Evening star., 1938-01-16
HUMAN ABSURDITY RECORDED
Fascinating Tale of Travels South American Countries Com
mendable Departure From Tradion-War in the Italian
e. Fashon-Weighty Business Talks

guide his future operations. whatever
this code turns out to be. tC will. how
ever, be American. abe declares. Our
roots do not 90 back to the same sources
as those from which European business
has sprung-medieval and feudal prac-
tices-and We ind our one tradition
that Of the great trust builders-out Of
key with public sentiment. We must
find . new way. she says, and - yet
we cannot predict Whit 1t will be.
The best part Of the book is its VOL
luminous examples OF business practice
through the ages. The perpetual same
ness Of objective. unvarying while
fashions Of expression radically change,
Is sufncient ironical Amusement to
carry along even = bigger volume.
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN IN VIC
ToRIAN FICTION. BY Z. M.
Delafaeld. New York: Harper &
Bros.
IN THIS book Mrs. DelAf,eld very
amusingly holds up to us that pic
ture OF Victorian life which Is set
forth in the works Of the Victorian
novelists themselves-not those now
elists whose genius was such that
they produced works transcending
period. but their humber colleagues,
who. from q very lack Of imaginat ton,
wrote Of the day In which they lived,
It's manners and morals, with unin-
spired exactitude. Mrs. Delafield holds
that IN the novels Of such writers we
may find = closer picture Of Victorian
life than in many texts.
Her outstanding choice for demon
stration purposes is Mrs. Charlotte
M. Yonge, that lady whose works of
nction appeared over six decades-she
wrote. indeed. from 1874 to 1901. And
after Mrs. Yonse she draws upon such
other reporters Of the Victorian scene
as the Hon. Mrs. Greene, Elizabeth
Wetherell. Mrs. Sherwood. Eliza
Meteyard. Mrs. Henry, Wood, Eliza
beth M. Sewell and Helen B. Mathers.
1t Is astonishing, indeed, to note how
many OF these minor. purely con-
temporary novelists were women; one
supposes that it was that sisterhood
which made Nathaniel Hawthorne
lament that writing had been taken
over by lot of damned scribbling
women" and inspired the Gilbertian
wit to put lady novelists on the list
OF those who never would be missed.
Anyway, they provide Mrs. Delafield
today with material for q truly anus
ing volume.
And her volume. as offered US. Is
composed almost altogether Of quo
tations. It Is divided under certain
headings-"Papa and Mama" only
the Governesss' Declarations Of
Feeling Enjoying III Health" and
so on. and. under those headings
Mrs. Delaf1eld simply quotes passages
demonstrative Of the Victorian treat
ment Of the theme. In her introduce
ton she sums up the domestic picture
as 1t was in the good Queens gentle
reign as follows:
THE immense families-the attitude
OF complete infallibility and omnipo-
tence assumed by the elders and ac-
quiesced in by the younger ones-the
absolute rights OF husband over his
wife-the S o'clock dinners, followed
later in the evening by tea. with the
solemn unlocking of the tea chest-the
invariable sharing of q bedroom by
two, II not three, sisters-the family
prayers-the work expected Of domes-
tic servants and, paradoxically, the
length and fidelity OF their services
the family holidays. taken en- masse-
the incredible modesty and coyness Of
young ladies-but one could 20 on Al
most forever"
Culling here and there, she lets the
Victorian lady writer's speak eenteelly
for themselves on all these points.
And she has chosen well for her pur-
pose, too. although unquestionably she
had great wealth Of stun to choose
from. AS far as the reviewer Is con-
cerned. this is the way to read such
writer's as Mrs. Yonge. Taken in full,
a novel Of hers would be an unbearable
tedium; taken in excerpts, 1t can be
delightfully."- amusing.
Yet the reviewer holds that the best
thing In the book is not the written
matter at all, but the illustrations
These are reproductions from original
editions and they are priceless. Those
showing gentlemen in the act of pro-
posing to their chosen ladies are par
ticularly good. They alone are worth
the price Of the volume.
THE THIRD HOUR. BY Geoffrey
Household. Boston: Little Brown
& Co.
THIS Is first novel by young Eng
lishman. We are told by its pub
fishers that when the Atlantic Monthly
received Mr.. Households first story
manuscript, some time in 1896, the
editors Of that venerable periodical
were so impressed that they wired
the unknown writer asking for an
option on his future work. Now he
comes out with his maiden novel and
already it Is appearing on the best
seller lists. And it really does seem to
be . good work.
1t is the story Of young Spaniard
and young Englishman who expert
ment with political theories over .
good part of the world, carrying on
in somewhat uproerious manner. and
finally come to the conclusion that
what is needed to bring about reform
Is the development Of . new ruling
class. They end by setting their un-
predictable geniuses to work at bring
ing such q class about.
The body Of the novel is given over,
however, to the adventures Of the
young men, which vary from assist
ing in . Mexican revolution and max
ing of with q carload of bullion, to
highly assorted love making. It Is
all very lively and high-spirited, bright
and entertaining. There is a promise
too of an irony which may mature
into something more biting in the
future. At any rate. the volume can