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. 36 WILMETTE LIFE January 17, 1930 II IUVNrAIN .saY ARt· LVANSTON Comment on Books and AUthors THE BIRTHDAY OF THE IN. FANTA. A Children's story by Oscar Wilde. Illustrated by Pamela Bianco. A picture book of court life in old Spain has been made around this storv. The delicate princess on the jack~t, in her exquisite robes and curls, the tall silver candles of her birthday cake on the binding, the heraldry of the endpapers, all lead into a most enchanting land. These figures with wide skirts and fans, with high boots and plumed hats, move in a stately dance through seven large color pictures. In black and whites, as delicate as all of Miss :Bianco's work, but this time more dramatic than before, the tale is shown forth, up to its strange sad ending. The story has been told so simply that it makes excellent reading aloud to a group of children. Thev are always particularly interested ii1 the mock bull fight, and in the fate of the dwarf hero. The dramatization of the Wilde text in Miss Wright's New Plays from Old Tales has been popu-~ Jar in schools and libraries. All chitdren who have acted in it. or who have seen the Carpenters' ballet version at the opera, will be eager to compare Miss Bianco's conception of people, costumes, and story. t Wilmette :1700 Novels of Distinction 1n an Outstanding Group .1> $1 The Case of Sergeant Grischa Arnold Zweig The Cross Sigrid U ndaet Brother Saul Donn Burne The Father Katherine Holland Brown Boston Upton Sinclair JULY '14. By Emil Ludwig. New York: G. P. Putman's Sons. The origin of the war has been for years a theme of historical, political,. and juridical writing; in Ludwig's work it enters belles lettres. ] udged by the canons of historical writing his book, although more accurate than many that haYe appeared, is still weak. For instance, Ludwig's measure of the extent to which the masses opposed the war is belied not only by the known facts of the strength of Socialist parties in 1914~ but also by such research as has been made into the state of public opinion on the eve of the war-notably by Jonathan · French Scott in "Five Weeks." 1udged as a contributor to political thought on the prevention of war, the author fails because he is still too much of a biographer. He emphasizes the importance of personalities rather than institutions-an emphasis which leads him to such conclusions as the following: "If Europe does not want to be dragged into another war, every country must pass laws forbidding any responsible minister to wear a gas mask; then they will come to terms." As a judicial verdict on war responsibility the conclusions of this volume are inadequate and unfair, because they result from the suppression of important evidence. However, the book is ~o well writtc.1 that it cannot be disposed of as if it were a mere product of research scholarship; it earns the right to be judged in another court, bv the canons of literary criticism ra.ther than hy the standards of historical method. Perhaps we err in expecting to find in it any definitive solution of the historical problem of war origins, or of the political problem of war prevention, as if we should search epic literature for a dissertation upon responsihilih' for the Troiatl \\Tar. - not, however, be too critical. People need to know more of the great men who have contributed to the growth of medicine,' although a history of the development of ideas is much more to be desired than a series of portrait's either hung on a flimsy thread, or, more often. without any thread at all. ?\o one in recent times has equalled Osler's Silliman Lectures of 1913 on "The Evoltition of Modern Medicine" (Xew Haven: Yale University Press, 1921). Here is felt the master touch, even to the choosing of the illustrations. One turns to it with relief, a quiet pool of c.ollected thought in contrast to the hot, dusty "sensationalism" of much of our modern writings . An Historic:tl Ron:tance. By William Stearns Dav; :.;. Author of "The Beauty oi the Purple," "Gilman of Redford," etc. Macmillan. Virginie Durand, the heroine of this exciting story of the days of the French Revolution, was the daughter of a Parisian scientist, and when Rene, Chc\·alier de Massac, ·Successor to an ancient title. wished to marry her, his outraged relatives prevailed on ~1arie Antoinette to interfere. But the progress of the revolution broke down all oh ·taclcs and the marriage took place. Rene, chivalrous and fearless, a friend oi Danton and Robespierre, takes part 111 the capture of the Bastille and the storming of the Tuileries, and with difficulty saves his own chateau from o.n attack by the peasant . The climax of the story comes when St. Ju st, friend of Robespierre, infatuated by Virgin;e, attempts to take her from her husbanJ. Many famous characters play the1r part in the story-Louis XVI and !1is queen, Danton, St. Just, ).firabeau, and Robespierre-and they are as real (.I$ though drawn from life. It is a storv of thrilling action-danger, intrigue, and disaster-and it shmYs with historical truth the glamour and the ro!tenness of the court life at Versailles, the conditions among the peasants and the life of the period in Paris. THE WHIRLWIND. THE LAND OF DREAMS. Twent·; Poems by William Blake. Illustrated by Pamela Bianco. Macmillan. Both children and grown-ups are collecting the few beautiful books made by this gifted young artist. Every child knows The Piper and The Laughing Song and The Tiger. Every child will be interested to com 1Jare his ideas of these poems with Miss Bianco's, and to read her own artist's preface telling how she made her pictures. . =-------- MEDICAL LEADERS FROM HIPPOCRATES TO OSLER. By Samuel W. Lambert, M. D., and George M. Goodwin, M. D. Bobbs-Merrill. The ever pressing demand for biography is entering the medical field. \ Ve are graduaily being swamped, 1wt hy many individual biographies, but by books of coiiected biographies, a chapt~r or two given to a man. The titles indicate the trend of thought, or perhaps, the publishers' thought of ,,·hat the public want: "Master Minds in Medicine," "Peaks of Medical History," "Devils, Drugs and Doctors," "Medical Leaders," etc. One should Dark Laughter Sherwood Ander1on Dawn !wing Bacheller SPIN TOP SPIN. Pictures bY Elsa Glorious Apollo E. Barrington The Old Wives' Tale Arnold Bennett Eves that have "IT" . . . that subtle something which attracts others . . · usually lies in the eyes. Don't be discouraged if your own eyes are dull, lifeless and unattractive. A few drops of harmless Murine will will brighten them up and cause them to radiate "IT." Thousands upon thousands of clever women use Murine daily and thus keep their eyes alway· clear, bright and alluring. A month's supply of this longtrusted lotion costs but 60c. Try it! - -----· - - - - - - - - .... The Great Hunger Johan Bojer "IT" The Life of Three Pilgrims and a Tinker Mary Borden MARY BAKER EDDY Discoverer and Founder of Christian Science Eisgruber. Macmillan. · Everyone who has seen Spin Top Spin and Rosemary and Thyme agrees that they are the most unusual anti most beautifully printed of all the German picture books. The · nursery rhymes have been translated here, and ·- - - - hand lettered in Germany. The two books have been bound as one. In delicate colors, between sunny yello-.v margins, small children move through the pages, with their lambs, flowers. pets and toys. This book was printed for us hv Herbert Stuffer of Berlin and hound i;1 America. PRESIDENT A. H. A. Dr. Evarts B. Greene, Professor of Historv at Columbia Universitv has been chosen president of the Am~rican Historical association . for 1930. Dr. Greene, who succeeds Dr. ] ames Harvey Robinson, has long been prominent in the historical world. He has been active in the movement to raise a $1,000.000 endowment for historical research and has written. among other works. "The Provincial Governor in English Colonies of North America," "Government of Illinois," "Provincial America," "American Interest in Popular Government Abroad" and "Foundations of American Nationality." He has also contributed to historical and educational periodicals. The Green Bay Tree · Louia Bromfitld By SIBYL WILBUR An Authentic Biography Mrs. Eddy's life is here depicted with illuminating clearness. The author, carerully avoiding invention, has presented the facts in a refreshing manner. Miss Wil· bur was not a Christian Scientist when she wrote this biography for publication in a magazine of ~eneral cir· culation. Published by The Interpreters' HouSe StrutiHra Burt The Delectable Mountains Struthttl Burt Hangman's House Donn Burnt Her Son's Wife DorotlnJ Canitltl Lortl'.-Boolu I"" lnlith the \Vat D.cil StrHt Door LJRINL f.OR '(OUR EYES THE CHRISTIAN SCIENCE PUBLISHING SOCIETY BosroN, U.S. A. 408 Pa1es - 18 Illustrations WRITES PLAY HuR"h Walpole has just finished a comedy called "The Young Huntress" which will shortly be produced in Lo~ d?n. This" is his. first play, although hts novel, Portratt of a Man with Red Hair," has been dramatized. Cloth Edition: $3.00 Jlafl be f)UrcAMetJ at all bool:atorea oftd lead·"" departtnnt atorea