Evening star., 1938-10-30

meager finances-playing in cheap
theaters and dance bands, standing
hopefully. with scores of other musi-
clans in front Of the union employ
ment agency-he also had the good for
tune to meet some Of the right" peo-
pie who helped him directly or indi-
rectly to gain popularity.
Mr.. Names writes Of his intimate
connections with the Damrosch FAM
lily, his recitals with his wife, Clara
Damrosch Names, his experiences as
top-fight violinist with the New York
Symphony Society. Earlier in the CEN
tury he was instrumental in the Or
ganization Of a music club for under
privileged children, in the formation
OF the Music Settlement for Colored
People in New York City, and he
writes OF his leadership OF the still pop
ular Metropolitan Museum of Art free
concerts. Through Mr. Names one
gets view Of the struggling middle
man, you might say. of the music
world-the man who seldom feels the
glittering halo OF fame about his
head. s.
WE'RE STILL IN THE COUNTRY
BY F. F. Van de Water. New
York: John Day Co.
"A Home in the Country" was q
good book. 1t had all the elements
OF good writing. interesting subject
matter, quiet humor and human in
terest. We're Still in the Country"
is better. In this volume the author
has shaken down to a steady. glowing
interest in his subject While before
1t had the interest Of the novel, now
1t has the passion of the familiar and
the well loved.
Those who live in the country. of
the hard-surfaced roads. will have 4
tremendous fellow feeling for the au-
thor In mud season. Those who know
and love dogs will chuckle all through
the chapter on buying q new puppy,
entitled Eve Enters. Nor will the rest
OF the book fail to hold a sort Of
reminiscent fellowship fot them Gar
deners, Of course. have their innings
in various references to their beset-
ting sins. Cementing the whole series
Of essays is the love of home and the
dry humor Of the native Vermonter.
An unprejudiced reader, say one
who owns a home in Virginia, may
think Mr.. Van de Water rates the
beauties of Vermont and the qualities
| of the Vermonter little too high.
After all. there are views and natives,
| also mud, dogs and gardens, to say
nothing of town meetings and hired
men, in other States. But nobody can
deny that Mr.. Van de Waters admira-
ton of hts adopted State and its peo-
pie Is whole hearted, and therefore
infectious. R.R. T.
TOO YOUNG TO MARRY. BY M. c.
Banning. New York: Harper 6
Bros.
Margaret Culkin Banning is one Of
our most plausible as well as most
prolific writer's. What she writes is
always worth reading and always easy
to read, although little Of 1t is likely
to be remembered for very long. TOO
Young to Marry" follows the course
Of her many other novels and short
stories. 1t is concerned with the prob
lens OF the upper class young who
must emerge into world that Is no
longer ready or willing to be done up
In silver tissue and handed to them
on q gold platter. It's theme might
almost be said to be that the follies
Of the parents shall be visited on the
children, but the children are wise
enough and strong enough to build .
new world for themselves.
A neat plot, easy reading and full
page descriptions of the gilded set with
6 few people into night clubs to say
nothing Of the triply underlined moral
ending, make this book that will
doubtless have as great vogue as
others from this authors pen.
r. r. r.