davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1949-01-16

out in fine rowdy fashion when all
the neighbors gathered from miles
around to have a real hoe-down
around the bed of Dave Wilson who
broke his leg trying to break a wild
horse. Dawes post-operative care
(the leg was set with no other anes-
thetic than whiskey and four strong
men. to hold HIM was nothing
the brothers Mayo would approve
of, but it seemed to set Dave up
fine, even when a brawl developed
and his cackling old Granny nearly
fell in the fire.
Knows How It's Done.
Fred Gipson never wrote a book
before in his life, but he certainly
knows how it's done. He writes In
a nice easy, swinging Texas style,
full Of gusty talk and tall stories
rich in understanding of a boys
heart, and knowledge of the woods
And it's full of propaganda about
Texas, like every story that ever
came from the Panhandle State
In fact, it makes life in Texas
sound like a strenuous dream of
coon hunting and fiddling and
swing dancing-larger than life in
any other State in the Union.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1949-01-16

u y IL NeA& Datt"i'''
World War I have gained him a
Victoria Cross and a persistent sense
of guilt for the lives he has taken.
His ministry is one of expiation and
he forms q nationwide organiza-
ton called 1.-THE Builders of Jeru-
SALEM" which is sworn to repudiate
injustice, hatred, cruelty and war.
Meanwhile, he has married a beau
tiful actress, who has moved in an
impenetrable apathy since the death
of her first husband at the front.
The story is centered around
their son Adrian, born in 1925,
whose childhood is Swallowed by
successive international crises. Re-
sentful of his fathers odd followers,
vaguely shamed by his fathers
pacifism and further dislocated by
being evacuated to America when
the bombs first fall on London, he
returns home a moody, secretive
adolescent who strikes out brutally
against his father while subcon-
sciously respecting his ideals. Miss
Britain explores this painful,
strained relationship with consider
able skill and sympathy. The
background of a London dazed and
Keeling from years of sleepless,
fortified nights is wildly pre-
sented and the larger events of the
war are described with some irony.
Less didactic than heretofore,
Miss Britain gives equal force to
the emotional and polemic values of
her story. The characters are ex-
tremely we'll drawn and the scenes
between father and son are moving
ly done. Her idealism and high
mindedness in the face of continued
establishment is in itself moving.
M. MEG.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1949-01-16

Justice Blacks thinking is his belief
that the Bill of Rights of the Fed
eral Constitution is protection OF
the people not only against the Fed
eral Government, but also against
the States"
May 1t Please the Court.
Mr.. Justice Black" is so readable
and authoritative, within its own
province, that laymen and lawyers
will regret it had to stop at 1947 and
necessarily limit the selection to
only "a of the more than 300 ma
jority and minority opinions he has
written.
Justice Black is the Oldest men,
Der of the Supreme Court in length
of service, but has been there little
more than II years. His biographer,
may it please the court, should sup
plement this book years hence. For
the present he rests his case with
the comment that Justice Blacks
claim to fame as a jurist will ulti-
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1949-01-16
A Well Tale
OfLove and War
In Early History
WINE OF SATAN

BY Laverne Gay. (Scribners; So
In this second novel, Laverne Gay
has opened the gates to the colorful
epic of the First Crusade. A well
told tale of love and war, wine of
Satan" is rich with the thrilling
events that took place in that his
tory-steeped corner of the globe, the
Eastern Mediterranean.
Prince Bohemond, born Marc de
Hauteville, in Norman Italy, was a
babe in arms when his father de-
serted him and his mother Thir-
teen years later he found his way
back to the father he had never
known. He was met by disappoint-
ment, as his father, remarked to
the jealous and domineering Black
Duchess, Sigelgaita, would have no
part of him. Bohemond, frustrated
in his desire to become a knight in
his fathers train, joined the forces
of another of the great Norman
counts.
Stalwart. battle tried, trimming
over with success after success,
Bohemond became even more lust
full and greedy than his father. He
took what he wanted, among them
the Countess Zoe, the wife of his
trusting friend Mihera. 1t is al
together fascinating story. IN. P.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1949-01-16

Dresser had made on personal and
other topics.
Dresser energies from the book as
a man continually at odds with him.
self. He is study in contradictions.
Feeling life has already been prede-
termined for us, he constantly fights
to change things. Convinced the
artist must present the world as it
is, as editor of the Delineator
Dresser told a correspondent. Il am
personally opposed in this magazine
to stories which have an element
of horror in them, or which are
disgusting in their realism and
fidelity" Enrolled near the end OF
his life as a Communist Party mem
Der, the novelist, asked if he was
going to follow party discipline, de-
clared he would say what he
pleased whenever he pleased and if
the party did not like that, they
could throw him out"
Would Not Be Hindered.
In one thing Dresser was con-
sistent-in the right Of the artist to
say what he would without him
drance. When threatened that 'The
Genius" would be banned from the
mails unless revisions were made,
he wrote H. L. Mencken he was
perfectly willing to break the postal
laws and go to Jail myself rather
than give in.
His life experiences permeates his
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1949-01-16

REVIEWED ny "A
Miss Crockett, former Red Cross
worker who spent some l8 months
in Japan and Korea under the oc-
cupation, has written a better book
than some of the more ambitious
works of newspaper correspondents
who have pontifcated on the Amer
lean occupation record. Miss Crock
EFT has a sharp eye, mind which
penetrates beneath the surface and
an ability to communicate her
thoughts both in prose and through
delightful little sketches which
bring the reader closer to an ap-
probation of present-day Japan
than many a more solemn tome.
You will learn more perhaps about
the .behavior of Americans in Japan
than you will about the japanese,
but this is natural as during the
time Miss Crockett was in Japan
it was the Americans who were
really running Japan. The Japan
nese themselves were still getting
over the shock of defeat and were
still trying to digest the huge por-
tio1f of something called "democ-
racy" which was being crammed
down their Threats by sincere but
sometimes overzealous occupation
headquarters.
But the japanese are by no means
left out of this book. The chapter
on the awakening Of the japanese
women is particularly interesting.
The facts that l3,500,000 women
voted in the first free election in
1916 and that, even after the second
election when the novelty had be-
gun to wear off, there were still Is
woman members of the japanese
House of Representatives and 10
woman members of the House of
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1949-01-16
Beethoven's Dream
THE TENTH SYMPHONY

HE TENTH SYMPTOM
BY Mark Aldanov. (Scribner's;'
S175J
This philosophical novel lays open
to view Europe's upper strata Of So
ciety during the period following
Napoleon's downfall Through the
eyes of Monsieur Isabey, portrait
painter and miniaturist for the
courts of Europe, and the Russian
Count Razumovsky, we meet the
Emperor Franz Joseph, the COM
poser Beethoven and others. The
pervading atmosphere of Beethoven,
who grows senile as he grows great,
and the completion of his Ninth
Symphony" is used to provide much
of the undertone of philosophical
comment upon the pageantry of
the man described. Unfortunately,
Beethoven died before he completed
what he dreamed of to be his great
est composition, the Tenth Sym
phony." He would have poured his
entire soul into that. Yet, says
aged Monsieur 1sabey, every one
has his tenth symphony."-C.G.B.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1949-01-16

When at last, as Hitler's guns
Numbered across Poland, Count
Dupi lay dying, members of the
family and close friends stood out
side the chamber talking of his life
and exploits. $50 they conversed,
without realizing that they were
taking leave not Of a man but Of
an entire epoch"
Despite its length, the book holds
undagging interest. The translation
from the Hungarian by John Pau
ker is a remarkable achievement;
there is none of the straining after
phrases and fumbling for parallel
colloquialisms that mar so many
TRANSACTIONS. The narrative flows as
smoothly as 1t must have in the
original. Two of Mr.. Zilahy's nine
previous novels have been published
in this country, and two of his plays
have been produced on Broadway.
If he is not we'll enough known in
America, The Dukays" should give
him the reputation he already has
in Europe.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1949-01-16

biographical brief demonstrates that
the justice is very much of hero
to his former law clerk. Mr.. Frank
may be accused of giving ex parte
treatment or skimming over argu-
ments of adversaries. But he well
merits the thanks of the bench,
bar and laymen for an excellent
exposition of the social, legal and
political philosophy of Mr.. Justice
Black.
He has contributed also to better
knowledge and appreciation of the
Judge by dwelling in. detail on the
character, early life and legislative
career of the man himself.
Stormy Events.
The storm that centered on the
selection of the then Senator Black
for the Supreme Court in 1887, the
outbursts at disclosure of his short
membership in the Khan, the Sen
ate inquiries that built his reputa-
ton as one of the most effective
congressional investigators OF this
generation, and even the compare
lively recent "feud" with Justice
Jackson-such events should not
slip from public memory.
This book does we'll in bringing
them back and does still better in
putting them in proper perspective,
temperate language and factual
accounting.
In the second half of the book
Justice Black speaks for himself
in some of his best or at least best
known opinions. The presentation
is helped-although Justice Black is
a clear, forceful writer-by Mr..
Franks skilled editing. The digests
and background material would be
hard to match for precision and
brevity. The same can be said for
most OF Mr.. Franks comments,
however much they may be dis
puted.
On States Rights.
Justice Black, in the opinion of
Mr.. Frank, is the strongest sup
porter of the power of the States to
regulate the affairs Of men and con-
Germs within their borders that the
court has had in more than a hun
dred years
Justice Black, he believes, has
probably done as much to restore
the civil jury to place of effec-
tiveness in American law as any
judge in the Goth century" AS for
civil rights, Mr.. Frank holds that
the largest single innovation in
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1949-01-16
Crime and
Mystery
By Miriom Gutenberg
Duet of Death, by Hilda Lawrence

Duet of Death, by Hilda Lawrence;
(Slmon g. Schuster; $2)
Inner Sanctum,
BY far the more effective of these
two short novels is Composition for
Four Hands," suspense item on
the order of Sorry, Wrong Number"
The intended victim is a helpless in
valid, robbed of the power of speech
or movement by what the doctor said
was nervous shock. She knows diff
ferent, but can't convey her knowl-
edge as she waits for the killer to
strike again. After this grim fare,
"7he House" seems pallid. 1t con-
Germs a girl uneasily aware that her.
fathers apparent suicide left some
questions unanswered, such as how
his brute of a dog managed to stray
when he had been securely chained.
The elements of Suspense are in
THE House" but it is the other
story that maintains Miss Law
rence's reputation as prime purveyor
of subtle terror.
X Y ~
where's Mr.. Chumley. by Seldom
Truss. Doubleday g. Co.; $225)
Crime Club
An inoffensive little curate disap-
pears one night, but the local con-
stable is pretty sure he went of
with some we'll -concealed lady love.
Charles Danny, inclined to be pref
udiced because a sinister tenant
won't vacate the Danny home, sus-
poets the tenant of doing away with
the curate. Charles flancee, her
obnoxious but observant kid sister,
and bewildered hair dresser all get
in the act before Scotland Yard in
tervenes. Understatement and casual
humor contribute fair to what could
have been a routine tale.
X X X
Miss Silver Comes to Stay, by Patr1-
cha Wentworth. q. B. Lippincott
Co.; $500
Main Line
James Lessiter, an unpleasant mil
lionaire, came back to his native
village to dispose of his country
estate and got disposed Of himself.
James, one might say, had it coming.
He had threatened a woman with
jail for appropriating some of his
property. He had won the undying
enmity of young man for abscond-
ing with the young mans wife. He
had even tempted fate by revealing
who was to inherit his fortune. But
Miss Maud Silver the ex-governess
with the ladylike ways and acute
perception, kept on looking for more
likely suspects particularly the
thief who stole two gold figures from
/ the dead mans mantel. She forces
bluff that works in this standard
Maudie production.
Murder 81, by Frank Gruber. CRire.
hart & Co., So
The man told Simon Lash he was
interested in tracing the inscription
! In an old Horatio Alger noyel-"To
Stuart on his 18th birthday. from
his Aunt Clarissa, February 2, 1897"
The man said he wanted to know
what happened to the unknown
Stuart, just out of curiosity. Simon
doesn't believe him but he takes
the case. There's some mysterious
undermining in the book, reference
to poison and murder that interests
him. Could the book be revealing
half-century- old murder? As
Simon traces the book, murder be-
comes more up-to-date. We still
think the prolific Mr.. Gruber Ii
tops.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1949-01-16
Justice Hugo Black, the Man,
And All That He Stands For
MIR. JUSTICE BLACK. BY John P. Frank (Altred

MR. JUSTICE BLACK. BY John Frank (Ared A. Knop 50.
Reviewed by ROBERT X WALSH.
President Rooseves first appontee to the Supreme Court
can ably defend himself Nevertheless the most
urists and former legislators Associate Justice
clearer public understanding of what he has done
and what he stands for
Prof Frank submits appealing in his behalf This
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1949-01-16
Reviewing he New Books
Theodore Dreiser's
Role in American
Letters Analysed
By His Friend,
Robert Elias

THEODORE DRESSER,
APOSTLE OF NATURE
BY Robert H. Elias. (Altred A.
Knopf; 81
Reviewed by
CASPAR NAMES.
Theodore Dreiser's place In the
history of American fiction has
already been well established.
His spraying and somewhat
formless novels mark a definite
stage in the development of our
fiction, serving as one Of the links
between the saccharine standards
of the 10th century and the blunt
approach Of many contemporary
novelists.
For Dresser was one of those who,
at the turn OF the century, fought
potently for realism in American
literature. He was a major hgure
in the struggle so largely initiated
by William Dean Howells, and cal
ried further by such writer's as
Hamlin Garland, Stephen Crane
and Frank Norris in fiction and
James A. Herne, whose Margaret
Fleming was an early outpost OF
the conflict, in the drama.
The realist in art attempts to
explain the world about him as he
sees it. Certainly one function OF
the literary biographer is to reveal
now the artist used his materials.
When, as in the case OF Dresser
that consisted so largely of ineor-
porating his personal experiences
into his stories, the biographer has
the additional responsibility oil
pointing up the close relationship
of a life to its literary achievements.
Long Friendship.
This Mr.. Elias has done extremely
well. If at times he takes the
liberty of telling what Dresser was
thinking about at crucial moments.
his long friendship with the novelist
gives validity to what in most biog-
raphers would be presumption.
During the years I knew Mr.. Elias
he frequently foreshadowed this
by quoting remarks
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1949-01-16
Emily Hahn Takes
A BHthesome Look
At Rural England
TO ME

ENGLAND TO ME
BY Emily Hahn. Doubleday. &
Co.; 49,
In her previous books Emily
Hahn's candor has outshone her
other qualities to such an extent
that it was easy to forget how good
a reporter she is when her material
is less intimate. This account of
her introduction to English country
life in the crumbling ancestral Dor
set home of her husband, Maj.
Boxer, is sprightly and shreWd, with
piquant remarks about decay in
the drawing room and malevolence
in the kitchen, tweedy women and
taciturn men, chilblains and broken
water pipes, officious house guests
and sternly feudal servants, VINO eX-
pect their masters to know their
place Some of Miss Hahn's most
amusing sketches relate to the re-
sistance of the Cliftons, the resident
couple, to the characterization at
tempted by the major.
All this is charmlngly done III
blithe fashion. But Miss Hahn's
celebrated impulse to confide over
comes her at several points. Her
almost professional artlessness will
not be denied and she must in
clude blow-by blow playbacks of
rows with Der grumpy major and
spats with woman friends lone Of
them a fellow prisoner of the jap
anese) as high-strung as herself.
These interludes, and her insistent
confession that she is net a good
nousekeeper, add little to her blithe
and likable report on the new
austerity in England. M. MEG.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1949-01-16
Psychological Twist
Is Still Intriguing
Author Gore Vidal
THE SEASON OF COMFORT
BY Gore Vidal. (Dutton; $5)

BY Gore Vidal. (Dutton; 49,
The precocious Mr.. Vidal here
offers his fourth novel. While none
of his previous books was considered
immature, THE Season of Comfort"
is Of wider scope and more general
interest than the others.
Still in his mid-20s, he writes
with a leanness Of phrase quite effec-
tive and remarkable in a youthful
novelist. And he has a gift for
summing up a character or situa-
ton without wasting sentence
still more unusual in an era OF over
stuffed narratives.
1.-THE Season Of Comfort" deals
with a set of characters entirely diff
ferent from the covert, unhappy fig
ures that fitted through last years
novel, The City. and the Pillar" a
clinical study of homosexuality.
This theme of abnormality is not
absent entirely from the new book,
but 1t is unimportant. brought in
only as the experimental curiosity
of some schoolboys. The major
theme Of the story, mother-son,
fxation, is more normal than alb
normal, If you believe DR.. Freud.
But 1t is obvious that Mr.. Vidal is
still immersed in psychological
twists, whether ordinary or excep-
tional, that make life even more
difficult than it is.
THE Season Of Comfort" is mostly
the story of Bill Giraud. He knew
he was bound to his mother, vain,
shallow and self-centered woman,
just as she was shackled to her
father, an elder statesman" once
the Vice President, and hated her
mother. Bills adolescence, at home
and off at school, and his efforts to
break away from his mother, who
had no interest in his talent as an
artist, led to a climax.
Mr.. Vidal shifts the point Of view
frequently but easily. He has expert
mented to an extent with the struc-
ture of his novel and not ineffec-
lively. &C. B. j.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1949-01-16
Afraid to Go Home
THE WONDERFUL MRS.

THE WONDERFUL MRS.
INGRAM
BY Harlan Ware. (Whittlesey
House; 49,
To the world-even to herself
Mrs. Ingram presented the picture
of successful novelist who was
simultaneously the complete wife
and mother. But the extent of
Mrs. Ingram's domination finally
dawned on her husband when he
saw his beloved daughter was &C
tually afraid to go home One of
the more unattractive types of fe-
male is here given cold analysis,
redeemed by the contrasting por-
trait Of an equally successful but
warmly understanding woman.
M. 0.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1949-01-16

novels. SISTER Carrie" was based
on the life of one of his sisters;
Jennie Gerhardt" that of both
sisters, while The Genius" was lin
all essential respects an account of
Dreiser's own career" Even AN
American Tragedy: using real life
story as its base, owed its philo-
sophical undergirding to the writer
views.
Mr.. Elias has used well the vast
materials Dresser made available to
him. He not only succeeds in bring
ing the protagonist alive but has
equal success with the minor figures
his father, sisters, brother Paul
and his own wife The style is
smooth and easy to read, and the
portraits of Dresser add to our i'm
pressions of the man.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1949-01-16

far more than the crash of the
AuStro- Hungarian monarchy and
its satellites. He sums up the sig
nificance of an age-old way of life
that already has vanished around a
turn Of history.
The Dukays" is novel in the
great European tradition-a close
scrutiny of individuals and wide
perspective of their times. The
method, If not the theme, suggests
the art Of Tolstoi, Balzac and Dick
ems.
The Dukays were one Of the
oldest lines of Magyar nobility. In
the 1905 they were at the peak OF
their wealth and influence. They
had Ararat, the medieval castle,
surrounded by a vast estate; the
palace in Budapest, numerous other
properties and interests. With their
battalion of servants and other re-
tainers they lived in semifeudal
splendor. The latest ruling heir
was Istvan Dukay, who was young
man in the '90s. In the idiom OF
that day he cut wide Swath.
Count Dupi, as he was known even
to the peasants from a childhood
nickname, exhausted the possibili-
ties of excitement at home, and so
he travelled. He managed to spend
a stable portion of his enormous
patrimony. Finally he married the
Austrian Princess Klementina and
settled down, to an extent, at
Ararat.
Covers Three Decades.
This 80O-page chronicle is largely
the story of Count Dupi's five chill
dren. more particularly Of the
daughters, Kristina and Terezia
Called Zia). The story covers three
decades of the new century, ending
with the outbreak of the Second
World War. e..
In the hands of a superficial
novelist, or of one who set out to
confect something to please the
public palate, The Dukays" prob
ably would have been no more than
O costume piece. perhaps eliciting
those weary adjectives colorful and
charming; vaguely reminding you
of THE Merry Widow" and THE
Student Prince" But Mr.. Zilahy is
Q man Of profound understanding,
great creative ability and complete
integrity. He has used his materials
to shape a penetrating record of
the times. Viewing the Dukays and
their circle with detached honesty,
he sees them-not without SYM
patty, but without illusion, point
ing out their faults and weaknesses
as readily as their decent traits.
And he has symbolized with wis
dom and irony the whole decay of
European aristocracy.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1949-01-16

again with all
her wonted sin
certify and in
tensity of the
spiritual havoc
of war. This
time the casual
ties are a father
and SON, W h o
are tragically
e S t r a n g e d
through world
crisis.
The father is
Robert Carbury,
a popular Lon
don vicar whose
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1949-01-16
Here's Book in an Easy Swinging Style
Byo New Author Who Knows How to Write
HOUND-DOG MAN
BY Fred Gipson. Harper & Bros; $500
Reviewed by MARY .McGRORY.

Cotton Knneys mother Blackie Scanthng was a no
account 2yearod Cotton however the
hound dog man was where all the foxes denned
up and where the turkeys rested and whose watemelons
were getting ripe the best place to catch mess
of catfish or shoot a bait OF SQUIRRELS"