He rises slowly and goes to the book-shelves, from which he draws a copy of "The Origin of Species." Placing it before him on the desk he turns the pages slowly until he comes to one which holds his attention.
_Close-up of page 126, on which is read_: "It is notorious that specific characters are more variable than generic....
Palæzoic strata (not including 57,154 igneous beds) Secondary strata 13,190
The book drops to the floor from his nerveless fingers and he buries his head in his arms, sobbing. (Music: _"When You and I Were Young, Maggie."_)
"TWENTY YEARS AFTER ... HENRY ADAMS IS NO LONGER YOUNG, BUT IN HIS HEART LIES STILL THE HUNGER FOR EDUCATION. GOING FORWARD, EVER FORWARD, HE REALIZES AS NEVER BEFORE THAT WITHOUT THOUGHT IN THE UNIT, THERE CAN BE NO UNITY. THOUGHT ALONE IS FORM. MIND AND UNITY FLOURISH OR PERISH TOGETHER."
(_Allegorical flash-back showing Mind and Unity perishing together._)
The hero is now seen seated in a Morris chair in Washington, touching his finger-tips together in a ruminative manner. Arising slowly, he goes to the window and looks out over Lafayette Square. Then he lights a cigar and goes back to his chair. He is pondering and attempting to determine when, between 3000 B.C. and 1000 A.D. the momentum of Europe was greatest, as exemplified in mathematics by such masters as Archimedes, Aristarchus, Ptolemy and Euclid.
(_Flash-back showing the mathematical theories of Archimedes, Aristarchus, Ptolemy and Euclid. Music: "Old Ireland Shall Be Free."_)
Rising from his chair again, he paces the floor, clenching his hands behind his back in mute fury.
Caption: "GOD HAVE MERCY ON ME! I CAN SEE IT ALL--I HAVE NEVER BEEN EDUCATED!"
NEXT WEEK: BERT LYTELL IN "SARTOR RESARTUS" A SMASHING SIX-REEL FEATURE BY TOM CARLYLE
NEW YORK CITY (including all Boroughs) TELEPHONE DIRECTORY--N.Y. Telephone Co., N.Y. 1920. 8vo. 1208 pp.
In picking up this new edition of a popular favorite, the reviewer finds himself confronted by a nice problem in literary ethics. The reader must guess what it is.
There may be said to be two classes of people in the world; those who constantly divide the people of the world into two classes, and those who do not. Both classes are extremely unpleasant to meet socially, leaving practically no one in the world whom one cares very much to know. This feeling is made poignant, to the point of becoming an obsession, by a careful reading of the present volume.
