hi Library Browsings @
Edited by Glen T. Burch
Tsr. Late Books
THE REVOLT OF THE OYSTER, By Don Marquis.
THE MOTHER ’S RECOMPENSE, By Edith Wharton.
THE GEORGE AND THE CROWN, By Sheila Kaye Smith.
TABLE TALK, By Archibald Henderson.
THE TREASURE, By Selma Lagerlof.
THE NEWER SPIRIT, By V. F. Calverton.
POETS OF AMERICA, By Clement Wood.
THE SHADOW OF THE CROSS, By Jerome Tharaud.
PROFESSOR, By Stanley Johnson.
EASTWARD, By Louis Couperus.
L
CREATIVE SPIRIT A PAN
ACEA FOR HUMAN ILLS
“The one great magie of human
life consists in man’s ability to
conceive an ideal above where he
stands, to express his ideal in some
thing material, and then, by living
with this material expression, to be
lifted up toward the ideal itself.”
This sentence is, in a sense, the
keynote of Walter Rollo Brown’s
latest book, “The Creative Spirit.”
Brown assumes as a major premise
that the so-called creative spirit is
potential in everyone, and that the
realization of thie potential spirit
is the chief end in the individual
life.
With this beginning, Brown
launches out in an attack on the
existing social order, and fires -the
opening gun in a crusade for the
release of the creative spirit. The
writer is not, however, purely an
idealistic enthusiast. He is a keen
observer as well, and his work as
a critic justifies the sub-title: “An
Inquiry into American Life.” In
sofar as he confines himself to an
analysis of existing conditions, his
book is a sound and admirable
piece of work. His comment upon
the present attitude of the church,
the industrial situation, and the
modern problems of education, are
and science, are decidedly relevant
and penetrating, and indicative of
a remarkable breadth of vision.
But he is not content with point
ing out the existing evils, he offers
a panacea: “Release the creative
spirit!” And in the proposal of this
panacea, Brown ceases to be the
critic, and becomes the enthusiastic,
the man with a hobby, with a defi
nite bias. He attempts to settle the
industrial question with vague sug
gestions about four hour days, and
experimental laboratories for work
men; he places education on a
qualitative basis (arbitrarily), and
advocates other changes so dear to
the heart of the idealist.
The average reader will prob
ably not attach any particular
practical significance to Brown’s
conclusions, but he may take
some time to examine his premise.
In the first place it is true that
every man has a latent “creative
instinct” (aside from that of re
production). The proposition is
debatable. But granting that he
has, would it be beneficial to the
social order that this “creative
spirit” be released?
In short, Brown is something in
the position of the optimist who ad
vocates the greatest happiness for
the greatest number; he is so
wrapt up in his ideal he forgets the
fact that a general release of the
creative spirit would be th£ prac
tical negation of the release for the
individual. But that is a fallacy
common to all idealists.
* *
AMERICAN BUSINESS MAN
CRITICIZED IN “LOTTERY”
Horatio Alger Jr. wrote scores of
books telling of triumph of the poor
hut virtuous. His heroes always
started with honest parents and a
great desire to succeed and ended
with a million dollars and the re
spect of the entire community with
the exception of the bewhiskered
villain- who chewed his nails in
helpless rage at seeing the triumph
of the upright young hero. W. E.
Woodward has apparently started
on the same sort of a career as Mr.
Alger. His first hook, “Bunk.”
told of the career of a poor, if not
virtuous, automobile manufacturer
and his rise to fame and fortune.
His latest work, “Lottery,” is the
story of a poor, unmoral, very hu
man button manufacturer’s ac
quisition of a million^dollars and
introduction into the great class of
owners.
Mr. Woodward includes in this
novel even keener criticism and
more biting sarcasm than in
“Bunk.” He emphasizes the increas
ing importance of the second rate
man. His hero is a young button,
manufacturer who, through a ser
ies of lucky chances, succeeds in
spite of his stupidity. He is en
tirely devoid of culture, executive
ability, or knowledge, yet he suc
ceeds. Woodward makes him an
example and points out the defects
of the American dollar aristocracy
as he sees them in his hero.
The book is full of epigrams and
wit. The rather light style carries
vou imto a philosophic passage be
fore vou are aware of it. There are
: clever criticisms of business meth
ods, advertising, middle class cul
ture, and government. The Ameri
: can business man is characterized
i as “insensitive to ideals, to deli
! cate feelings, of narrow intellig
! ence, ready to accept any standard
of false values, saturated with a
sort of careless greed.”
More than any of the books of
[ the younger generation on the de
plorable state of modern civilization
this book by a retired business man
tells us of our faults. Merciless
in his observations, heartless in his
mirth and logical in his conclusions,
Mr. Woodward points out to scorn
and ridicule the great American
middle class. The book is not con
structive. The author does not set
himself up as a prophet. Perhaps
he sees no hope. He certainly ex
presses none.
Since the writing of “Bunk” the
writer has learned a lot about
writing novels. “Lottery” shows
more versitilitv, more sense of the
dramatic, more of an original style
than was evident in his previous
book. The work of Mr. Woodward
should gain great fame. A man
who shows such improvement may
well be watched.—T. M. G.
The Toastwitch
Shoppe
College Brick Ice Cream
Light Lunches
Open till 10 p. m.
24 W. 9th Street
Mrs.
BENNETT
Formerly with the
!l!IHII!IBIIIIIH!HinilllllllllllHllinMllllliain
Beaumonde
Beauty Parlor
is now opening a shop at
1200 Willamette St.
For Appointments
Phone 1491-R
PATRONIZE
EMERALD ADVERTISERS
ALUMNI DRAWS PLANS
FOR TRI-DELT HOUSE
Plans for the new Delta Delta
Delta house were drawn up by Mar
garet Goodin, ’23, a graduate of the
Oregon school of architecture, who
is now employed as an architect in
Portland. Miss Goodin is a member
of the local chapter of Delta Delta
Delta.
Construction of the new house on
Twentieth and University, facing
University street, began last Mon
day, and will be ready for occupa
tion at the beginning of the fall
term, according to Alberta McMon
ies, who is in charge of the plans.
! The house is to be French in ar
chitectural style. It will have six
teen study rooms and is planned
to accomodate 32 girls. It is to be
I constructed ot' clinker brick, and
the cost will be $35,000.
Jack MacHolland is the contrac
; tor.
The Very Best
KALSOMINE
IS MURESCO
It must be used with boiling
water but cannot be com
pared with ordinary brands.
OXNER’S
Paint Store
Phbne 348 8th & Olive Sts.
linWBjllWIKWJlIjlJWIMWmilWVIWJJIJSSlSHiiiiH
H991
IHIBB
RIALTO
THEATRE
Junction City
SUNDAY
ORANGE PARFAFF
—AN ICE CREAM TO COOL
A WARM SUMMER DAY
Orange Parfait lee Cream will seem like a trip up the
race on Sunday. Treat the folks down for the week
end to a real College ice cream. Orange parfait. va
nilla and maplenut ice cream completes the special.
Order now.
Eugene Fruit Growers’
Association
5TH & FERRY
PHONE 1480
MRS. PATTEE ENJOYING
HER STUDIES IN PARIS
i _
Mrs. Edith Baker Pattee, a grad
uate of t.he University in 1911, who
das head of the romance language
department in the University high
school, and who left during the lat
ter part of March o an leave of ab
sence is enjoying her work in Paris,
according to letters received by her
friends.
Mrs. Pattee is studying French
pronunciation and idioms in Paris,
and declares that the French which ;
[she learned in America is a great
aid to her. While in Paris she met
j Mrs. Jay Cooke Allen Jr., who was
! formerly I?ufh Austin, and her hus
| band, both of whom are former Ore
| gon students. Mrs. Pattee will re
I turn to the campus in September.
Rex Shine Parlor
The Only Place to Oet
Your Shoes Shined
Bang!
There Goes Another Light Globe
HOW MANY ARE LEFT?
Better Replenish Your Stock
Bailey Electric Co.
PHONE 234
‘Get the Bailey Habit”
640 WILLAMETTE ST.
Chiropractor Moved to New Location—
Dr. Geo. A. Simon
Now Located Over Penny’s Store
A spacious new location occupying the whole front, of
the second floor of the Penny building is this new loca
tion. One of the mostly completely equipped institutions
in the state consisting of nine separate rooms. Adjusting,
Galvanic, Sinusoidol, Violet Ray, High Frequency, Light
Therapies, and Dressing Rooms.
COME IN AND INSPECT OUR OFFICES
INSIST ON A PURE MILK SUPPLY
Try our perfectly pasteurized milk and cream.
THE ONLY SAEE WAY
REID’S DAIRY, 842 PEARL
u
Ourselves in
Our Time
Puzzled Parents and Bewildered Youth
In An Age of Confusion
The above will be the theme of a sermon
g| by the Rev. Frank Fay Eddy at the Uni
tarian Church Sunday morning.
A sermon appropriate to Mothers
Day.
Special Musical Program arranged by
Robert McKnight and Mildred Welsh,
including two solos and a duet.
The Unitarian Church is known as
The Little Church of the Human
Spirit.” It is a church of free thinking
directed toward a constructive idealism.
Services Begin at 10:45 O’clock
PATRONIZE EMERALD ADVERTISERS
o n
Honor Her
Mother's Day
SUNDAY, MAY I0TH
An occasion to honor her if she is living or cherish
her memory if she has passed on. Do it with Flowers.
We can send them any where with our telegraph
service. If she is here don’t forget a corsage for her
to wear to dinner.
Flowers Telegraphed Everywhere
Chase Gardens
FLORISTS
COR. 9TH & OAK STS
PHONE 1950
Eureka's
superiority
is immediately
and unmistak
ably evident,
otherwise
could never
have been the
choice of over
a million care
ful buyers t
EUREKA VACUUM
CLEANER COMPANY
27 E. 9th Phone 1750
QU.I3T. ”
The PAINTED
RAISED
Coming
Monday
Tuesday
Larry Evans
Saturday Evening
Post Story
featuring
Dorothy
Mackaill
and
George
O’Brien
K
I