davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1951-10-17
7 axe NV Word for 1t
By Frank Colby

Indian tribal name Spokan, which
means Children of the sun" How
when, or why the final "e" was
added to the original Spokan,
have no knowledge; 1t certainly
leads to our pronouncing troubles
with. the name. But it does not
alter the pronunciation. Spokane
is correctly pronounced: Spo-KAN
CKAN to rhyme with man, can,
FAM.
There is no sanction at all for
the second-syllable accent in the
word discipline. I do not know
who started this pompous and silly
mislocution, but avoid it in the in
terest of better speech. DISS-i-
plin is the only pronunciation rec
ognized in Standard American.
Simple rules for the proper use of
those consistently misused pronouns,
That-Which-W are given in Prank
Colby's leaf1et, C-S. For q copy, send
10 cents in coin to Mrs Frank Colby,
p Q. Box 80. Station G. New York 10,
N "
Evening star., 1951-11-11
South Presented in
Dispossionute WAY
THE FORTUNE TELLERS

THE FORTUNE TELLERS
BY Berry Fleming. (Lippin-
colt; $3.75.)
This is a no-holds- barred
novel about the South from a
man who likes the South :.
perhaps five days out of seven
Berry Fleming was born in
Augusta, Ga, and after spend
ing a great deal Of time in the
North, is now back living in
Augusta. He sees his locale
with a dispassionate affection
which is a relief from both the
overidealized and overcritical
pictures usually presented of
the South.
In the Fortune Tellers" the
characters take on heroic pro-
portions struggling against the
terror Of a flood. but their
flaws Of personal prejudice and
cowardice are never erased COM
pletely by the bravery with
which they fight to save their
town. The flaws are there. but
they are presented as they no
doubt exist in a context of
good.
The novel tells the story of
two struggles-one against the
flood and the second the hero's
against a shopping newspaper
man trying to dig UP an old ra-
cial scandal. Both come out
well.
Evening star., 1951-11-11
Distoff Side Of White House Gains
Due Attention in Miss Furmon' Book
WHITE HOUSE PROFILE MI
BY Bess Furman. (Bobbs-MerriH Co.; $500
Reviewed by Mary McGFoY

the maniacal clothes-horse, Is
marvelously interesting, giving q
new sidelight on Lincoln's do
mestic sufferings. She describes
Sympathetically beautiful young
Julia Tyler presiding unhappily
over her first state dinner while
her baby cried upstairs. She
shows the two large Roosevelt
families frolicking with great
relish in their goldflsh-bowl ex-
iStence.
While speculation about the
next tenant RACES. it is interest
ing to note that Mrs. Truman's
often-remarked aversion has
many precedents. Mrs. Zachary
Taylor prayed Henry Clay might
get the job; Mrs. Franklin Pierce
tainted away at the news of her
husbands nomination.
Miss Furman inevitably has to
cover much of the familiar
ground of political history; but.
generally speaking. she has been
successful in keeping the focus
on the White House as a home
the scene of weddings, chris
Jennings, funerals and balls. For
all practical purposes, it has
been a glass house. but 80 fam
lilies have managed tor do quite
some living inside its walls.
Evening star., 1951-11-11
Win Key Asiotics,
Writer Urqes Us

THE VOICE OF ASIA
BY James A. Michener. (Ran-
dom House; $780,
A political travel-diary with
"perspectives," this collection of
interviews with Asians offers
new evidence of the current
rumor that the good old days
are gone forever in that part
of the world. Mr.. Michener.
author of the famous '"Tales of
the South Pacific" knows how
hard it is to convince his coun-
trymen of the vastness, hunger.
illteracy and determination of
this crucial continent. He en-
phasizes the fact of India's
moral leadership and the need
of our winning Asia's few key
men in a policy of conciliation
and cooperation.
Although it shows some signs
of haste and makes no pretense
at profundity. 1.-THE Voice of
Asia" is a timely, simple and
earnest plea to revise our basic
thinking toward millions of peo-
pie who so far have had no
cause to love the West.
Evening star., 1951-11-11
New WuItori Book
Is About IstonbuI

THE WANDERER
BY Mika Waltari. &c. P. Put
nam's Sons; $3.75.)
Reviewed by Margaret S. Dieke,
Any one who has read and en-
joyed The Egyptian" will feel
at home with "The Wanderer. ="
The time and place are differ
ent, but the principal charac-
tiers and the situations in which
they find themselves are essen
TALLY the same.
The story centers upon Istan-
bul, nerve-center of the Otto
man Empire. during the 10th
century reign of Suleiman the
Magnificent. It's hero is a
renegade Christian-Michael-
who renders faithful service
to Ibrahim, Suleiman's grand
vizier. In spite of his in
volvement in its battles and
intrigues, Michael manages to
remain an impartial observer of
Moslem society and the men
who rule it.
Waltari's characters are fine
ly drawn in shades of good and
evil which make them convinc-
ing. Most of them share a wry
humor which perhaps helps rec
oncile them to the numerous
and varied misfortunes they en-
counter.
AS usual the author succeeds in
bringing the types to life and
the exciting events which unfold
make it difficult for the reader
to put aside this book until he
has finished it.
Evening star., 1951-11-11

several ryes in quick succession.
Then come the Pickwick sisters,
so-called. though they are not
sisters. and Jerry Mayo. They're
vaudeville act on their way to
Scranton for a Legion affair.
Obviously they won't make it
through this snow.
Martha and Howard, neither
young, are of the upper crust
or somewhere near it. They and
the others have plenty of drinks
and an excellent dinner which
the women help Mrs. Fenster-
macher prepare and serve.
There is a sort of party which
continues until Joe. the truck
driver, quite drunk, gets mean
and insulting and is sent on his
way under the persuasion of
Charles pistol. Finally Martha
and Howard, assured by a State
trooper who drops in, that they
can make it to Norristown, get
their car started and drive away
to their particular fate. The
actors take rooms and retire.
Ira and Charles sit and smoke
cigars until after midnight,
when the trooper returns with
certain news.
You might regard Martha and
Howard as symbols of those who
seek happiness and can find it
only in stolen moments. The
woman's husband, their COM
pulsion to leave the warmth and
comfort Of the inn and push
back through the bitter, dan
gerous night, the furious truck
driver whom Howard ordered
to leave-all these could be
seen as elements Of evil and
Illustration In a disordered
world. But you can read the
story and decide for yourself
what 1t means, if it must be
given a social significance.
1t is, aside from symbolism, a
plausible, appealing tragedy. 1t
is told mostly in dialogue, and it
should-and no doubt will
make an effective play. THE
Farmers Hotel" is dedicated to
the memory Of Philip Barry. a
playwright. Mr.. OHara de-
serves our gratitude, after
perpetrating "A Rage to Live"
for getting back on the beam.
Evening star., 1951-11-11
Merry Adventures
OF Merqed Family

HONEYMOON FOR SEVEN
BY Alfred Toombs. (Croueu:
So
When Al Toombs, a widower.
married Connie. a young widow,
there was a readymade family
OF five children-the husbands S
two girls and a boy and the
wlfe'S two little girls.
And this augmented family
went to the Toombs farm on
Maryland shore for the honey
moon, since a wedding trip
with five children did not seem
feasible. Mr.. Toombs, a former
reporter for The Star, described
in a hilarious book called "Rais-
in Riot" his earlier adventures
in looking after his three chill
dren and a farm single-handed.
Now he tells what happened
when he married again and
acquired two more children.
1t sounded fine. raising chick
ems, ducks and vegetables, liv-
ing an Independent life and
staving off high prices. But
there were difficulties and ex-
panses the Toombs hadn't
anticipated. Mr.. Toombs was
working like something and
producing. But the place
wasn't supporting mel was
supporting it," he confesses.
I'VE were still suburbanites, not
pioneers.
The children could be counted
on to keep farm life from
monotony. When they had the
minister for dinner and Mr..
Toombs asked which of the
children wanted to say grace,
his eldest, Larry, suggested:
Let's shoot dice for it."
For a while, it looked as If
the new Mrs. Toombs and the
kids had found farming too
tough. But in the end they
were won over. There is warmth,
humor and a serious undertone,
too, in this book. Obviously, it
was a work of love.
Evening star., 1951-11-11
No Hurper Prize Novel
In the prize department. tt

In the prize department. the
news is both bad and good.
Quite depressing is the word
from Harper & Brothers that
this year, for the first time since
the $4,000 Harper Prize Novel
contest was established in 1922.
there will be no award.
Although more than 600
manuscripts were submitted,
none was, in the unanimous
opinion of the judges (author A.
B. Guthrie. jr.. Critic Oryille
Prescott and Historian Bernard
DeVoto) considered worthy of
the prize.
On the brighter side comes
news from the Folger Shake
speare Library of their anxiety
to give away two $1,000 prizes
to worthy authors who do most
of their researching in the Fol-
ger stacks. One will go to the
best manuscript on the history
of English civilization in the
period between 1900 and 1700.
The other is for the best manu-
script in the field of English
literature of the 10th and 17th
centuries, or in the history Of
the English drama and theatre
of the 18th century, or in the
Interpretation of Shakespeare,
and the history of his reputa-
tion and the performance of his
plays in any period.
Entrants will have plenty of
time since closing date isn't un-
til October /. 1854.
Evening star., 1951-11-11
Husband Is Debunked

Two Manhattan matrons. &C
companied by the silent huzzas
OF women who are weary of
hearing themselves called "the
lost SEX" were recent visitors.
They are Jane Whitbread and
Vivian Cadden. authors of "An
Intelligent Mans Guide to
Women"
Both are happily married,
with three children apiece, and
neither home has been men
aced by the appearance of the
book, which does to the Ameri-
can husband (they call him
"Groggle"D what Philip Wylie
did to Nom.
Neither Mr.. Levin (Miss Whit
breads husband nor Mr.. Cad
den thought for a minute they
meant him when they created
"Groggle", so they weren't the
Evening star., 1951-11-11
New Morrison Book
Describes How We
Crashed JopEmpire

HISTORY OF u. s. NAVAL
OPERATIONS IN WORLD
WAR II, VOL. VII
BY Samuel Eliot Morrison. (At-
lantic-Little, BrotDn;; $6.)
Reviewed by Rex Collier
This latest volume in Rear
Admiral Morison's engrossing
and authoritative naval series
reviews the amazing develop
ment of amphibious warfare as
our sea, land and air forces be-
gan their penetration of the
Japanese Micronesian empire.
Retired Admiral Morison-then
a Naval Reserve lieutenant COM
mander-was there, thanks to
the foresight of the Navy in
drafting him from his history
profesSorship to record naval
history as he saw it unfold.
Volume VII deals with three
early phases of the war in the
Pacific-the campaigns in the
Aleutians, the Gilberts and the
Marshalls. The contrast be-
tween our tragi-comic fum-
blings in the Aleutians and the
clocklike expertness Of our
capture of Kwajalein. japanese
stronghold in the Marshalls. is
clearly shown. Our inexpe-
rienced and ill-equipped forces
in the Aleutians let the Japa-
nese troops at Kiska make a
clean getaway. Our Navy even
fought a battle" with a phan-
tom Japanese fleet south Of
Kiska. And we conducted a
heavy bombardment of Kiska
long after the enemy had fled.
How different the stories at
Tarawa and Kwajalein! The
enemies there were very real
and very deadly. Tarawa was
especially deadly-so much SO
that many critics Gncluding
General Holland Smith of the
Marines) have argued that its
taking was unnecessary and a
blunder. It should be reassur-
ing to survivors of that bloody
battle and to the families of the
men who died there to know
that Historian Morrison COM
pletely disagrees with these
critics. He writes: "The battle
for Tarawa was probably the
toughest single fight that the
Marine Corps had as yet sus-
tanned, but there were plenty
more, and even worse. The les
sons learned there were of in
estimable value in the plan
ming and executing of later
operations Every man there.
lost or manned. saved at least
10 of his countrymen as the
Navy plunged deep into enemy
water and sailed irresistibly on
through Micronesia"
Specifically the grim lessons
Of Tarawa enabled our forces to
overrun and capture Kwajalein
with a minimum loss of life
an achievement which Admiral
Morrison is convinced would
have been impossible If the mis-
takes of Tarawa had been re-
peated at Kwajalein.
Combat photographs attest
the Savagery of our attacks and
of enemy resistance in the Gill
berts and Marshalls, and charts
illustrate the strategy which led
to victory.
Evening star., 1951-11-11
Conquest Over Ills
Of Man Our Aim

THE ONLY WAR WE SEEK
BY Arthur Goodfriend. Far
rdr, Straus & Young; $3.)
Reviewed by Belmont Fories
A new approach to winning
"the only war we seek"-Presi-
dent Truman's description of
the age-old fight against pow
erty, disease, hunger and litter
acy-is the theme of this un-
usual pictorial explanation of
the point-four program.
Using a maximum of striking
photographs and a minimum of
text, Mr.. Goodfriend emphasizes
that much of our foreign aid has
been ineffective because Of our
failure to understand people like
the Chinese.
The Communists have made
the most of our failures. But we
can give the people of Asia and
other undeveloped areas new
hope, the author is convinced,
by sending them as advisers
practical men willing to dirty
their hands in cooperative work
at the rice-roots.
Evening star., 1951-11-11
WHITE HOUSE PROFILE

If the presidency is the Ma
tons severest test for a man,
the White House is no less an
ordeal for the woman in his
life. Bess Furman's lively mix
ture of political fact and social
chit-chat shows how couples
from the Adamses to the Tru-
mans stood up under the exact
ing tenancy.
The first occupant of the
worlds most sought-after tenn
porary shelter was Abigail
Adams, who referred distaste-
fully to that unknown and
unseen abode" There is no in
dication that today'S lady, about
to move back to the refurbished
mansion after 3 years in Blair
House. has any more enthusi-
aSm.
In between. however. there
have been many ladies who
loved every minute of it. The
most notable. Of course. was
Dolly Madison. who presided
brilliantly over presidential
parties and could never quite
bring herself to leave the scene
of her most brilliant triumphs.
At 81, during Folks administra-
ton. she showed up at a White
House party in a low-cut dress
and was the belle of the ball.
Harriet Lane, niece Of Bu-
chanan. the only bachelor Pres
ident, figured in one of the
precedence struggles that have
periodically rocked the White
House. These really began in
1920. when Secretary of State
John Quincy Adams prepared.
at Monroe's request. two state
papers on calling. Things have
been quiet ever since the cele-
brated Dolly Gann-Alice Long
worth struggle.
Miss Furman, a longtime
Washington correspondent. gives
a very shrewd picture of Presi-
dents as husbands and their
wives as helpmeets or hindrances,
as the case might be. Her ma
terial on Mary Todd Lincoln.
Evening star., 1951-11-11
Old Hickory's Wife In CoIorfuI Novel
THE PRESIDENTS LADY
BY Irving Stone. Doubleday

BY Irving Stone. Doubleday:
Those fans of biographical
novelist Irving Stone who felt
that his last effort-"The Pas
sionate Journey"-was below
par will be delighted to find
that Mr.. Stone comes back with
flying colors in "The Presidents
Lady"
It is the story of Rachel and
Andrew jackson and, although
thousands of words have been
written about Andrew, this is
only the second book to deal
with Rachel and the first was
privately printed.
Why Mrs. Jackson, whose
colorful life involved being
termed an adultress by half the
people in the United States
then, has never been brought
to life before is a mystery.
Mr.. Stone takes care Of this
oversight very masterfully in his
Evening star., 1951-11-11
Reading and Writing
White House Library Mostly in Top Secret
.Seclusion Until Building Is Reopened

Blair House bookshelves will
be richer by two volumes tomor-
row. At II am. Bess Furman
will hand to her friend Bess
Truman a copy Of her new book,
White House Profile, a history
Of Mrs. Truman's rightful resid-
ence which Is reviewed else
where on this page.
Following hard on Miss Fur
mans heels will be Elizabeth
Bragdon, representing publish
erS Bobbs-M Merrill, with a hand
some. specially bound presenta-
ton copy Of the same book for
the White House Library.
The White House Library is
very well-stocked these days,
but it has known some nightly
lean years. Just about 101 years
ago. Mrs. Abigail Fillmore, a
schoolmarm. was shocked to
discover that not so much as a
Bible or q cookbook was avail
able in the executive mansion.
She secured q Congressional ap-
preparation for books, and the
War Department librarian pur-
chased a collection in New York.
But by the time the Hoovers
moved in in 1928, the White
House was once more bookless.
The Booksellers of America
leaped into the breach and filled
the shelves again. 1t has since
become the pious custom of a
committee from the book trade
to see that the White House
library receives annually a Sc
lection of the years best books
in every field. complete with
book plates.
Right now. during the redeco-
ration period. the White House
Library books are scattered
around. Some are in Blair
House, some in bookcases in the
White House Cabinet Room.
which was undisturbed during
the refurbishing. The bulk,
however, in addition to many Of
the TrumanS' own books, is be-
ing kept in storage at the Lii
brary of Congress. Just where
they are and how many are not
being divulged by the Library.
whether in difference to the
Presidents new security order
or not, they do not say.
Il 4
Margaret Webster. eminent
Shakespearean authority, ac-
tress and producer, will be the
first reader in the current sea-
son of the Library of Congress
newly instituted poetry reading
series. Miss Webster will read
selections from Shakespeare
on the evening of November %.
Evening star., 1951-11-11

Go back to the sixth century.
BIC. The Greek Aesop was
writing symbolic little stories
which have come down to us
and are still pungent commen-
taries on our problems. How
many writer's since have used
fiction to convey a moral or
prove a point.
In this short novel Mr.. O'Hara
has written what the publishers
call a parable of our times. But
the symbolism, whatever it
meant to the author, is not laid
on with a trowel. The story is
told without comment, and you
can put your own interpreta-
ton on it, if any.
In itself, The Farmers
Hotel" is a taut little tale. nat
ural and dramatic. resembling
in its terse. hard-hitting way
MIR. O'Hara's early novels, CAP
pointment in Samarra" and
"Butterfield g." 1t is quite diff
ferent from and a great i'm
provement over his last novel,
"a Rage to Live" which was
sprawling, formless story about
uninteresting people.
The Farmers Hotel. in Rock
bottom, Pa, population 352, has
been renovated and reopened by
Ira Studebaker, a middle-aged
retired Philadelphia produce
merchant. He had recently lost
his wife and wanted to come
back to his home community.
This is the day of the reopening,
and Ira, his all-around man
Charles, colored, and Mrs. Fen
stermacher. the cook, are await
ing the first customers. Mean
while a snowstorm has whipped
up and threatens to make the
roads impossible.
Howard and Martha walk in.
Their car is stalled and they
are lost. They are deeply in
love. it develops. They are
married, but not to each other.
Martha gets a woman friend on
the phone. knowing her hus-
band will be worried and look
ing for her and will call this
friend. The couple have drinks
and warm UP. Later, Joe, a
truck driver, arrives and downs
Evening star., 1951-11-11
Middle East Seen
By AnthropoIogist
CARAVAN: THE STORY OF
THE MIDDLE EAST

CARAVAN: THE STORY OF
THE MIDDLE EAST
BY Carleton S. Coon. (Holt; So
Here is the Middle East and
its mosaic of peoples as seen by
a noted anthropologist writing
for the general reader.
In presenting geographical and
cultural information fully and
colorfully, Prof. Coon is inter-
ested in the civilization of these
ancient lands as it was before
the impact of the industrial
revolution. He makes no at
tempt to bring his history up
to date, but it would be hard to
find a better background for the
problems of the Middle East to-
day.
The book is well illustrated
with photographs and maps.
BELMONT FAIRIES.
Evening star., 1951-11-11
Searching Study of
Sisters Who Grew
Up i'm Last Century
THE ABBOT SISTERS

THE ABBOT SISTERS
BY Mary Carter Roberts. (Dou-
bleday G. Co.; $780,
This is a gritty. gusty, search
ing novel about four sisters,
little women of the last century
growing old and bitter and love-
less amid the clatter of the mod
ern world. 1t is a remarkable
study of family pride that is a
passion and of the passion that
underlies the genteel surface of
uneventful lives. 1t is. as a mat
ter of fact, quite a book.
For the Abbot girls. their
home is all. To cheerful Bess,
miserably married, it is a haven
infrequently sought. For Mazda.
the eldest old maid and the
man" of the house, it is a
symbol of duty done. of fulfill
ment Of her fathers death-bed
charge to take care Of your
mother and sisters" Cissy, the
mysteriously afflicted" one,
locked in childhood by her sis
terS' cruel indulgence, can think
of herself as a housewife. For
Lily. the high-strung, artistic
sister, the house on Park road
provides a respectable back
ground for her tantrums and
spells. for her long power-strug-
gle with her sister Mazda.
The Abbot girls, midwestern
gentry. grow up in world of
picnics and sleigh full of
hope and expectations. But
somehow life passes them by.
MAZDA. the spinster Schoolteach-
er. cheerfully gives up every
thing for her notifying old
mother and her clinging. unloved
sisters. Every one who has known
such woman will recognize in
Miss Roberts portrait a defini-
tive tribute to the born burden
bearer. Lily, the raving hypo-
chondriac, who really does get
sick once. makes some small ef-
forts to keep up with the times.
CisSy just yearnS over them both.
Their existence is regulated
daily by the morning trolley and
seasonally by their orgies of
canning, the return to school.
The story begins in 1905 with
the purchase of the house on
Park road and ends in the '30s
after it has been divided into
apartments. Little happens be-
yond Bess' ill-starred marriage
to a selfish eccentric and Lily's
spectacular operation. What
gives the account its particular
flavor Is Miss Roberts intense
partisanShip toward her char
acters. She directs such with
ering scorn at Lily that the
reader will almost vince at men
ton of her name. Her descrip-
tions OF Lily's ailments are ex-
cessive, and elsewhere she un-
leashes a torrent of words to
gain a very small effect. Cissy,
with her timid eroticism, never
quite comes clear. Still the
characters grow and change,
and in such period studies as
the old mothers 80th birthday
party. Miss Roberts shows a
hearty understanding of what
makes a family.
Evening star., 1951-11-11
BoItimoreons Still
Know How to Live
THE AMIABLE
BALTIMOREANS

BALTIMOREANS
BY Francis F. Beirne. fDut-
ton;: So
Mr.. Beirne. who is an asso-
ciate editor of the Sunpapers,
has told our neighbor city'S
complete story. The Lords
Baltimore who founded the
colony and city were mostly
absentee landlords, though
three of them were resident in
Maryland. Their family name
was Calvert. Baltimore has had
an interesting literary history
for a century, from Edgar Allan
Poe to Henry Mencken. The
Germans, who came in the early
days and were greatly aug
mented in the migration Of 1843.
have had a dominant role in
the city's history. musically.
politically and in industry. Gas
Economically Baltimore Is ia
nous the world over. And, de-
spite its tremendous commercial
and industrial progress, Balti-
moreans still take time to live.
Mr.. Beirne has done well by one
of Americas distinctive cities.
CARTER BROOKE JONES.
Evening star., 1951-11-11
$780,

book and reveals her as one Of
the most tragic and compelling
figures in American history.
And. of course. while doing this
he also does full justice to coll
orful, fiery Gen. Jackson.
MARGARET 8. DICKEY.