harles Dickens received
during his whole sojourn in America, Senor Blasco and his works form a
remarkably small part of the spontaneous literary conversation of the
day. The characters which he has created have not taken any appreciable
hold in the public imagination. Their names are never used as examples
of anything. Who were some of his chief characters, by the way? What did
they say that was worth remembering? What did they do that characters
have not been doing for many generations? Did you ever hear anyone say,
"He talks like a character in Ibanez," or "This might have happened in
one of Ibanez's books"?

Of course it is possible for a man to write a great book from which no
one would quote. That is probably happening all the time. But it is
because no one has read it. Here we have an author whose vogue in this
country, according to statistics, is equal to that of any writer of
novels in the world. And as soon as his publicity department stops
functioning, I should like to lay a little bet that he will not be heard
of again.

XLVI

ON BRICKLAYING

After a series of introspective accounts of the babyhood, childhood,
adolescence and inevitably gloomy maturity of countless men and women,
it is refreshing to turn to "Bricklaying in Modern Practice," by Stewart
Scrimshaw. "Heigh-ho!" one says. "Back to normal again!"

For bricklaying is nothing if not normal, and Mr. Scrimshaw has given
just enough of the romantic charm of artistic enthusiasm to make it
positively fascinating.

"There was a time when man did not know how to lay bricks," he says in
his scholarly introductory chapter on "The Ancient Art," "a time when he
did not know how to make bricks. There was a time when fortresses and
cathedrals were unknown, and churches and residences were not to be seen
on the face of the earth. But today we see wonderful architecture, noble
and glorious structures, magnificent skyscrapers and pretty home-like
bungalows."

To one who has been scouring Westchester County for the past two months
looking at the structures which are being offered for sale as homes,
"pretty home-like bungalows" comes as _le mot juste_. They certainly are
no more than pretty home-like.

* * * * *

One cannot read far in Mr. Scrimshaw's book without blushing for the
inadequacy of modern education. We are turned out of our schools as
educated young men and women, and yet what college graduate here tonigh