Evening star., 1936-12-26
FAMOUS COLLECTOR MAKES BOOKS HIS GAME OF SKILL
CURIOUS THINGS ARE SHOWN
Browning Letters Are Welcome Because of Personalities Behind
Them-Romance Of Lloyds Has Value for Those
Who Observe Development of System. ,

in this charmingly done history OF the
four great foods, wheat, corn, rice and
sugar. How they were first grown, the
beliefs and rituals connected with them
by primitive peoples; the methods Of
harvesting and preparing them for
eating employed throughout the ages
by different countries, and the various
ways in which they are used are all
fully described.
without In the least taking on the
appearance Of text book, this volume
contains really worth while and help
full information for the school-age
child. The illustrations are, of course,
superbly done in the inimitable Peter
sham manner; many of them have
been inspired by old pictures and uten-
sis found in ruins and now ensconced
in great museums The colors are vivid
and arresting; the scenes and figures
portrayed seem literally to be bathed
in golden harvest sunlight.
The text Is set in large, readable
type, and the stories are simply and
quietly told In a clear. pleasant man.
ner. A worthy successor to previous
books by Maud and Miska Petersham.
this new Offering will win for them
additional friends and admirers.-B c.
THE DESCENT OF THE IDOL. BY
]. Durych. Translated from the
Czech by Lynton A. Hudson. New
York: E. P. Dutton & Co.
VIEWED as dramatic record Of
the period of the Thirty Years
War, THE Descent Of the Idop
unmistakably has the ring Of truth.
1t is q portrait Of the times, often
painful in its faithfulness to de-
tail. Throughout the book there is
slight love story. but gruesome scenes
are sd carefully painted that the reader
can feel the horrid details. Yet.
strangely enough, ones sympathies are
never aroused in q personal way for
any Of the characters. In spite Of all
the grisly word painting, the char
acters remain what they are. figures
In book or in ancient history. Hor-
ror and contempt for a rotten period
in human history are the natural re-
action to this book.
While Descent OF the Idop cannot
be recommended as entertaining read
ing following seance with the Sunday
funnies, it can be recommended as
worthwhile reading to any one who
Is at all interested in history, church
or war. RI R.T.
A DOG AT HIS HEEL. BY Charles
J. Finger. Philadelphia: John c.
Winston Co.
A MOTHER Of the Christmas crop
: Of dog books, but one that is.
eminently readable, with a good plot
simply told and q dog hero that is
all dog doing dogs work and does
not essay into the superhuman and
supernatural.
Adding interest to the story is the
description Of two widely separated
sheep countries, Australia and South
America. The story Of the huge ship
ment Of pure-bred sheep from
Australia to Chile and the long drive
from the port to the sheep ranch Is
interesting as bit Of historic fic-
ton And the description of the
celebration and sheep dog trials at
the end of the trip has the ring Of
authenticity.
Mr.. Finger. quite evidently. knows
dogs. knows the Antipodes, and knows
how to tell story to hold the interest
OF a boy or adult more interested in
dogs and stories than in art with a
capital A. r. r. r.