Evening Star Newspaper, June 25, 1933, Page 74

THE JOURNAL OF ARNOLD BENNETT. 1896-1928. New York: The Viking Press. ROM 1826 until shortly before his death in Londen, march 27, 1931, Arnold Ben- nett kept journals in which he set down irregularly, sometimes daily, sometimes with long intervals, a record of events seeming to him impoitant, observations on the life of Paris and London of which he wa; a part, and comments on friends and ac- quaintances as well as on himself and his occu- patiors. The factual content of the Journal, now published for the first time as a single volume after the appearance of a three-volume edition, is intensely intcresting, as it naturally would be, considering the rich and varied life of Arnold Bennett; but even more interesting is the revelation of personality in the entries of the 32 years. Whether the revelations are unconscious or conscious, whether Arnold Ben- nett had publication in mind from the start, it is not possibie to determine, but the auto- biographical record is there. howcver it may be interpreted. It shows a man of uniistinguished background, making his way by his own un- aided efforts. consciously struggling for culture, a hard worker, a self critic. versatile in his in- terests, which included wide reading and the practice as wel! as the appreciation of music and painting, fond of outdoor exercise, sus- ceptible to feminine attraction, decidedly neu- rotic yet nearly always controlling his nerves at the demand of his work. One nervous mani- festation was his stammering, for which he took various cures. The Journal begins at the time when he be- came sub-ediior of the paper, Woman, a post which he did not keenly enjoy. He notes some amusing errors, such as are inevitable “when a man edits a woman’s paper.” In 1898, partly through the influence of Eden Philpotts, he decided to turn to fiction as his main form of writing. In 1900 he gave up his editorial work on Woman and went to live with his father and mother, at Hockliffe. For nearly two years, 1901-03, during which he lived in Paris, there is a gap in the Journal; then it resumes, in Paris, where he was deliberately trying to ac- quire, through study of the French language, literature and life, a broader culture. But his writing was his first daily concern and his output was large—novels, stories, essays, mag- azine articles. At the end of each year an Yentry in the Journal records the year’s ac- complishments, in number of books and arti- cles, number of words and earnings. Satis- faction is expressed at the rapidly increasing earnings, but there are frequent protests that money is not all-important. Three women contributed to and complicated the life of Arnold Bennett sufficiently to be mentioned importantly in the Journal. For a brief period, June to August, 1906, he was en- gaged to marry Eleanora Green, American girl, sister of Julian Green, the novelist. After the end of this engagement the diary ceased for nearly a year and resumed soon after his mar- riage to Marguerite Soulie, at Paris, July 4, 1907. For some years there are frequent ref- erences in the Journal to Marguerite, their homes together in Paris flats, at Fontainebleau, in London, and at their English country home at Comarques, Thorpe-le-Soken; their walks, bicycling, shopping, theaters and journeys to- gether. Then, November 23, 1921, there is the entry: “On this day the two parts of the deed of separation between my wife and my- self were formally exchanged by our solicitors and the matter is complete.” Later entries show his annoyance at the publication of ma- terial about him by his wife. Her book, “My Arnold Bennett,” gives a more detailed account of the separation and from a different point of view. Arnold Bennett first saw Dorothy Cheston at a party in March, 1921. A footnote explains their later connection: “Although he was unable to get his freedom in order to marry her, their relationship was generally and openly accepted, and their domestic and social - life differed in no respect from what it would have done had a legal ceremony been possible. In 1926 she became the mother of his daugh- ter, Virginia Mary, before whose birth she had changed her name by deed-poll to Dorothy Bennett. She was alone with him when he died, and through his last illness.” To her he left his journals and she has arranged their publication in England and America. Though Arnold Bennett'’s literary reputation is and will be based on his best novels—“The Old Wives’ Tale,” “Riceyman Steps,” “Clayhanger,” “Lord Raingo” and “Imperial Palace”—the Journal ranks high among autobiographies. THE STORY OF THE BORGIAS. By L. Csllison-Morley. New York: E. P. Dutton & 1. Borgias were many other things than pc oners and nepotists. Modern historians have { r some time been trying, not to white- wash tiem, but to call the attention of the reading public to the fact that they played an impcrtant part in the history of fifteenth and sixteenth century Italy and w<re, in their crimes as well as in their non-criminal actividtes, entirely cheracteristic of their period. But the reading public, fond of detective and mystery stories, has steadfastly preferred to hear about the simcny and the children of Pope Alexan- der VI, tho sensuality and murders of Cesare Borgia and ti methods of poisoning used by Lucrezia (was arsenic her favorite?) rather than the assignment of the New World to Spain, on conditica of her converting the natives to Christianity, by Alexander VI; the campaigns of Cesare and the political influence of Lucrezia. Mr. Collison-Morley couvegs ak the selfishness and sins of the Borgias without con- cealment, but he also places them as one of the most influential of Renaissance families against the background of the social and political con- ditions of their age, and he attributes tg them all “charm and distinction.” Moreover, he de- votes a chapter to St. Prancis Borgia, Duke of Gandia, whose “morals were jrreprosachable” and who became the third genera! of the Jesuits. ‘The Borgias were of Spanish origin aad dated THE SUNDAY STAR. WASHIN GTON, D. C., JUNE 25 1933. ‘VY \/ The Journal of Arnold Bennett and a Century of Progress—Other Volumes From the Summer Bookshelf. from the fourteenth century. The Spanish form of the name was Borjas. The first Borgia to bring distincticn to the family was Alfonso Borgia, friend of Alfonso I of Spain, who con- quered Naples. He was elected to the papacy in 1455 as Calixtus III. All the Borgias had intense family affection and Calixtus advanced his two nephews to the cardinalate. “Such violations of a coronation oath were then almost universal.” One of these nephews, Rodrigo Borgia, became Pope Alexander VI. Cesare and Lucrezia Borgia were the children of Alexan- der VI by his mistress, Giovannozza dei Catanei, with whom he lived for many years while he was cardinal. “Vannozza remained discreetly in the background. She played no active part in the lives of her children, for whom their father’s doting ambition was planning brilliant careers, but, to their credit, they always re- mained attached to her.” Many books have been written about the Borgias and about indi- vidual members of the family, but none is more satisfactory for general information than this one of Mr. Collison-Morley. It is neither heavy nor sensational; neither extenuates nor sets down “aught in malice.” A CENTURY OF PROGRESS. Edited by Charles A. Beard. New York: Harper & Brothers. OME people may curse their luck in being born at a time which brought them in the prime of life into the years of the World War and later into the slough of the economic de- pression, but, since comparison with greater misery often cheers, it is a wholesome thing to look back over the history of our country and the world. A hundred years is a long time or a short time, according to the adjustment of our telescope. Historically it is a mere nothing of time. A hundred years ago Andrew Jackson was in the White House and was having a little trouble with banking questions. Read the his- tory of his administration to discover that our troubles of today are not new. A hundred years ago surgical operations were performed without anesthetic and in a rather sawbones fashion. Today operations are robbed of many of their terrors and dangers. The past century has been one of “progress” in spite of its many failures to meet human needs. Dr. Beard's definition of “progress” is that “it implies that mankind, by making use of science and inven- tion, can progressively emancipate itself from plagues, famines and social disasters, and sub- jugate the materials and forces of the earth to the purposes of the good life—here and now.” This large volume summarizing the progress of the past 100 years is a symposium to which specialists have contributed chapters covering outstanding events and achievements in their respective fields. There are 14 chapters in ad- dition to Dr. Beard's introductory chapter on “The Idea of Progress.” The chapter on indus- try is by Henry Ford in collaboration with Samuel Crowther. William Green writes of labor, H. Parker Willis of banking and finance, Frank O. Lowden of agriculture, Jane Addams of so- cial work, Grace Abbott of the changing posi- tion of women, Charles H. Judd of education, John Erskine of literature, Waldemar Kaempf- fert of inventions. Dr. Beard himself writes of government and law. The essays, of course, vary in their comprehensiveness and felicity of treatment. Dr. Beard's own essays are among the best. In discussing our government and our laws and their -enforcement, he concludes that we still have many unsolved problems, many manifestations of which we cannot be proud. Such are “lynching a disgrace to the Nation, crime widespread and shocking, corruption breaking forth with baffing virulence, periodi- cal industrial crises bringing poverty and mis- ery in their train, vast areas of rural and urban slums, civil liberties so often trampled under- foot, the spirit of bigotry rampant, natural resources wasted, lowly aliens in our midst treated with heedless cruelty, religious intol- erance stirred by partisan angers, incompe- tence still present in Government and economy, preparations for wars notwithstanding the pledges of the Kellogg peace pact, vulgarity standardized and worshiped on a national scale, and American civilization challenged as the apotheosis of materialism.” This is a serious and many-sided arraignment and per- haps Dr. Beard is too pessimistic, but perhaps also it is well for us, as Americans, not to be altogether self-congratulatory over our “Century of Progress,” but to take stock of our failures and summon our powers for needed reforms. LETTERS OF ROBERT BROWNING. Collected by Thomas J. Wise. Edited with an intro- duction and notes by Thurman L. Hood. New Haven: Yale University Press. HEN “The Letters of Robert Browning and Elizabeth Barrett Barrett” were pub- lished in 1899, there was a deluge of printed matter from the critics and a storm of com- ment from readers, some of it in gratitude for the opportunity to know better two great poets and lovers, much of it in shocked protest that any son should have been so insensitive or so mercenary as to publish the intimate letters of his parents, even though in his prefatory note Mr. Robert Barrett Browning stated that his father had given him the letters wit the re- mark: “There they are, do with them as you please when I am dead and gone!” The pub- lication of these additional letters, collected by Mr. Wise, a friend and *“young worshiper” of Browning, and owner of the famous Ashley Library collection of books, manuscripts and letters, can be open to no such criticism. The editor, Mr. Hood, does, however, speculate on what Browning, who hated publicity and trivial gossip, would have thought about the publication of even these later letters, and thinks he would have “laughed good-naturedly and incredulously at the thought of 50 years of Boswellizing in the hope of gathering a siz+- able volume of his selected letters.” The let- ters here presented were written to many dif- ferent friends, from 1830 to 1889, the year of his death. A large number are to Miss Isa- bella Blagden, a close friend of the Brownings in Florentine days, who wrote to him on the 12th of each month in memory of his wed- ding date, and who had an agreement with him that the letters on both sides were to be burned. He burned hers, but she saved his; she may have felt that she had no right to de- stroy any records of a great man. These letters, as do those to his wife, show the human Browning far more than they show the author. The earlier letters, before the death of Mrs. Browning in 1861, show ever- present solicitude for her frail health, content- ment in her companionship and their con- genial life in Florence, and absorption in their son, “Pen.” Then there is the letter to his sister, Sarianna Browning, telling with pathos and courage of his wife's death. After that he left Italy and lived much in London. As his son grew older he became a cause of increasing worry and expense and was apparently the rea- son for Browning's contemplating a second marriage, with Louisa, Lady Ashburton, a wealthy and brilliant widow. She refused him and the appendix and letters relating to the subject show Browning to have been both ob- tuse and somewhat vindictive. In proposing to her he evidently told her that his heart was “buried in Florence.” She told the details to some of their common friends and they were alienated from Browning. His description in the “Parleying with Daniel Bartoli” of the “she-shape” is supposed to refer to Lady Ash- burton. Browning’s social life, his opinions about other authors, passing comments about his own writings, his afTection for his friends, his resentment against those who gossiped about him, his interest, even curiosity, concerning his friends’ affairs, all make the letters very per- sonal documents. THE FIRST WIFE AND OTHER STORIES. By Pearl Buck. New Ycrk: The John Day Co. N the eve of her departure for her home in China, after a stay of nearly a year in the United States, Mrs. Buck has this volume "of short stories published—a volume which demon- strates her ability in the writing of this type of fiction as well as the novel. There are 14 stories in the collection, which is divided into three sections, “Old and New,” “Revolution” and “Flood.” In one of the second group we meet again our old acquaintance, Wang Lung, son of Wang the Farmer, of “The Good Earth” and “Sons.” The title story is of novelette length and extent of plot. It opens in the home of Li, the tea merchant, where all is outward peace but inward excitement as Li and his wife and daughter-in-law and her two children await the arrival of Li's only son from foreign parts, where he has spent seven years. Then the son, Yuan, comes, and it is soon apparent that with him the old Chinese traditions have been re- placed by new Western ideas. He is ashamed of the gentle wife, of good family, whose feet are bound and who cannot read and write. The old couple, the wife, Yuan himself, are all helpless in this chasm between the old and the new, and swift tragedy results. Mrs. Buck's descripticn of the opium habit of Li illustrates the delicacy of her style. “He was thin and pale with the pallor that opium gives, and it is quite true that the tea merchant had smoked opium ever since he had been a young man, not heavily nor greedily, as coarse men will, but a little at a certain hour every day, delicately mixed, and only the same amount, unless he had a pain of some sort, when he allowed him- self a little more. Thus opium had made him sere and emaciated, but it had only hollowed slightly his temples and cheeks and had taken every ounce of suprefluous flesh from his bones and had yellowed his skin softly and smoothly.” Most of the other stories are brief; some are merely sketches with a thread of plot. The introductory essay by Richard J. Walsh, giving biographical facts about Mrs. Buck and a criti- cal estimate of her work, will be of interest to the many admirers of her unusually successful novels. Her life in China began when she was 4 months old and has continued, with few intervals, ever since. So her knowledge of China and its people is very deep, and, in addi- tion, Mr. Walsh says, “Few modern writers have done so much to further the common understanding of the human heart.” CECIL RHODES. By William Plomer. New York: D. Appleton & Co. ECIL RHODES is an excellent choice for one of the Appleton biographies. The story of his almost miraculous rise to power, through wealth; his domination in South Afri- can affairs, his downfall, furnishes enough ma- . terial for a bulky hiography; but g1l the essen- tial facts and 2 good estimate of his charac- ter are given in this small volume. “Cecil Rhodes was one of those men whom nature seems to produce from time to time for the fulfiliment of her own inscrutable purposes.” The South African natives, shrewd judges of character, who give nicknames to their white employers, called Cecil Rhodes “The Man Who Separated the Fighting Bulls.” It is said that he had over the natives an almost psychic in- fluence and that they never looked him in the face. Many of them considered him mad. Rhodes was born in the English midlands, of farm ancestry, and went to South Africa when he was 16 because of poor health. Luck bestowed cn him the favors that others strive for in vain. His health was quickly re- stored and in three months he was in sole charge of his brother’s cotton farm. His early idea that it would be “nice” to be a clergy- man, like his father, had faded. In a year he had joined his brother in the diamond fields and the “tall, fair boy, blue-eyed, with aquiline features, slightly Hebraic and distinctly preda- tory,” was busily sorting diamonds. He made a brief attempt to return to England and an Oxford education, for he found that in most places “an Oxford man is at the top of the tree,” but soon a physician sent him back to South Africa and made an entry in his case- book, “Not six months to live.” Back on the high veld, he stimulated his weak heart and lungs by diamond speculation. He formed a connection with Alfred Beit, a shrewd Ham- burg Jew with some capital, which lasted long and was perhaps the most important influence in Rhodes’ rise to power. Before he was 30 he entered South African politics and was elected to the Cape Parliament, where he re- tained a seat for the rest of his life. A finan- cier and a member of a colonial Parliament, he returned to Oxford and this time took his degree. The remaining 20 years of his life were as spectacular as the early years. Not personal power alocne was his dream, but the power of a British world empire. For this he consciously strove, through the founding of Rhodesi., the undermining of the Dutch in the Transvaal, the cajoling and bullying of native chiefs, public works, manipulation of South African politics, and the final founding of the Rhodes scholarships. The scandals of his life do not overshadow his greatness. It was a remarakable life and this account of it is well told. Books Received NON-FICTION. THE IRREPRESSIBLE CONFLICT. Business vs. Finance. By David Cushman Coyle. New York: David Cushman Coyle. WORK CAMPS FOR AMERICA (pamphlet). By Osgood Nichois and Comstock Glaser. New York: The John Day Co. THE FARMER IS DOOMED (pamphlet). By Louis M. Hacker. New York: The John Day Co. INSECURITY. A Challenge to America. A Study of Social Insurance. By Abraham Epstein. New York: Harrison Smith & Rob- ert Haas. THE KINGFISH. A Biography of Huey P. Long. By Webster Smith. New York: G. P. Putnam’s Sons. WILD BILL AND HIS ERA. The Life and Adventures of James Butler Hickok. By William Elsey C:nnelley. New York: The Press of the Pioneers. MAKING EFFICIENT CITIZENS. By Allen Thayer Greenman, A. B, M. S. Boston: The Christopher Publishing House. A FINDING AND BROADENING COURSE IN PUBLIC SPEAKING. By Eugene S. Briggs and Vocille M. Pratt. Boston: The Chris- topher Publishing House. THE INDISCREET GIRL. By Bernard Sobel. New York: Farrar & Rhinehart, FICTION. THE GREAT HADDON. By Aryan Kelton. Los Angeles: Hart Publishing Co. HANGING WATERS. By Keith West. New York: G. P. Putnam’s Sons. THE STRANGE CASE OF DR. EARLE. By Freeman Wills Crofts. New York: Dodd, Mead & Co. THE DAYS OF EIGHTY-NINE. By Albert Fernandes. Boston: Meador Publishing Co. DON'T GIVE UP THE SHIP. By James T. Hamada. Bcston: Meador Publishing Co. LAUGHTER ENDS. By John Parrow. New York: Harcourt, Brace & Co. KEPT MAN. By Rosalind Wade. New York: E. P. Dutton & Co. SLEEPERS EAST. By Prederick Nebel. Bos- ton: Little, Brown & Co. FACADE. By Theodora Benson. New York: William Morrow & Co. : OPEN LAND. By B. M. Bower, Little, Brown & Co. Boston: THE ABBOTT SCHOOL OF FINE & COMMERCIAL ART Summer Classes Landscape and Commercial Art 1624 H St. N.W. Nat. 8054