Evening star., 1938-04-17

the Na5is who gave him the nick
name) left public life and returned to
Bavaria, then a stronghold of anti
Nazism. Subsequently he was exiled
although h his story here does not carry
on that far.
The book, however, is less q story
Of public events than q record Of an
individuals effort to adjust high ideal
ism and scrupulous honor to public
life today. II Prince Hubertu is to
be considered as an aristocrat, it is In
the sense Of quixotism, Of the aristoc-
racy Of the spirit, Of that purity OF
heart which loves honor fer its own
sake and finds the meaning Of life
in honorable behavior. Whether such
man could ever f1nd his place in
politics Is q question; 1t may even be
doubted that the prince would have
Jared essentially better in lands where
he would have met with a less open
brutality. Viewed In this manner, his
book becomes wholly personal docu-
ment. but it Is not less worthy atten-
ton for that reason. It Is indeed most
unlikely that the market will ever
be exactly glutted with records of
selfless devotion to ideals Of honor.
THE MEMOIRS OF JULIAN HAW-
THORNE. Edited by Edith Car
rigues Hawthorne. New York:
The Macmillan Co.
THIS perfectly written book might
we'll serve as a model to all
memoir writer's. For 1t has those two
indispensables to the work OF remi-
niscences-lirst. a fund OF memories in
the authors mind which have sig
nif1cance to readers as we'll as to him.
self; and second. the flavor Of the
authors own personality. Without
both endowments no volume Of
memoirs can meet the test of time.
A fine style also helps and. as said,
Mr. Hawthorne has that, too.
The present work is one such as
can truly be given that over-used term
Of praise, delightful" Its author
lived In an historic time and place, in
the New England Of the Golden Age.
He was. moreover. one Of the choSen
spirits himself If he was not rated
as Titan, he was known to be of
Titan blood, and he had given proof,
too. of his quality. He saw the en-
chanted circle, therefore, from the
inside. Emerson, Thoreau, Alcott,
James. Holmes, Longfellow, Bryant
and their associates were also his
associates. or at least common names
in his family. And the background
against which they lived and burned
was also his background. Writing Of
it all in his old age. only a short time
before his death. this son OF Nathaniel
Hawthorne gave it complete verify and
at the same time touched it with the
mellow irony which perspective had
brought about IN his own mind. It
would be hard to find a more intimate
picture of the members Of that galaxy
OF Americas innocent and great.
The book has no continuity, 1t should
be said, but consists altogether of
brief sketches not arranged with any
consistent regard to time. For the
most part these are humorous, not, the
author says. because he observed no
deeper quality. but because he believes
that mood OF humor is the most sat-
lsfactory one to readers. Yet it is
not TOR this reason alone that he deals
thus lightly with the august, bringing
them down TO the scale of ordinary
folk. There is also in it a deliberate
philosophy Of narration which con-
sISts, as he puts it, in feeling the
importance OF the unimportant."
The book seems to the reviewer one
to take its place beside Van Wyck
Brooks "FloWering of New England. :"
1t is not the analytical study, written
from the outside. 1t is the very voice
OF New England itself, speaking from
within.
GLASS HOUSES. BY Carleton Beals.
Philadelphia j. B. Lippincott Co..
WITH this book Carleton Beals
joins the imposingly vast pro-
cession of Journalistic autobiog-
rsphers. He tells us here, if not his
whole life story. at least the history
OF his career as a newswriter. He calls
it 10 years of free lancing."
Mr.. Beals. of course, is best known
as an authority on Mexico. He went
down to that country in the days be-
fore it had undergone much prospect
ing as mine of local color" but was
more dangerous than picturesque.
Carranza was still in his uneasy seat
of power, revolutionists were numerous
and given to numbering unabashed
and the feeling against Americans
was high. Nonetheless Mexico took
Mr.. Beals to its heart and trea ted him
royalty. He reciprocated. He has
been one of its most tireless inter-
prefers ever since. And certainly he
has been one Of the most sympathetic.
His present volume begins with his
account Of how he arrived in Mexico
City via carload of pigs, his finan-
cial assets no more than IS centavos.
But shortly, he tells us. he was earn