Evening star., 1947-03-09
CoIorfuI Days
Along theOId
EHeCunuI

EHeA0n0I
BANNER BY THE wAYsIDE
BY Samuel Hopkins Adams.
fRandon House; $5.) n
Reviewed by
CARTER BROOKE JONES.
In a novel that spreads like q
pageant over a region and an era.
Mr.. Adams returns to the Erie Canal
country of a century ago.
This is the land and the period
he knows and loves best. He goes
back with lingering affection. He
dealt with these scenes in Canal
Town" Recently he turned aside
from the historical themes that
have occupied much Of his long
literary career to write about a
contemporary, the late Alexander
Woollcott.
Banner by the Wayside" breathes
life into the towns along the teem-
ing canal, the countryside, the back
woods taverns, the boats and their
lusty crews. The panorama that
emerges Is as authentic a patch Of
Americana as you're likely to find
in print.
A Girl for Harvard.
The story concerns founding
girl. left at the bookshop door of
Adam Andrews in New York City.
He takes her in. despite-probably
because of-the objection Of his
shrewish wife. The child grows into
a sprite unburdened by the name
Endurance with which her Harvard
educated foster father has weighted
her. She becomes Durie, which is
fitting. Her foster parents haven't
spoken in years-they communicate,
when essential. in writing-but
Adam takes Durie in hand. He
teaches her, between necessary
spells of schooling, to hunt and
fish and take care of herself in
the woods.
Adam has the inspired idea of
entering Durie in Harvard as a
boy, since girl on the campus is
unheard of, but the ruse is exposed,
and Durie goes reluctantly to a
female college," where her con-
duct, while technically moral, is
scandalous. Adam, meanwhile, goes
back home, decides he has had
enough Of his waspish mate, and
so does away with her and with
himself. leaving Durie adrift at IS
in a world she discerns dimly. After
various odd jobs, one in a fascinat-
ing museum, Durie joins a wander
ing theatrical troop, the Thalia ORA
matte Company.
Romance and Adventure.
Durie's romantic interest mean
while has come into the narrative.
He is JAMS Quintard, a blade whose
escapades finally are too much for
Harvard, despite the inteventions
of his wealthy uncle and guardian.
The Thalias are tramps. They
never know whether they'll make
expenses, and often they have to
pile into their conestoga wagons
and leave in the night to evade their
bill at the inn. But Durie, con-
vinced that some day she'll be a
great actress, is enthralled.
Durie's and JAMS adventures and
misunderstanding are intricate.
There does seem to be a deal of
pother over Durie's virtue, consider
ing the casual attitude most of the
women around her display in that
direction. And she remains singu-
larly uniformed regarding what is
known as the facts Of life, despite
the free and easy ways of the Erie
towpath. But perhaps such incon-
gruities went with the times. And
if the romance follows a conven-
tional pattern, much Of the story
does not.
. Moreover, the story does not great
ly matter. found the novel capti-
waiting for its sharp detail, its gusty
humor, its color and life. It's pages
are crowded with characters, every
one Of them alive. I mention Just
one - Pilkington, as charming a
companion as ever swindled a town.
ship.
There is, In the course of the mar
rative, revealing description of
the cholera epidemic that swept over
the East in the 1830s. But most of
the story is in brighter hue, and all
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