The New World from Girard, Kansas • 16

Mr. Phifers Recent Books-The Dramas of Kansas-Continued Guy Bogart in Colony Cooperator.Newllano, La See Preceding Page That separates the that from this "I am related to the universe And shall pick out my children as I choose." "Oh, life is the' most lavish, the most The most enduring and persistent thing, That counts Itself by events and pos- sessions And so doles out its days." "I see a purpose in the struggle; there's A drama full of action and design Playing before me, every character Thinking he makes his speech, yet but expressing The thought the Great Designer meant should corner "Out of the situation. As they "act, Each in the way he thinks Is his style of Max Ehrman in his "Jesus: A Passion Play," Phifer presents real human, beings. Some liberties the theologians may dispute are taken but-an age is reconstructed such as real men would be supposed to have lived in. Jesus was the proletarian leader, and Barabbas is made the scion of Jewish aristocracy, a gifted young man who, with the help of the priests, builds up.

a powerful and wealthy syndicate. The five acts move swiftly from the formation of the syndicate in the first and the dissatisfaction of the people in the second, to the entrance of the Agitator in the third, the plotting against the young leader and the springing of the trap and the seaming triumph of the syndicate through the last two acts. Abruptly the drama ends with the sound of the lash on the quivering back of Jesus and-the cry of: the mob as the whipcord drips with blood. The play It is difficult to Judge-'The pramas of Kansas" by extracts, for the rugged mass effect is what gives them their chief distinction. The setting for the pictures begins: "Kansas is a stage set in the midst Of the United States.

It slopes From the high mountain chain of Colorado, Which forms a fitting background; in the center city on a hill; at the left front A mighty river with its sly van scenes; As if prepared and set to give, the world, view of great dramas. There is not A state in all the union that has staged So many social tragedies. They were r- Made up and played without re- hearsal." Newspaper men' will be especially interested in the part the makers, of the early Kansas papers played, as dealt with- in the Dramas. We for example, the picture "There is no stronger nor more picturesque Character in American history Than was the country editor who so Believed in his town that he made The play grows to a mighty tragedy, With by-plays full of laughter; and I hear A hidden, universal orchestra Make music on the smitten hearts of men." Old Religions Made New. Revealing the new religion.

Cloth bound. 50c. IT IS in the realm of the spiritual the spiritual with both feet on the ground and entirely divorced moshere, '--and if not the work of the from flights of the metaphysical that Lincoln Phifer has done some of his best work. I quote his para- men think It was the center of -the earth, and by; Persistent faith gave it both place and power." And this tribute to the power the press: "Kansas was founded on the printing press. Her ramparts are half paper, constantly Renewed and strengthened, till they have; become Impregnable; her siege guns, linotypes, Manned by the printer and the editor.

Through early stress and storm, the tender plant Of that great state was kept from death because 'Twas wrapped in Hamlet in Heay en. A five act, drama, purporting to -be by Spirit William Shakespeare; HROUGHOUT "Hamlet in Hea-: ven" occur such Shakespearean expressions as "astigmatism of the soul," "thy bluff, tender hands," "he is richest who can appre-elate most;" and such words as lan-, cient, dystome, cressate, inkle, peed, ominate, nubigenius and ensoln. The play describes the awakening of Hamlet and other, characters of the tragedy, in the other world, and of their reconciliation. In it we are told many details of the realm hereafter. -The, play has the full Shakespearean atmosphere, and if not the work of the Bard of Avon, then there is living is, Rosedale, Kansas, a man of Elizabethan powers as a dramatist.

Mr. Phifer, by the way, is a skilled dramatic writer, which is probably one reason the spirit of William Shakespeare found him a good, medium for the transmission of his plan in honor of the tercentenary celebration. Here follow a few of the typical passages from "Hamlet in "Perhaps no man is fully sane; perhaps But few, even in the spirit, have, such poise They spin perfect order, like a top Newly struck out, nor wobble as" they move." "What sorry sight His stomach is, when one may see therein! Men are not beautiful beneath the skin." "Turn to the future, there is life. Behind Is memory, and its twin, forgetful-: ness." "Thou has indeed cut through the isthmus Victor Hugo on Religion "The great religious fact is riot the church: -It is the opening of the rose, the breaking Of the clear dawn, the nestling of the It is in nature, holy and eternal, Not to understand is not a reason For disbelief, but rather for belief. If you should place a blind man in the sunlight He would declare, 'Though I see not nor hear It, -Yet I am So do we feel and know The Absolute Being is the warmth of God.

Knowledge of God is given to no one; Notion of God belongs to everyone. Prove God we, can explain Him man cannot." "Old Religions Made New," (1918) contains the cream of Mr. Phifer's later philosophical researches; There is no attempt to create a new cult, sect, or but a restatement (sadly needed) of religious faith in present day terms. The little book is a valuable contribution to the structive devotional literature of an agei just turning tb the spiritual view of 1 Jesus and Barabbas. A drama of a former age ending, with surprising resemblances to this 50c' FOLLOWING his theory of the periodicity of history, and the conception of the present age as an illustration thereof, Mr.

Phifer in the summer of 1919 recast in his play, "Jesus and Barabbas," a drama of a former age-ending with its lessons for this. The drama was written -and printed in Social Thought, Rich Hill, Missouri, in 1905. It has been but slightly changed to make it application to the age-ending" more clear. Somewhat in the.