dag ene vehe?

   

 

 

* NEW | BOOKS

Willected: Poems, By | By Jamies Stephers

_ James Stephensvis probably the fore-
most 6f the new ‘school of Irish writers
whichthas sprung up within thp past few
years. The-aim of these writefs has been
to- revive the ‘style of the old Bards, and
to make the works of these men known
to the world at large by translating the
Gaelic into English. Actually, they have
achieved a great deal more than this; for
they have created a new and utterly
charming’ style, which combines the no-
bility and beauty of the old school with
_ an individuality and freshness belonging
_to the younger writers.

In his “Collected Poems,” Mr. Ste-
phens exemplifies this delightfully. There
is a varjety of subject matter and treat-
ment in these works that is quite amazing.
éhe whimsicality, for which the author |
is noted, is, of course, present; but there
is also a great deal of sheer beauty, and
serious ‘philosophy, and sadness, which
one would hardly expect from having
read only his prose.

The “Poems” «are divided into six
books, the first of’ which is entitled ‘In
Green Ways.” As the title would sug-
gest, these poems are full of light-heart-
ed and joyous delight in nature. The
style is delicate and, for the most: part,
humorous, admirably suited to the sub-
ject; The reader is put into the mood
of the book by the opening lines of the
first pogm:

“’he crooked. paths
Go every way
~-“ Upon the hill

*  *. They wind about
Through the heather ,
In and out
Of a quiet
Sunninecs.”

Lines which start the fancy wander-
ing in lazy fashion, through pleasant
pastures. vei

In the second book the mood changes ;
and the “Honeycomb,” which is con-
cerned chiefly with men and women, is
tinctured slightly with sadness and an
amused cynicism. This is followed in the
next book, by a return to the spirit in
which the, “Poems” start; but “In The
Two Lights” is touched by a twilight
sadness, whereas “In Green Fields”
abounds with the carefree joy of dawn.

The fourth book, “Heads and Heels,”
is full of the whimsy and humorous philo-
sophy for which James Stephens is so
popular. . What could be more delightful
than “Tomas, in the Pub,” telling of how
he saw God? Or MacDhoul, who sat on
God’s throne and laughed t6 see all those
dull angels, drooping left and right-along
the towering throne.”

Contrasted to these there is the re-
bellious despair of the “Whisper,” and
the gruesome fascination of “Where the
Demons Grin.”

Of all the books the fifth probably
approaches nearest to the manner of the
old school. It is composed in ‘great part
of translations, which, like most early
Irish poems, are laments. Although there
is nothing more difficult than an attempt
to convey in one language the beauty of
another, Mr. Stephens has somehow
- managed to do it; and these poems
are exquisitely lovely and _ poig-
nant. In adittion to these transla-
tions, moreover, this book contains some
delightful poems, some serious or sad,
like “The Optimist,” or “A Street,” some
humorous like the “Glass of Beer,” be-
ginning, “That lanky hank of a she in
the inn over there.”

The concluding, or sixth book, entitled,
“The Golden Bird,” is written in a philo-
sophical strain, with exquisite bits. of
beauty. ~The whimsical irony, from
which Mr. Stephens can never depart for
long, is present in such poems as “Be-
sides That,” in which he discusses the
diffigulties of getting to. Heaven, and in
“Trony.”. As a whole, the sixth book
serves to develop and.combine the pre-
ceding parts. In it are found the light-
- hearted joy of the first book, the tender-

ness and sadness of the second and third,

the delicious humor of the fourth, and
the beauty and philosophy of the fifth.

It is quite beyond human power to write

a review of a book like the “Collected

Poems,” but the “Golden Bird,” being

poetry, serves the purpose adequately,

en as it makes a perfect climax and
conclusion of the book itself.

‘E. W. L

 

‘Le Docteur Invraisemblable, by Ramon |

 

Gomez de la Serna, Simon Kra, Paris.

~~ Se epee ee ee SS ee

  
  
   

Doctewr Inoroisemblable de ‘a ‘Serna |

¢|due to hem

 

 

tance to modern Spain (in fact tashe|
kmodern civilized * world) as knight-
errantry ‘was to the people of Cefvantes’
time. De la Serna’s objective is medi-
cine-and-the €xéellence of~ his book | ‘de-
bends’ i in great: measure upon his inti-
mate knowledge of this field. He takes
the minutest and most .obscuré fatts of
this science into his employ, and imper-
sonating his materials he makes hi8 work
fully as readable as Don Quixote. To the
reader of today, a bottle of medicine or
a surgeorl’s scalpel is as fit a subject for
rhetoric as: Cervantes’ Kaights.

Le Docteur : Invraisemblable sis com-

posed of a’series of brief spiey character
sketches. Each character is a‘ patient
either cured or abandoned by the doctor,
who is de la Serna himself. His methods
are extraordinary—never trusting to the
customary procedure of the norma
physician in examining his patients—tak-
ing a blood test or an x-ray—this doctor,
after inquiring what the symptoms dre,
and ‘led by intuition alone, prescribes a
remedy fantastically psychological. He
can tell at a ) Blance whether or not he will
be able to save the patient, so he never
wastes time on those who are fore-
doomed, but immediately leaves them to
their cold fate. For the rest, however,
he prescribes with a gay confidence that
is contagious.

*

“No doubt any part of Le Docteur In-
vraisemblable could make the dullest
reader split his sides with laughter, but
cefttain chapters to be especially recom-
mended are those entitled Ma Cousine, La
Vieille Paire de Gants, and Cas Cere-
braux. The first describes a cousin of
the doctor for whom .the diagnosis is
that her morbid preoccupation with death-
beds is killing her. Her cure is the cause
of an ending quarrel of her family with
the doctor, In La Vieille Paire de Gants
we are told how one gentleman’s malady
atises from his persistence in wearing an
old pair of gloves. They have to be
thrown away individually, one in one street
and the other in another, so as to avoid
the danger of infecting anyone else.

a sympathetic analysis of thé brain cells,
punctuated by rhapsodic flights of poetic
fancy, to offset the purely technical basis
of actuality. These are only three chap-
ters, and no doubt each reader will find
for himself others that would please him
better, for they are many, and. highly
varied.
M. V.

 

DANGERS OF EDUCATION
~- SHOWN IN HARPERS

Can the. College Woman Compete
With the Stay-at-Home.

An article on the subject of women’s
education that is bound to arouse the live-
liest discussion has appeared in the De-
cember Harper's. It is entitled the Prob-
lem of the Educated Woman, and this
problem it sets forth decidedly from an
angle of parti pris. Its point of view
is directly. opposed to a type of criticism
we have been hearing a good deal too much
of recently, but the author goes to ex-
tremes in expressing it, thus making it of
small value in the solution of the prob-
lem. The writer, R. Leclerc Phillips,
takes the stand that the higher edueation
of women militates against their getting
‘married aiid consequently against “trans-
mitting to the next generation certain
valuable qualitiessof mind and character.”
No doubt it would be a lafhentable thing
that our posterity should not be all that
it might, and in this, few would gainsay
R. Leclerc Phillips. But the unappetiz-
ing picture given of the unmarried col-
lege graduate will bring down upon the
author’s head the derison that is the
inevitable result of exaggeration. If
some of the material for the article was
gathered at Bryn Mawr, we are inclined
to feel that its author may as well give
up now all hopes of ever reading human
nature aright. We do not: hesitate to
second R. Lecerc Phillips in sdeploring
the probable loss of our posterity; it is
only to be regretted that the point has
been spoiled. The text preached is cer-
tainly commendable, but the manner of
its preaching rather holds the text up to
tidicule than gains adherents to the
creed, : :

 

M.

CAROLA WOERISHOFFER

v.

 

-?

courses. Economics... and psychology
were the subjects on which she -concens.4

|trated, and, although she was never a
execielet- moth}. en

 

n t-stntents anes Sid. aceisiat wot

  

 

aoe bene red in’ 1907, “in 1000, Mise

 

THEGCORLEGES

In]
Cas Cerebraux the doctor regales us with |.

Cw
t

i

   

 
   

Ws-*

 

satirizes a cuilt of just nas great ison’ , Woprishoffer Went to New York to see

what she could do. The’ first» thing to.
attract her attention was ‘an exhibition |
demonstrating the congestion in the city.
She Became interested in the problem,
and, in addition to doing somé valuable:
research, she helped to finance the: under-
taking, Having finished this, she next
turned her attention to the
working women. During the four sum-

roblem of

mer months, she worked in a laundry
with unprotected machines, from early in
And at
the sanfe time that she :was doing this
she wrote a report on the subject.

The following year Miss Woerishoffer
became interested in girl strikers, who, un-
able to’ furnish bail, were being: put in
prison:

the morning until late at night.

She acquired from her mother

a large sum of money, and remained in
the court room during the entire dura-
tion of the strike, bailing out girls who
could not provide the money themselves.
She never became converted to the strike
method, however. And when she died
she was working on the New York State
Committee on Immigration as a volun-
teer to investigate the conditions of the
laborers in the southern. part of the
State. She was killed im an automobile
accident, on her way to work-one morn-
ing. 4

In conclusion, Miss Park said, Carola
Woerishoffer left-to us the proof of the
practicak power of a purpose. And no
better demonstration can be brought of
the good which a woman possessing a
college education can do. One man of
importance said that the good which Miss
Woerishoffer did for New York could
never be estimated.

 

ELECTIONS
The Christian Association has elected
F. Frenaye, ’30, to the oBard, Pettit, ’28,
has been elected to take charge of the
Junior rings. M. Fowler, ’28, is Junior
Lacrosse captain.

oe,

—

aD, phy,
aks am

= saiiaaniiis

~—

Sena SE oe oe ae

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

a

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