earlier generation to whom mar
riage meant for better or for worse for all
time. She is one Of family OF three
ambitious girls whose widowed mother
has made noble effort to give them
substantial foundation for life. Rhoda
aspires to become physician, but II that
ambition is to be realized she must find
means of inducing the cantankerous
aunt upon whose rent money the family
has been largely dependent to provide
the necessary funds. Elizabeth is ready
to teach school and Nan is diligently
endeavoring to become poet.
Elizabeth is just beginning to realize
that while teaching In q school for girls
Is not an altogether thrilling existence
it has its compensations when she meets
Rufus Hamlln. He is handsome,
charming young man who has accom-
plished nothing worth while and whose
only claim to noteworthiness is his
reputation for instability. Elizabeth
meets him in the park when the school
day is over. drives with him into the
country and eventually is caught in a
trap which causes her to lose her posi-
ton. 1t is within the power of Rufus
to prevent her dismissal but he is not
famed for his thoughtfulness where
others are concerned. This experience
should have been enough for Elizabeth
but she is too deeply in love with him
to care what he does, and soon afterward
she forgets that there is such a thing as
practical, every day world and marries
him.
Life with Rufus is haphazard affair
from beginning to end. Sometimes they
eat, and sometimes they are hungry
Sometimes the rent is paid. but more
often it is not. Rufus, sent to the store
TO pay the butcher, sends flowers to
Elizabeth and buys something for him.
self instead. With a check that spells
fortune to Elizabeth, sent by her de-
voted uncle who suspects that she may
be In deep water, Rufus buys car. He
is charming and rather fascinating
man, nevertheless. Elizabeth, eventually
driven to appeal to the husband OF Olive
Black. cousin of Rufus and mother of
child who became attached to Eliza
beth while she was teaching Stephen
Black is abroad and Sara Is ILL., Olive
set the trap which caused Elizabeth to
lose her leadership. She now asks
Elizabeth to stay with Sara while she
goes to New York to meet her husband
Some days later Elizabeth sees Olive and
Rufus strolling in loverlike fashion
through the park.
And there are many other incidents in
the course of this matrimonial adventure
which Elizabeth consistently maintains
is a lovely journey that she would not
iiaNC HiIooCu uCopIIC 4Io ulkHtlildI 1871
character, until a man more worrsy OF
her unselfish devotion wins the right to
take her upon far lovlier journey than
the one she has travelled.
~
FRIENDLY RELATIONS. BY Audrey
Lucas. New York: E. P. Dutton
a. Co.
Many thousands Of readers during the
hot Summer months want their novels,
like their food, light and not too nourish-
Ing. Among the scores which merit
classification as good Summer fiction is
this amusing story of a family of four
women and their brother whose lives
reflect the petty jealouSies and triumphs
which are the breath of life in small
communities where there is little op-
portunity for living apart.
-Four women, three Of them married
and not one of the four entirely content!
One is married to substantial business
man whose house runs in orderly, peace
full harmony. Another is married to
typical small town industrialist who hates
change and who has long ago ceased
to have will Of his own, except in the
matter of taking patent remedies for
chronic indigestion. The third is mar
ried to an attractive, independent man
whose liking for liquor and women has
made his home place to go when he
has nothing else to do. The fourth is
unmarried, living alone, meek. devoted
to movies and the stars of the screen.
The children OF the married ones are
strictly ultra modern.
Bart, wayWard brother of the family,
is the pivot about which this uncongenial
family group revolves. Having run away
from home years before because his
father berated him for his waywardness
and responsibility. he has lived in vari-
GUS foreign lands. He has written home
only spasmodically, but in recent letters
he has indicated that his sisters have
reason to be proud of him. As the story
opens the sisters are assembled in the
Mackenzie drawing room and are giving
their various dispositions full reign over
the news that Bart is coming home. He
has written Kate that he Is coming,
with his wife. She has cabled him to
make her house his home. She is tri-
umphant. He has money. Each one of
the sisters feels that he should have
come to her. Kate'S husband is satisfied
with his plant and wants no changes
but she intends to make Bart put up
the money for expansion. Rose is bent
upon having Bart finance the sort of
education that she thinks her son de-
serves. Ann intends to put her iron in
the fire for her son, who is inclined to
give her the sort of trouble she does
not want. Emmie, gentle and helpful