Oshkosh High School - Index Yearbook (Oshkosh, WI)

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APRIL I N D E X FOR NINETEEN HUNDRED SEVENTEEN middle western university, true to life and perfect in detail, form one of the most interesting phases of the book. For pure recreation and amusement, we would suggest In Another Girl ' s Shoes, by Berta Ruck (Mrs, Oliver Onion). It is full of the most ridiculous situations, and the rather clever ylot is carried along by a light, wholesome humor. There is an undertone of sadness in the story of Philippa and in the background of the war which breaks the monotony, while the element of uncertainty in the book keeps the interest, even when the everlasting sameness of Berta Ruck ' s style grows tiresome. Some other recent books worth while are Penrod and Sam, by Booth Tarkington; Skinner ' s Dress Suit, by Henry Irving Dodge; The Turtles of Tasman, ' by Jack London; Hungry Stories and Other Stories, by Rabindrauth Tagore; Georgina of the Rainbow, by Anna Fellows Johnston, and the Vermillion Box, by E. V. Lucas. Spring At last! Cold winter ' s passed, With ifs stinging, icy blast. And the snow on frosty hills, Now melts and fills Once icy rills. Spring ' s here! With skies so clear, And golden sun-lit cheer. Soon earth ' II be green and fair, While fragrance rare Perfumes the air. — D. P. The Friendship of Books KATHERINE ROCKWELL WHEN I was eight years old, my father gave me Alice in Wonder- land for a birthday present. I was delighted and of all the gifts I received that day, that is the one that stands out clearly in my mind. It was the first real book I had ever possessed, and to my childish mind it was a wonderful thing, not only because I loved the book itself, but because it opened up to me a new vista, a marvelous, unexplored won- derland of books. Eagerly I took the key, and like Alice, sought the garden. Page twenty-seven

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A !• K I L I N n K X FOR NINETEEN HUNDRED SEVENTEEN Books That are Worth While ONE of the best sellers this year and probably one of the most worth while books of recent years is Mr. Britling Sees It Through, by H. G. Wells. It is a book for thinkers and a book which will stimulate thought in many directions. Its action is mainly psychological, and in fol- lowing the mental processes of Mr. Britling or merely in trying to keep up with the ordinary trend of the plot, we find our ideas on many questions of modern intellectual and political interest broadening and developing. We like the atmosphere of the book, the humor and depth of thought hold us, and we are touched by the broad sympathy of the letter from an English father, whose son had been killed in battle, to a German father, also bereaved. So, dear reader, do not be scared out in the first hundred pages by the large vocabularly of Mr. Wells, and we are sure that you will enjoy the book as much as we did. When a Man ' s a Man, by Harold Bell Wright, also a best seller in 1916, is another book that is considered worth while. It has an artistic beginning and ending, but otherwise anyone ignorant of the authorship, on reading this book, would judge it the work of an ine. perienced writer. At any rate, we do not consider that it can add anything to the reputation of the man who wrote The Calling of Dan Matthews and The Winning of Barbara Worth. However, it has some very good points beyond those already noted. It is pleasant reading and quite harmless, and it has two good characters in the Dean and Jim Reid. Patches, also, is quite human, but most of the rest of the characters are either very vague or hopelessly perfect, like Phil. Indeed, if it is true that the good die young, we fear that Kitty will soon be a widow. We do not mean to score the book unjustly, for it is perhaps as good or better than most modern novels, but we are tired of the fallacy that anything written by Harold Bell Wright must be very good. Best sellers are made, not so much by public opinion favorable to the book as by extensive advertising. There is a fascination about The Bent Twig, by Dorothy Canfield, which we can only describe as intense human interest. This book is more or less psychological and has for its theme the old proverb, As the twig is bent, so shall the tree incline. .As the plot progresses, we note that in every incident, not matter what the circumstances or situation, Sylvia reverts to type and follows the instincts aroused by her early environment. The characters in the book are all well drawn. I particularly admired Sylvia ' s mother, and Judith, with the strong character and the clear foresight. For this reason I felt disappointed and unsatisfied when the book ended with tragedy for both. This book, like Mr. Britling, is inclined to broaden one ' s views and increase one ' s vocabulary. The pictures of campus life at a Page twenty-six

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APRIL INDEX FOR NINETEEN HUNDRED SEVENTEEN It was a wide field that lay open before me and greedily I read every- thing and anything I could lay my hand upon. I soon discovered that books were like people, — they were not all alike. There were good books and bad books, interesting and wearisome ones. But all were the expres- sion of some person ' s mind and soul. For, to me, books have always seemed personal. A man cannot write without giving of himself. One can become much better acquainted with a fellow-being through his writing than through his conversation. Perhaps this is why I always feel that 1 have made a new friend when I finish a book. Of course, some books have this personal tone more than others, just as some people have more char- acter than others. One can not read Washington Irving without feeling his genial personality. He makes a friend of his reader immediately by giving him credit for having a sense of humor and by laughing with him. If any boy who feels himself misunderstood reads Booth Tarkington, he there finds a true, sympathetic friend to him and all other boys. And is there any one who can read Poe ' s weird tales without becoming interested in the person- ality of this man, half genius and half fudge? Thus a book read is a new friend made, for it makes you well acquainted with a man whom merely to meet, if it were possible, you would not know at all. However, a skilled author keeps himself in the background and speaks through his characters. How wearisome is a book where the author is con- stantly expressing his views and not allowing you to do your own thinking. He makes friends with you through his characters if he is wise. To my mind a book is worth nothing if the characters are poorly drawn. Perhaps this is a peculiarity of mine, just as when I travel I am much more inter- ested in the people than in the scenery. If a book with a strong central character and poor plot and setting is put on the market and one with an excellent setting and poor plot and characters, the first book will be a much better seller. Why? Because that strong character makes friends. It is personality that appeals to people. A character in a book can be almost as much a friend as a person. Girls of twelve and thirteen love these ever- lastingly continued series like Betty Wales and The Little Colonel, because they are at the chum age and in Betty and Lloyd they find a new friend, who grows up with them. They feel the friendship the book offers and gladly accept it. Characters in books have thousands of friends. The dear Little Minister, Mr. Macawber, Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm, these and scores of others make new friends every day; and their old friends never forget them. They are living, breathing personalities. Who says books are dead? You who dislike books and do not care for reading, how many books have you read? Not enough to judge, we will warrant. For, if you had, you would soon find more than one, from the many different kinds, that you liked. Of course, books are not all good. Neither are people, and P. ge twenty-eight