davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1952-12-21
Reading and Writing
Alexandra Orme, Now Woshingtonion,
Is Busy Creating q Miracle Here
By Mory McGrory

up some Oriental fairy tales.
She did. handily.
The arrival Of the Russians
found her, now the wife Of Mr..
de Barcza. living as one of Is
people in a Six-room house on
her husbands country estate.
How she kept the Soviets be-
unused and at bay while serving
as their interpreter has been
recounted in Comes the Com
rade." That highly amusing
account Of a nightmare was
written between the lines of her
mother-in-law's old cookbook
and smuggled out to the west
in the hands of a BIC con-
ductor.
The first witty view of the
Red menace, Comes the Com
rade," enjoyed great success.
Preeorious Journey
by the Waters Of the
Danube" better but less Sue
cessful story. tells of Miss
Orme's further adventures in
the role of Daniel in the lions
den. Resolved to see her parents
once more before fleeing again,
she travelled to Poland in 1947
under false papers and precari-
ouSly returned in a train carry
ing Russian Jews headed for
Israel. Thanks to Mr.. de Bare
za's diplomatic passport, the
De BarczaS got out of Hungary
and passed through the Iron
Curtain in Vienna through a
judicious distribution of vodka
and cigarettes to Soviet guards.
Her father has since died.
Miss Orme wrote by the
Waters of the Danube" in a
lovely little Italian village called
Positano. between Amalfi and
Sorrento. There the De Barczas
lived in a house. complete with
terrace and garden. that cost
$14 a month. She wrote the
book in bed. using a little copy
book. working intensively for
three weeks. while her husband
told their friends she had
the flu.
With the outbreak of war in
Korea, the De Barczas decided
they must head West again.
They arrived here in August,
1850. Their first impression
was that Americans were ap-
pallingly unaware of the Soviet
threaN and uniformed of con-
ditions in Europe. Since then,
they believe, we have begun to
learn.
Peace on Forth
After so many alarms and
excursions the De Barczas are
happy to live peacefully in
Georgetown. She will draw
pictures for her friends, with
her left hand scarcely moving,
chatting all the while. His
hobby is drawing up itineraries
for European travellers.
Miss Orme will spend the
Christmas holidays in charac-
teristic fashion. She will make
an English translation of a
little fantasy she wrote for the
peasant children of Positano.
The children themselves acted
1t at a benefit performance in
an old church in the village
and the poor Of Positano were
the richer by $500. The story
of a little devil who inadver-
tently did a good deed, got sent
to heaven as a punishment and
finally landed on earth, it is
called "On Earth, Everything
Can Be Arranged" It seems an
appropriate title for a story by
Miss Orme. She will illustrate
it. too, of course.
Evening star., 1952-12-21

coronation. Meanwhile, she
has sent off to a publisher a
novel called "Haute Couture"
a lightly fictionized account
of the six disillusioning months
she spent as receptionist and
designer in famed Paris
fashion establishment.
And If that were not enough
she also has on hand for any
enterprising publisher a collec-
ton of three fairy tales. These
she illustrated herself, literally
with her left hand. The draw
ings have the exquisite detail of
Persian print, and whimsy
besides.
Her multiple talents as lin
guist (she speaks seven Ian
guages, including Latin), writer
and artist, Miss Orme treats
lightly. Her pride is reserved
for her cooking, which her hus-
band terms magnificent"
With scarcely a smile, she
says, THAT is my ambition, to
be a cook. If I could be that,
would have not responsible
ties, and I would write all the
time"
How Her Career Beeon
Fortunately for one whose
existence has been much mat
ter OF touch and go since 1889,
Miss Orme's greatest gift is for
improvisation. 1t was an in
ternational crisis that began
her literary career. In Buda-
pcst, after the death of her
first husband, a Polish noble
man-they fled Poland at the
outbreak of the Nazi onslaught
she was commissioned to il
lustrate a new edition of "Omar
Khayyam." Midway in the work
the Russian invasion menaced
large, and the publishers, fear
ing the comrades would find
Omar" decadent, hastily
scrapped the project. In its
stead they implored her to make
Evening star., 1952-12-21

After many hazards Alexan-
dra Orme. Polish author of
Comes the Comrade" and
"By the Waters Of the
Danube" has turned up in
Washington. She is teaching
her native language to a Texas
colonel.
This is an arduous business
even for one who has lived so
unquiet a life. but Miss Orme
says hardly, Il am creating a
miracle. some one who can talk
to me in my own language"
Now in her early 40s, slim
and still handsome. Miss Orme
is the dauntless. cultivated
woman revealed in her books.
She is also, Unexpectedly. rather
shy. She has round blue eyes,
a wide, childlike smile, and in
credibly long hands.
She and her second husband,
Charles de Barcza. whom she
met while they were both work.
ers in the Hungarian UNDER
ground. live in Georgetown,
spending week ends at their
farm near Hagerstown. Mr.. de
Barcza, a distinguished Hun
garian industrialist who was for
20 years charge d'affaires Of
the Order of Malta in Budapest,
travels about giving lectures.
They have both taken out pa
pers for American citizenship.
When not engaged in relay
ing the intricacies Of Polish
vowels to the colonel, Miss Orme
works at the Libary Of Congress
Evening star., 1952-12-21

w Nth0f NtU II 1NHttnyLOt CuHUS
most beautiful art books of 1852.
them a pin and earrings with
yellow glass eyes.
Frank Fousek's enameled jew
elry and trays are charming in
design. and as brilliant in color
as peacock feathers.
Groups Of jewelry by Char
lotte and Bill Whitney. Betty
Cooke and Pearl Shecter, while
individual. are akin in effect.
These designers use, respective
ly, silver wire, some enamel.
silver and leather and petrified
wood. Not a few Of their crea-
tons would seem to require spe-
cial costumes to make them look
right. Some call for grass skirts
and nose rings.
Several displays Of ceramics
include interesting and attrac-
tive items. but the general effect
is somewhat heavy. Alexander
Giampietro's free forms, plat
tiers. ashtrays, lamp bases and
other items have won him a
number Of awards, and have
been acquired for important
permanent collections.
Robert Turner's group of
bowls and vases are mostly in
warm, speckled gray and brown
pottery. He. too, has won prizes
and mentions. Harding Black
started his pottery shop in an
old streetcar.
Evening star., 1952-12-21
Contemporary Design

The IFA Galleries. with an
eye to Christmas, are showing
through the month a large ex-
hibition of contemporary Amer
lean ceramics and jewelry. It
represents a number of progress
sive designers and ceramists.
Some of the Jewelry designers
apparently are convinced that
today's woman has the physique
of a wrestler. Who else could
wear comfortably the 5-inch
sterling silver pendant in the
shape of a prehistoric man.
which felt to me as if it weighed
a couple of pounds. This, and
81 other pendants, earrings. ETC..
are the wrok of Sam Kramer,
. who has had a career Of Is years
in this field. According to the
label with his show, "he coaxes
and tortures sullen silver and
gold into the most amazing
objects" Some Of the things
on view still look sullen, among
Evening star., 1952-12-21

later burning them; the inmate
he falls in love with, Antenna
Sheer; Mr.. Lordy and the
patient who calls himself the
Marquis of the Fourth Dimen-
sion. There is some fantastic
humor. This raises a question
of taste, since there is nothing
funny about insanity.
The learned Mr.. Powys, ap-
parently has used the inmates
to defend his own fads and
prejudices, some Of them meta
physical. others more practical.
He makes the executive, DR..
Echetus, spend most of his time
vivisecting dogs. The author
obviously has no sympathy with
psychiatry as 1t is practiced.
The patients, we gather, are
better off outside the walls. and
when a plot by Hush and others
is fruitful and they escape, we
are led to hope they'll keep
going. They all talk and think
a lot like Mr.. Powys. There is
some brilliant writing in 1.-The
Inmates" but it is obscured in
a fog Of vague musing, filled
with classical illusions.
&C. B. J.
Evening star., 1952-12-21

This book Is overdue. It
should do some good. Mr.. Gard
ner exposes many Of the more
groteSQue, dangerous or merely
amusing Of the pseudo-scientific
theories which have gained pop
ular attention in modern times.
Favorite fields Of these anna
teur scientists. most Of them
without scientific training, are
astronomy, physics, the occult
and medicine. Few of them, the
author finds, have been outright
charlatans. Most of them are
sincere, misguided persons.
fanatical in their zeal for GER
tain untenable, or at least un-
proved, ideas. Not a few are
paranoiacs, convinced that the
more conventional scientists are
ganging up to prevent the
spread Of their revolutionary
hypothesis.
The more fantastic their the
ories, it seems, the more readily
they are accepted by persons
eager for short cuts enabling
them to bypass the respectable
body Of scientific opinion and
reach conclusions that may
sound plausible. Some scientific
quacks have won large follow
ings, though the fads they fos-
ter tend to wane after a few
years and give way to some new
substitute for scholarship or
panacea for disease.
Dr.. VeIikovsky's Theories
A recent instance was a set
OF theories by DR.. Emmanuel
Velikovsky. published in two
books that quickly became best
sellers-"Worlds in Collision"
Q950) and ages in Chaos"
Q952). The author holds that
a giant comet erupting from the
planet Jupiter came so close 10
the earth on two occasions that
it caused cataclysmic changes.
The great flood described in
the Old Testament and other
miraculous occurrences are at
tributed to the comet, which
eventually settled down and be-
came the planet Venus. It's first
encounter with the earth was as
recently at 1900 B. c.
DR.. Velikovsky is a well-edu-
Gated man and a persuasive
writer and his theories were
praised by some literary person.
ages who should have known
better. Not a single reputable
scientist fell for them, however.
and those who did not ignore
the books denounced them as
contrary to all the patient f1nd-
ings Of geology and astronomy
over the centuries.
The flying saucers provided
theorists with an open season.
Just as the harnessing Of atomic
energy gave real science fresh
interest and prestige, so 1t also
Evening star., 1952-12-21
Guilds Tenth

The 10th annual exhibition
OF the Artists Guild of WASH
1ngton, on view at the Nat
ural History Building, National
Museum, through January 4.
reveals no startling innova-
lions. AS in previous ANIMALS.
1t includes works from conserva-
tive to abstract, rejecting the
range OF its members ap-
proacheS. Some of the artists
are represented with two works
each. making a total of nearly
50 paintings. and about 10 or 12
sculptures. The latter are largely
IN contemporary idioms.
The most conspicuous place.
'ment is given to the crucifix of
iron welded and brazed, bv
Father Alexis Robertson, o. F.
M. Catholic University. The
extremely attenuated and elon-
gated figure of Christ is remi-
nlscent of the sculptures of
Glacommetti. Near it is an
other Interpretation of the suf-
!erlng Christ, Pietro Lazzari's
large casein and oil painting
"Ecce Homo"
Fish and birds have intrigued
several of the exhibiting sculp-
tors. Maxim Elias has both in
IN his amusing, simplified, un-
polished wood, "Sea Bird and
Fish," to be suspended from
a ceiling. Clare FontaninIs
Fish" of granadilla wood. is
beautifully finished, bringing
out the handsome grain of the
wood In this long form so thin
1t seems almost two-dimen-
slonal. Lenore Strauss painted
sandstone, fairly naturalistic
counselor" has a hole in his
chest. providing a haven for a
predatory-looking bronze bird,
There is obviously some SYM
bolism here, but it eludes me.
Marilee Shapiro shows two
facets of her talent in her con-
servative little terra-cotta fig
ure, Respite" and her plaster
abstraction, THE Last Waltz"
a neutrality-suspicious." in two
layers. Hazel Van Natter has
gone romantic in her little alb
stract black walnut, Lady Has
a Rendezvous"
Paintings I like best are
Leonard Maurer's lovely "Sea
Town." Omar Carrington's
Melancholy Day." an abstrac-
ton in grays; Andrea zerega's
simple "Still Life" reticent
in form and colors; John
Chapman Lewis Shore Sig
nails" Mary Watkins humorous
Padres on Horseback" a mod
ern Don Quixote and the faith
full Sancho; Peter Blanc'S
gouache of an alert eagle,
Proud Bird; Kenneth Stubbs'
"Positano." Eugen Weisz' "Oak
Leagues" against turquoise; and
more conservative works, Carl
Nyquist's Graveyard Of Old
Evening star., 1952-12-21

on a 100
year study Of
the Polish
upper classes.
Pc ri odically,
she gets news
ef the prog
ress of the
d r a m a TIA
ton of by
the Waters of
the Danube, :"
now be in g
readied in
England for
prod u c t i on
during the
Evening star., 1952-12-21
Mr.. Wicker's Window
BY Carley Dawson.
Houghton, Mi67in;: $3.25.)
Reviewed by SoIIy OremIond

Reviewed by Solly Oremlond
Mrs. Dawson. a Washingtonian.
has chosen Georgetown as the
setting for an adventure story
about young Chris Mason who
sails to China on mysterious
and dangerous mission. Chris,
the posSessor of many secrets
Of magic, is able to turn himself
into a fish, a bird, a fly or a
mouse to escape from his enc
mics. He returns VIGOROUSLY to
Georgetown from his hazardous
voyage. The book makes excit-
ing reading for older children.
Illustrated in two-color by Lynd
Ward.
Evening star., 1952-12-21
SiIverpoints

PietrO Lazzari's exhibition Of
silverpoint drawings at the Play
house art gallery will remain
through December 81. Eleven
portraits of delicacy and charm
appears to be close likenesses,
with carefully delineated heads,
while busts or half-length f1g-
ures are merely indicated.
There are six other drawings
and sketches, some (e.g., Gala
Opening") verging on carica-
ture, others macabre and mysti-
flying figures.
Evening star., 1952-12-21
Trois at Colony

Trois at Colony
Gustav Trois' one-man show
at the Colony Lounge, 1877 De
Sales street, will remain through
January 2. This group of about
20 oil paintings. water colors
and pastels representing about
six years Of his career) gives a
comprehensive idea of the tall
ents Of this artist, a Washing
tonian since his childhood. He
began his study of art at the
Corcoran School,, to which he
won a scholarship. During the
1930s (When he worked several
years on The Evening STAR he
received a number of prizes and
mentions and a scholarship to
the Tiffany Foundation, Long
Island.
He served three years in the
Army during World War II, in
the European theater, and
painted and sketched whenever
the opportunity offered. Re-
turning to Washington, he be-
came a member of three long
established professional artists
organizations, and has been an
active exhibitor, as well as a
teacher of art here and else
where. During the past three
years, he has won nine awards,
medals and mentions.
Although Mr.. Trois has moved
consistently toward abstract
painting, he does not adhere slav.
ishly to any single convention
He continues to range from con-
servative to abstract, in accord
ance with his mood and the in
spiration of his subjects. His still
life "Silver Solemnity," and Mon
astery, Brookland," both natural
istic, the Houses on Cedar Ave-
nue." stressing design in the py-
ramidal composition, the colorful
Byzantine Motif" and the alb
straction Studio Still Life" which
won for him the first prize in the
55th annual of the Washington
Water Color Club, represent vari-
GUS facets of his work.
Evening star., 1952-12-21

stirred the imagination Of
pseudo scientists.
Medicine has been q favorite
field Of opportunists and cranks
ever since the era Of Hippocra-
tes. Mr.. Gardner traces some of
the more CONSPICUOUS healing
cults. Some. like homeopathy,
now pretty well faded, undoubt-
edly did good. Others. like chiro-
practic, still flourish. The
founder Of this method, Daniel
D. Palmer. was a grocer and
fish peddler, without medical
education.
The Field Of Psyehiotry
That modern branch of medi-
cine. psychiatry, since it still is
largely in the experimental
stage. has attracted a host of
mad theorists. So tragically
little yet is known Of the
mind and its maladies that
the public has found it hard
to distinguish between the re-
search of earnest doctors of
medicine and wanderings Of
takers and elf-deceived mes
siahs. Beyond doubt the weird
est theory of recent years is
"DianeticS," which had quite q
vogue. but, apparently, is on its
way out. DianeticS. going Freud
one better. traces psychoses and
neuroSeS back not only to child
hood but to the prenatal period.
The patient is supposed to be
able to remember. under proper
conditions, everything that hap
pened when he was an embryo
and a foetus.
Mr.. Gardner feels that prog
ress is being made in the direc-
ton of accrediting scientific
achievement and ignoring or ex-
posing cranks and crooks. TO
day." he writes, science report
ing in the American press Is
freer of humbug and misinfor-
nation than ever before in his
tory"
The Diet Foddists
Food faddists always are with
us. Some diets, like the current
yogurt-wheat germ blackstrap
molasses craze, probably are
harmless. But other fads, like
fasting, can do nothing but
harm.
In working on this book, Mr..
Gardner found there had been
very few books of the kind. On
the whole, he has written with
judicial discrimination. Perhaps
he is too inclined to blame the
sincerely religious for turning
against such scientific findings
as evolution and for embracing
various fantasies. He does con-
cede that some leading church.
men, both Catholic and Protes-
tant, have no quarrel with SCI
ence. I'm the Name of Science"
is a highly readable. often en-
tertaining book.
Evening star., 1952-12-21
Glib Crockett Lecture

use of the Photograph in
Illustration" was the subject of
a lecture by Glib Crockett, Star
cartoonist, recently given at the
Corcoran Gallery of Art. The
talk was sponsored by the Cor
coran Alumni Association, of
which Robert Hoke. Star staff
artist, is president.
Evening star., 1952-12-21
Art News
Christmas Spirit
In Art Galleries
By Florence S. Berrymon

The religious significance Of
Christmas. some people fear,
appears at times to be subordi-
mated to the worldly aspects Of
this holiday season: weeks of
shopping, the Santa Claus
legend and widespread presenta-
tion Of gifts. the feast, the par
ties. But those who seek express
sions Of the real meaning Of
Christmas will find them not
only in our churches, but also in
our art galleries.
Illustrated here is "Tl1e Ma
tivity" by Petrus Christus, one of
many beautiful interpretations
OF the Holy Event in the Ma
tional Gallery Of Art. This Is
the only Nativity" reproduced
in the beautiful new volume,
Great Paintings from the Ma
tional Gallery of Art" edited by
Huntington Cairns and John
Walker macmillan, $15).
Petrus Christus painted this
Nativity about the middle of the
fifteenth century in the bril-
liant color and minute detail
typical Of the Flemish school.
He treated the birth of Christ as
a mystery rather than as an
event, depicting the Holy Infant
in the foreground, blessed and
worshiped by the Virgin and
Joseph, and attendant angels.
The former are much larger
than the angels, indicating
their Importance.
The half-ruined stable, the
OK and ass in their stall at the
left. are necessary accessories to
denote that this is a Nativity as
distinguished from a Madonna
In alteration. Just beyond the
broken wall Of the stable is a
vivid glimpse of medieval Flan-
ders, having no actual connec-
ton with the epochal event in
the foreground. The two pairs
OF men just outside the stable
are engrossed in their own con-
versations. The shepherds in
the middle distance, strolling
after their flock. have not been
blinded by the glory of a star.
The picturesque town, with its
red roofs. the neat. well-clipped
landscape, are quite alien to any
concept Of Bethlehem. But the
master has made a beautiful
picture of these unrelated ele-
ments. and has framed the
whole with Gothic church
door, with architectural details
and figures (among them Adam
ano Eve and the expulsion from
Eden) lavishly carved.
Evening star., 1952-12-21

Boats" and Rowland Lyons
Autumn Over Harper's Ferry"
both water colors, and Lois
Jones' oil still life of several
figured fabrics and a variety Of
fruits and flowers.
Evening star., 1952-12-21
Books in Review
The High Priests and CuItists
Of Science, Past and Present
In the Name of Science
BY Martin Gardner. putnam; $4J

Reviewed by corter Brooke Jones
Evening star., 1952-06-17
Five Big Dogs at One Home
Stir HyottsviIIe Folk to Protest

'aeighborhood agreed. There were
Mrs. Harry Greaves of 43OO
IQueensbury road, Mrs. Edgar
Monke of 1902, Miss Bess Lennon
Iof GILT and others.
Mayor Jesse S. Baggett smiled
sympathetically at the com.
Iplainants. who lives there?" he
asked.
Nobody at the meeting knew
Not even the clerk of the towr
was able to find out when he
checked the towns records.
Says They Are Pets.
A Star reporter later went to
4301 Queensbury and asked the
man who opened the door who
he was and if he had five dogs.
MY name is Blakeslee," he said
"and I do have five dogs. But
they're pets and nobody else's
business. The home is listed to
Mrs. M. J. Blakeslee.
The Blakeslees, it appears, will
hear from the city fathers soon.
Mayor Baggett decided to send
them a letter advising them that
town ordinances prohibit bother
some dogs. # that doesn't work,
the Mayor pointed out, the neigh
torc coY ,1ca tho courts
Evening star., 1952-06-17
Two Arlington Women
Indicted in Forgeries

Two women were to be ar
raigned in Arlington today on "a
charges of forgery.
A grand jury yesterday indicted
Mrs. Louise Florence Green, 38, o1
the 5000 block of South Kempel
street, and Mrs. Rena Mae Hin.
son. "a, of the 1000 block of North
Edgewood street.
Also indicted for forgery was
William Cary Galleher. 81, o1
Leesburg. He was accused of pass
ing forged $40 check at Clar-
endon food store.
Mrs. Green was indicted on ID
counts of forging checks totaline
$286.33. Mrs. Hinson was &C
cused of forging 10 checks
amounting to 1888.
Commonwealth's Attorney Will
liam j. Hassan said there has
been a wave of forgeries in the
county in the past six weeks
While the grand jury was in ses-
sion, two complaints were received
from Shirlington merchants that
a forger was at work in that
area, he reported.
Evening star., 1952-06-17
Tuck to Sound Keynote
For Virginia Democrats

RICHMOND, Va, June II R
Former Gov. William M. Tuck
one of Virginia's long time Dem
.ocratic warriors, will keynote the
State Democratic convention ir
Roanoke July II.
Selection of Mr.. Tuck, who was
Governor from 1945 to 1949. was
announced yesterday by State
Democratic Chairman Alvin Mas
senburg Of Hampton.
It custom prevails, Mr.. Tuck
an outSpoken critic of the Tru-
man administration, probably will
be named temporary chairman of
the convention.
There have been reports that
he may replace Mr.. Massenburg
as State chairman If the latter
decides not seek new term. The
chairman is usually elected for
four years.
The State convention is ex-
pected to elect and instruct %
Virginia delegates to the party's
national convention to vote for
Senator Russell of Georgia as the
Democratic presidential candidate,
Mr.. Tuck, who now makes his
home at South Boston, where he
is practicing law, is supporting
Senator Russell, as are most of
vlrginia's organization Democratic
leaders.