d the noise of pigeons in the eaves drew together like
strings plucked in succession on a guitar into a great wave of rhythm in
which his life was sucked away into this one poem in praise of death."

=iv=

The Column is an American institution. What is meant, of course, is that
daily vertical discussion of Things That Have Interested Me by different
individuals attached to different papers and having in common only the
great gift of being interested in what interests everybody else. Perhaps
that is not right, either. Maybe the gift is that of being able to
interest everybody else in the things you are interested in. Of all those
who write a Column, Heywood Broun is possibly the one whose interests are
the most varied. It is precisely this variety which makes his book _Pieces
of Hate: and Other Enthusiasms_ unique as a collection of essays. He will
write on one page about the boxing ring, on the next about the theatre, a
little farther along about books, farther on yet about politics. He makes
excursions into college sports, horse racing and questions of fair play;
and the problems of child-rearing are his constant preoccupation.

Consider some of his topics. We have an opening study of the literary
masterpiece of E. M. Hull, the novel celebrating the adventures of Miss
Diana Mayo and the Sheik Ahmed Ben Hassan. The next chapter deals with
Hans Christian Andersen and literary and dramatic critics. Pretty soon we
are discussing after-dinner speeches, Babe Ruth and Jack Dempsey. If this
is a gesture, all I can say is, it is a pinwheel; and yet Broun writes
only about things he knows about. Lest you think from my description that
_Pieces of Hate_ is a book in a wholly unserious vein, I invite you to
read the little story, "Frankincense and Myrrh."

"Once there were three kings in the East and they were wise men. They read
the heavens and they saw a certain strange star by which they knew that in
a distant land the King of the World was to be born. The star beckoned to
them and they made preparations for a long journey.

"From their palaces they gathered rich gifts, gold and frankincense and
myrrh. Great sacks of precious stuffs were loaded upon the backs of the
camels which were to bear them on their journey. Everything was in
readiness, but one of the wise men seemed perplexed and would not come at
once to join his two companions who were eager and impatient to be on
their way in the direction indicated by the star.