ALUMNI PUBLICATIONS

Evered, Ben Ames Williams '10, E. P. Dutton and Company, New York, 1921.

According to the interviews in the Sunday newspapers Mr. Ben Ames Williams works on and determines the nature and ramifications of his plots before commencing work on his stories. He regards the plot as the foundation and the framework of fiction. The merits and defects of this estimation are demonstrated in his new short novel, Evered. The fault with this book is that it is machinemade rather than inspired; conscious craftsmanship rather than aristry shows through its pages.

Granting this artistic defect, however, one is able to find many redeeming features in the book. It is a good exciting yarn, fast moving, and hard to lay down once it has been picked up. Every now and then one finds an unexpected bit of illuminating dialogue or description such as the following:

"Annie Paisley, who lived at the next farm on the North Fraternity road, had given Mary Evered something to think about when Paisley died, the year before.

"For over Paisley's very coffin Annie had said in a thoughtful, reminiscent way: 'Yes, Mary; Jim 'uz a good husband to me for nigh on thirty year. A good pervider, and a kind man, and a good father. He never drunk, nor ever wasted what little money we got; and we always had plenty to do with; and the children liked him. Kind to me he was. Gentle.' Her eyes had narrowed thoughtfully. 'But Mary,' she said, 'you know I never liked him'".

The scene of Evered is rural Maine. The chief character is a successful farmer and butcher to a knot of several towns, an irrational, cruel, and hot-tempered man. The interest of the reader lies not so much in the exposition of Evered's character as in its influence on those about him. He and his fierce red bull, so much like him in temperament, vitally affected many lives. First, there was quarrelsome and worthless Dave Riggs whom Evered killed by accident. Then there was Evered's wife whom he loved but treated cruelly, and, last, the two young lovers, John Evered and Ruth Mac Lure, whose dream of happiness was shattered for a time by the nightmare of Evered's frightful temper. Evered, in a jealous rage, allowed the red bull to slay his wife; her death estranged the lovers. How he atoned for his deed and how the lovers were brought together again it is the place of the book to tell. G. L. F.

The Biology of Death Vll—Natural Death,Public Health and the Population Problem by Professor Raymond Pearl '99, appears in the September issue of The Scientific Monthly. This has been issued as "Paper Number 34 from the department of Biometry and Vital Statistics, School of Hygiene and Public Health, Johns Hopkins University."

The Colombian Treaty—Retrospect andProspect by Isaac Joslin Cox, Ph.D., '96, has been reprinted in pamphlet form from the Journal of International Relations for April, 1921.

The twelfth, thirteenth, and fourteenth annual reports of the Municipal Court of Chicago contains a short article by Judge Daniel P. Trude '01, on "The Boy's Court".

Hon. Samuel W. McCall '74 is the author of "Notes on Economy and Disarmament" in the Atlantic Monthly for October.

George A. Bruce '61 is the author of "The Capture and Occupation of Richmond." This book of forty-six pages is printed in an at tractive format.

A recent issue of Shadowland contains The Eve of St. Catherine," a mediaeval drama in one act by Kendall Banning '02.

"A Study of Ante-Operative and PostOperative Blood Counts in Non-Infective Surgical Conditions" by Dr. Frank L. Meleney '10 is published in volume 3 of Studies fromthe Laboratory for Surgical Research, Columbia University.

Ben Ames Williams '10 is the author of "Jeshurun Waxed Fat" in the issue of the Century for September.

The September number of the ArchitecturalRecord contains an article by Leon V. Solon "The Spaulding Swimming Pool at Dartmouth College, Rich and Mathesius Architects". This very interesting article in which the author gives especial attention to the beautiful tiling in the pool, is well illustrated with six photographs and three diagrams.