Evening star., 1938-06-01
NEW BOOKS
AT RANDOM
BY MARGARET GERMOND.

COURAGE. BY Mary Lindsay. New
York. E. p. Dutton & Co.
1t is peculiarity Of the human race
that only with the descent Of sorrow or
comes the realization that life, from its
beginning to its end, is largely built upon
courage. How much or how little one
may possess can be measured only when
grevious circumstances, in one form or
another, crash the walls of complacency
and security and impose a heavy tax
upon the mental, physical and spiritual
resources Of the stricken individual.
The victims Of misfortune in the pres
ent instance are woman and child,
a mother whose happiness was shat
tered and whose world turned an about
face with the advent OF an afflicted baby.
Life had been good to the woman who
has written this story of her ceaseless
battle for the health of her child. She
had been one OF those to whom fortune
had given the pleasure Of comfortable.
abundant living She was healthy, in
telligent, cultured and vitality In tune
with the home-making, home loving
world. She had married fine and
healthy man with sufficient worldly
wealth to permit more than an average
allotment Of luxury, and they were the
proud parents Of husky two-year-old
son.
Completely happy in planning for
the second baby, and hoping that 1t would
be girl, no thought was entertained of
the possibility of invalidism. Yet very
beautiful. girl baby was born without a
sufficiently strong bone structure to sup
port its own weight or to withstand the
pressure of supporting hand. How
1t could have happened proved an un-
arswerable question. But what could
be done about it was the problem to
which the mother knew she must find
the answer.
In this book she tells the story OF her
unceasing struggle through long, weary
years filled with blasted hopes and new
determination, setting it down in the
thought that this full record OF efforts,
failures and achievements may offer to
other mothers who have given birth to
babies with unsound bodies the badge
OF courage that eventually signaled VIC
tory for crippled child now grown and
equipped for useful professional career.
4 II
WHITE MOMENT. BY Mable Posegate
Philadelphia Dorrance & Co.
Here is another volume of verse by
the woman whose two previous collec-
tions, Silver 'Scutcheson" and "Once
When Arcturus Shone," were warmly
acclaimed by professors Of literature,
poetry magazines, literary critics and
others for their lyrical charm and lor
their distinction as the work of
craftsman finely sensitive to the beauty
and the moods of nature, of life, of
death and of things Forty-six poems
appear in this latest collection, includ-
ing one which was published in the first
book and three that were especially
favored in the second publication. In
compliance with demands from various
quarters since the two earlier books went
out OF print Mrs. Posegate has included
illusion" from "Silver 'Scutcheon" and
Boy Beneath the Stars" Cardinal
and End of the World" from "Once
When Arcturus Shone"
An illustration of the authors sensi-
tive response to beauty is to be noted in
WHITE WORLD.
Incredible whitenss. coverlet let down
Upon prismatic colors of the earth.
No greater marvel could be found and
shown a--e
Than trees and hedges given luminous
birth,
And changed with softened contours into
fauns
And creatures spun Of fancy, rarely seen.
The tranquil evenness of nacerous dawns,
Blue hyacinth of dusk-the vivid green
beneath midsummer sun, on moonlights
spell,
Are not more lovely than this fleece
that fell. .,4. 4-
And in the following lines is to be
found an equally fine Interpretation of
one Of life's many crosses:
Perhaps there is a recompense for pain,
And yet the injured breast is loath to
own
That anything of value is to gain
Where days are spent in retrospect,
alone.
In time a certain pl1ilosophic balm
Descends to still the clamor in the
heart.
The fever once persistent in the palm
Is conquered, and the blood frequents
each part
As though tumultuous wave had never
poured
It's agitated ferment through the veins.
Incredulous friend, believe me, one has
scored
II he can take up calmly what remains
OF life to find 1t zestful, and not feel
The ranking of old wounds that never
heal.
Mrs. Posegate has been the recipient
of a number of poetry awards, and has
the distinction of being among the COM
paratively small group of poets whose
verse has been published in many parts
of the world. She is resident of Gin
cinnati and was recently visitor in
Washington.
SIXTEEN HANDS BY Homer Croy
New York Harper g. Bros.
A mule-from Missouri-is the hand
some quadruped that gives title to this
homespun tale about a family which
scaled the social ladder on the strength
of blue ribbon won in livestock show.
Sixteen Hands is an unusually tall mule,
with waggish ears and friendly bray.
Sweeney Bliss is proud of him-and has
right to be, as he is the finest built
mule that anybody in the neighborhood
of Junction City has ever seen. Cuzzie
Bliss is not so keen about her husbands
liking for mules. Since they gave UP
farming and moved into Junction City
she has by sheer perseverance captured
third place in the ranking society lead
ers of the town. and mule breeding does
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