Evening star., 1937-01-02
ENGLISH KINGS ARE LISTEDI
Autobiography of German Lady Informing Comment His
tory-Josephne Lawrence Defends Employer Cass-News
paper Man Analyses Reasons for Failure of League.

the psychology OF the very strictly
average man and woman-the kind of f,
person whose interests are limited by
base ball scores, current murders, the |
divorces of movie stars and, above all. |
by his or her own little jobs. In her
past novel. If Have Four Apples"
she made this species of human being
live quite realistically.
In her present book she repeats that
maneuver. but scarcely builds up |
story as she does it. She takes a group |
of people who are related through |
their Work-the owners and staff of |
small real estate business. She
shows the need In every workers life |
for more money than he is earning
and makes quite clear that the need |
itself is regarded by these workers as |
justification enough for feeling that |
the money is due them. She also |
shows with great clearness how they
hold the vulgar conviction that the |
owners Of their business. simply be-
cause they are owners, have lives of
romantic ease. She contrasts sharply |
the situation of the man who pays |
taxes on considerable property. who |
meets pay roll and keeps his credit |
clean with that of the young fellow |
who wants raise SO that he can buy |
car on the installment plan, or
marry, or possess himself of some de- |
sired thing which is out of his reach |
on the money which he actually earns. |
She is sympathetic with both sides,
but unquestionably let's the balance |
Of her work rest in favor Of the owner. |
Her owners are kind and honorable |
men. Her workers. admitting the |
naturalness OF their desires, are. as
regards their work and pay, pretty |
disgusting chisellers.
But the novel as whole lacks |
movement and interest, and Is at |
times quite prepoSterously bad as to !
writing. 1t is interesting today to |
come upon young writer discerning |
enough to see that pay rolls are not |
created out of the void, but are met |
by men big enough to meet them, a |
view OF industry that is almost ignored |
by the writing proletariat. But the |
view alone does not make q book, |
Miss Lawrence welters in details.
buries her originally clear character
izations under exaggerations and is
llmping badly by the time she finally
comes into port. She has done two
novels now in about one year. It is
suggested that she give herself a nice
holiday.
ATHEDRAL. A Gothic PILGRIM
age. BY Helen Huss Parkhurst.
Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co.
This careful work is study of the
cathedral in medieval life, archi-
tecturally. spiritually and historically.
IL Is essentially text book, but it
IS done with obvious loving care.
which lifts it into category of text
books all too limited in number. Its
author. while never erring in vague
ness or emotionalism. has imbued her
work Win a spirit of reverence and |
love. To read Cathedral" therefore.
Is something more than to acquire a
collection OF valuable facts.
1t is divided into three parts 1.-THE
Visible" The Invisible" and THE
Incorruptible.' The first deals with
architectural history and exposition.
The second deals with the spiritual
aspects OF the nedieyel period which
found their embodiment in the great
churches then being built. The
secret drama, the concept of paradise,
the living place which religion held in
all human existence and the express
sion OF the vast popular and artistic
body of religious thought and legend
through the cathedrals-all these are
expounded carefully here. And in
the third part the author discusses
the manner in which the Gothic
church incorporated religious symbols
that have universally and signifi-
canoe beyond the Christian faith. All
scholarly and close to living interest.
The book closes on practical note,
giving. as it does, chart of the dates
of the building of great religious
structures, pagan as well as Chris
tian; handbook for intending trav-
elers and list of references for STU
dents. 1t has also some dozen ex-
quisitely beautiful photographs by
way OF illustration. For once the
reviewer is in agreement with pub
lisher's jacket ad, which in this case
says that the work Is for the general
reader, the traveller and the student"
1t could, one feels. be protitably read
by any Of the three.
ELIZABETHAN SEAMEN. BY
Douglas Bell. Philadelphia: j. B.
Lippincott Co.
A book like this must needs be re-
viewed at length or only mentioned.
Its subject makes clear that 1t has
great-very great possibilities. The
reviewer can play author for while,
II he wishes. and describe what these
possibilities are. Or he can content
himself with saying whether or not
the real author has done them justice.
Space dictates here the latter course.
1t Is good job then that Mr.. Bell
has done for Sir Francis Drake Sir
Martin Frobisher, Sir Walter Raleigh
and their giant contemporaries, ven-
turers all. He has felt his subject and
gone along with it pretty well. 1t is
not subject for a squeamsh man to
undertake, nor one to be cut to fit |
current ideas OF nice behavior. Mr..
Bell does not fall into these errors.
He tells OF the Elizabethan urge to |
explore, to find what was beyond the
known. and to fight ones enemies and !
to gain good red gold by both enter
prises. He makes lusty book of it.
The reviewer. for her own part, would |
rather have such work to read than |